We see these formats all the time for photos, illustrations, and so on. One day you may see a JPG image and the next day a PNG one. But does that mean they’re interchangeable? Far from it! This overview shows you all the key differences between JPG, JPEG, and PNG and when you should use them.
PNG supports transparency
Transparent backgrounds are incredibly useful for product photos or website logos.
JPG is lossy; PNG is lossless
JPG files are lossy, you will be able to compress and export at different quality scales.
These are compression algorithms that determine how much image data should be kept.
| JPG | PNG |
| Discards some information | Keeps all information |
| Smaller file sizes | Larger file sizes |
| High compression = Low quality | High compression = Slow processing |
JPG can store EXIF metadata
EXIF metadata tags include time and date, camera settings, and copyright information of an image.
Which one is better for Product Photography?
It depends! Each format has its strengths:
- JPG is ideal for product and lifestyle shots (e.g. Amazon).
- PNG is ideal for posters and ads (e.g. Instagram).
You’ll need to use both in your sales and advertising.
Just remember: PNG can be saved as JPG, but not the other way around.
At Nexlon Studio, we can provide photo collaterals in both JPG and PNG. Consult our specialists to find out which you need at donna.spector@nexlon.com!
OK, one last thing… What’s JPEG?
It’s just a different name for JPG due to old Windows systems. They’re the same thing!
