How to choose the right image format, every time
JPG, PNG, WEBP, GIF, SVG, TIFF — each one was built for a specific job. Pick by content type and you'll rarely get it wrong.
Published Updated 6 min read
There are more image formats in everyday use than most people realise, and each was designed to solve a specific problem well. Choosing between them is less about personal preference and more about answering three questions: does it need transparency, is the content photographic or flat-colour, and where is it going.
Format by content type
| Content | Best format | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Photograph, no transparency | JPG or WEBP | Lossy compression suits photographic noise and gradients |
| Photograph with transparency | WEBP | Only WEBP compresses colour data lossily while keeping alpha |
| Logo, icon, flat illustration | SVG if vector, otherwise PNG | Vector scales infinitely; PNG keeps flat colour crisp |
| Screenshot with text or UI | PNG | Lossy formats blur sharp text edges |
| Simple animation | GIF or animated WEBP | GIF is universally supported; WEBP is smaller |
| Scan for print or archival | TIFF | Lossless and supports high bit depth, standard in print workflows |
The transparency question comes first
If any part of the image needs to show through to whatever is behind it, JPG is eliminated immediately — it has no alpha channel at all. That leaves PNG or WEBP. Choose WEBP if the transparent image also has photographic detail (a shadow, a gradient, a cut-out with soft edges); choose PNG if it's simple flat colour or you need maximum compatibility with older software.
Vector vs raster: don't rasterise too early
Logos and icons are often created as vector files (SVG, AI, EPS) precisely because they need to work at every size from a favicon to a billboard. Converting to PNG or JPG at some fixed size throws that flexibility away permanently. Keep the vector master file and only export raster versions at the specific sizes you actually need, when you need them.
When you genuinely can't decide
- Default to WEBP for anything going on a modern website — it handles both photographic and flat content reasonably well.
- Keep a JPG or PNG fallback only if you know the destination doesn't reliably accept WEBP.
- If in doubt about transparency, check the image at full zoom against a checkered background in your editor — an invisible alpha edge is easy to miss.
Tools for this
- JPG to PNGUse it moving a photo into a lossless working format.
- PNG to WEBPUse it keeping transparency while cutting file size.
- SVG to PNGUse it when a vector logo needs to become a raster image for a platform that requires one.
- TIFF to JPGUse it converting scanner or print-workflow output into something the web can use.
Keep reading
- JPG vs PNG: which one should you actually use?One throws away detail to stay small, the other keeps every pixel and every transparent edge. Here is how to pick without guessing.
- JPG vs WEBP: is it worth converting your images?WEBP typically saves 25–35% over an equivalent JPG. Here is where that saving is real, where it isn't, and what you give up.
- PNG vs WEBP: which lossless-friendly format wins?Both handle transparency. Only one of them can also shrink a photo-heavy image by 60-80%. Here is when that gap actually matters.