Design your way

Image files can be saved in different file types and this is because some of them have their own particularities. Understanding which one is the right to use in certain situations might not be all of the time easy. When you are working with images you need to understand really well what you are trying to do.

For example, in the PNG vs JPG discussion, they have both their pros and cons and in order to get the max out of them, they need to be used accordingly. This is because a wrong image format will bring larger files that lead to a slower website and nobody wants this in today’s world of speed and communication.

Images have different sizes and shapes and the two most common ones are PNG and JPG. This is because they are compatible with all the browsers and the needs of the general users.

In order to find out which is the better one to use in the PNG vs JPG dilemma let’s check out more info about each one.

PNG

The PNG file format was created in the 1990s to be a replacement for the well-known GIF format. Certain limitations of the GIF made the appearance of the PNG one to appear.

The PNG file format has been designed to transfer images on the internet and not really for printing graphics so it does not support non-RGB color spaces like CMYK for example.

What is the advantage of .png is the fact that it offers a lot of variety and transparency levels that mean the PNG background can be completely transparent that is important for PNG logo designs and similar ones? It is also a great choice when we think about pictures that have fade effects.

JPG

JPG is a filetype than has been developed by the Joint Photographic Experts GROUP (JPEG) in order to create a standard for the photographers out there. What JPEG does is to compress image data and it does that reducing sections of images to blocks of pixels.

This image format was made to minimize the file size of photos so they can be easily used in the online.  So, this means that a lot of the pictures that you are going to find online are going to be JPG format.

PNG vs JPG

Many people asked what format is better, PNG or JPG? Although most of us probably sometimes ignore completely this aspect, people that work more often with photos for sure understand even better this aspect.

Similarities and Differences

Png or jpg, that is the question! Both formats support similar levels of color depth and can carry support for metadata, interlacing and color management. However, none of them supports animation, layers or HDR.

What makes PNG and JPG different is the fact that PNG support image transparency but JPEGs do not. More than often color indexing is available for 1-8bit PNGS but is not supported at all in JPEG.

Pictures Containing Text

Sometimes you might want to use pictures that have text and choosing between PNG vs JPG might be a confusing situation. PNGs are better for this type of picture as well for graphics that have fine details.

An important difference between jpg vs png is the fact that if you use JPGs, the contours of the letters together with the fine lines used in graphics will appear less sharp.

Compression

JPG and PNG use different compression methods. JPG uses the DCT-based lossy compression one that decreases quality in order to gain smaller file size and PNG that prioritizes quality and uses a DEFLATE compression algorithm.

The difference between png and jpg is that in PNG the file size is not that easy to adjust and you need a separate program while JPG’s file size can be adjusting easily during saving.

The main attributes of a JPEG image are:

Smaller file size

This is one of the biggest advantages of this JPG images. If you are creating a website using JPG images will always provide you with a faster page load time together with better user experience because the files are small.

If a JPEG file is gets saved the rate of the compression is at 10:1, so if let’s say you have 10MB photo then the save one will have 1MB in size.

Compression creates a loss in quality

While reducing size is a great advantage that JPG has it is also a weakness. The algorithm that gets used to compress the JPEG images finds pixels that are more or less in the same color or value. This will lead to a smaller file that has little image degradation but this also means that you lose the entire data once the file gets saved.

The main attributes of a PNG image are:

Larger file size

One of the reasons that PNG and JPG images have different uses is due to their size. PNG images have a different image compression when they get their size reduces and is different from the JPG one.

Lossless image quality

THE LZW compression is used when a PNG image is created but this doesn’t result in the quality being damaged. So, what this means is that the image gets saved, edited and opened many times without degrading in time. The difference between jpeg and png is that when they are edited or re-saved, they always compress and lose more information.

Regular Pictures

Because the graphics and the images with letters are usually better-looking in the .png file, with the regular photos, the JPG is the option to go for the online because they have a smaller size. If you go for PNGs, they might slow your website quite a lot and this means your users might not be that happy about it.

Transparent Backgrounds

A big difference between .jpg and .png images is that only the .png format can support transparent backgrounds.

Popularity

So png or jpg which one is better to use? PNG has grown quite a lot in popularity because it supports transparency and can be used for certain web designs. However, most of the images that we see on the internet are still JPEGs and this will not change any time soon.

Which Format is Best?

We can say that JPG images are ideal for using them online because they keep the file size down and we don’t get too much quality loss. They are also good when we want to send emails or print artwork at high resolutions.

PNG, on the other hand, are great for web graphics, especially logos and illustrations. They can be resized in small dimensions and this is another plus. The biggest advantage of a png is that the image can be transparent allowing you to put different designs on top of backgrounds with no problem. PNG is also a great choice if you want images that will be edited and saved multiple times.

Summarized Features and Benefit of JPG and PNG

Features and benefits of JPGs:

• used for photos
• the best choice for screenshots of movies or similar content
• smaller file sizes
• fast page load time
• lossy compression
• editing and re-saving degrades quality but is not noticed if you don’t have a high number of saves

Features and benefits of PNGs:

• used for illustrations and other design work
• great for detailed illustrations
• images saved on a transparent background can be used better on your website
• support for colors and grayscale
• easy to change the colors of PNG files
• fewer colors that get used lead to a smaller file

In conclusion, the battle between PNG vs JPG has no winner actually. It really depends on your line of work and what you need them for when you are choosing the image extensions that you want to go for.

If you enjoyed reading this article about PNG vs JPG, you should read these as well:

• Gimp vs Photoshop: What’s the difference and why pick one over the other
• A Collection Of Useful Photoshop Typography Tutorials
• Top Photoshop Actions For Photo Retouching Work
• Photoshop alternatives that you can use

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