The short version
- PNG is lossless, so it keeps every pixel exactly, while JPG is lossy and discards detail the eye is less likely to notice.
- Use PNG for text, logos, screenshots, flat colour and anything that needs a transparent background.
- Use JPG for photographs, where its compression is hard to see and the file is several times smaller.
- JPG does not support transparency, and it tends to show blocks and bands in smooth gradients and around sharp lettering.
- Social platforms recompress every upload, so starting from a clean PNG or a high quality JPG gives their compression less to damage.
On this page
The short answer to PNG vs JPG: use PNG for anything with text, logos, flat colour, sharp edges or a transparent background, and use JPG for photographs. PNG is lossless, so every pixel you export is the pixel that arrives. JPG is lossy: it throws away detail to make the file small, and the detail it throws away is exactly what makes lettering crisp and gradients smooth. A photo hides that loss well. A headline on a gradient does not.
The difference between PNG and JPG
Both formats store a grid of pixels, so neither scales up without going soft. What separates them is how they squeeze that grid into a file.
PNG
JPG (JPEG)
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JPG (JPEG)
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JPG works by splitting the image into small squares of 8×8 pixels, then simplifying the colour and fine detail inside each square. In a photo full of texture that simplification disappears into the noise. In a smooth gradient or around the edge of a letter, it shows up as faint blocks, smeared halos and stepped bands of colour.
When to use PNG
- Text heavy graphics: quote cards, announcements, carousels, slides.
- Logos and icons, especially on a transparent background.
- Screenshots of interfaces, where JPG blurs small type.
- Gradients and flat colour, which band and block under JPG compression.
- Master files you will edit again, so quality is not lost on every save.
A text post on a gradient exported as PNG: crisp lettering, no bands.
Saved as a heavily compressed JPG, this is where artefacts show first: halos around the letters and steps in the dark corners.
When to use JPG
Use JPG for photographs: product shots, portraits, travel, food. Real photos are full of grain and texture, which masks compression, and a JPG at a quality of around 80 to 85 usually looks identical to the original at a fraction of the size. A large PNG photo can easily be several times heavier with no visible gain.
JPG also suits designs that are mostly photo with a little type, as long as the type is large. If the text is small or thin, or sits over a smooth sky, export PNG instead, or test both and compare at 100% zoom.
PNG or JPG for social media
Instagram, Facebook, X and LinkedIn recompress everything you upload, usually to JPG. That sounds like a reason not to care, but it is the opposite: compression stacks. A JPG that was already squeezed gets squeezed again, and artefacts double. Give the platform the cleanest file you can, at the exact size it expects, so it has nothing to resize. The sizes are in social media image sizes.
Instagram post 1080×1350
1080 × 1350
Story 1080×1920
1080 × 1920
X post 1600×900
1600 × 900
LinkedIn post 1200×1200
1200 × 1200
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PNG or JPG for a logo
PNG, every time, if you need a pixel file. A logo is flat shapes and hard edges, which PNG compresses well and JPG damages, and a logo almost always needs a transparent background so it can sit on photos, colours and dark mode. Better still, keep the master as SVG, which stays sharp at any size. SVG vs PNG explains when to use which, and logo sizes lists the files you need.
Why gradients band in JPG
Smooth gradients are the hardest test for any format. A dark blend from near black to deep violet only has a few dozen distinct colour values to work with, and JPG compression merges neighbours into visible stripes. That is gradient banding, and it is worst on dark, low contrast backgrounds.
linear-gradient(180deg, #0b0a14 0%, #1a1233 45%, #2e1a5c 100%)Causes banding
- JPG at quality 60 or lower
- Saving a JPG, editing it and saving again
- A perfectly clean digital blend with no texture
- Uploading a size the platform has to rescale
Prevents it
- PNG for anything with a gradient
- JPG at 90 or above if you must use JPG
- A light grain layer, which breaks up the steps
- Exporting at the platform's exact pixel size
Grain helps more than any setting, because it gives the compressor texture to work with instead of a flat run of near identical colours. Grainy gradients shows how much is enough. Gradiently's Marks carry their own grain and light, which is exactly the texture that helps a gradient design survive a platform's recompression.
What about WebP and AVIF
On your own website, newer formats beat both: WebP and AVIF can be lossy or lossless, support transparency and are smaller at the same quality. Every current browser supports WebP. Keep PNG and JPG for uploads to platforms and for sharing files, and read WebP vs PNG and JPG before you rebuild your site's images. For the settings themselves, see image compression without ruining gradients.
Questions people ask
Is PNG better quality than JPG?
PNG is lossless, so it never loses quality, however often you save it. For photographs a high quality JPG looks the same to the eye and is much smaller, so better depends on the content.
Should I post PNG or JPG on Instagram?
PNG for text, graphics and gradients, JPG at quality 85 or above for photos. Instagram recompresses both, so export at the exact size it expects, such as 1080×1350 for a portrait post.
Does JPG support transparent backgrounds?
No. JPG has no alpha channel, so transparent areas are filled with a solid colour, usually white. Use PNG, WebP or SVG for transparency.
Why does my gradient look stripy after saving as JPG?
JPG compression merges similar colours in smooth blends into visible bands. Export the design as PNG, raise the JPG quality to 90 or more, or add a light grain layer.
Is JPEG the same as JPG?
Yes. They are the same format; JPG is simply the three letter version of the extension.
Written by Gradiently
The team behind Gradiently, a design tool built around Marks: living gradients that make everything you design look like yours.
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