How to Convert PNG to JPG (Without Losing Quality)

A screenshot, a scan, or an exported design arrives as a 15 MB PNG. You need to email it, upload it, or put it on a website — and suddenly the file is in the way. Converting PNG to JPG is the classic fix, but there are two rules you should know first.

When PNG → JPG makes sense

• Photos — JPG shrinks photo files dramatically with no visible loss at sensible quality
• Web uploads — most sites compress anyway; arrive small instead
• Email attachments — stay under the size limits
• Long-term storage of large photo collections

When it doesn't

• Screenshots with text — JPG artifacts make sharp text look fuzzy; keep PNG
• Graphics with transparency — see below
• Design masters — never convert the file you'll edit again

The transparency problem (read this first)

JPG doesn't support transparency. When you convert a PNG that has transparent areas, those areas must become something:

• White background — the safe default for photos and documents
• Solid color — matches your design or webpage background

If the image relies on transparency (logos, icons, cutouts), converting to JPG ruins it. Convert to WebP instead, or keep PNG. See WebP vs PNG for the full comparison.

Step-by-step: convert PNG to JPG with SlimImg

The Image Converter does it in your browser:

1. Open the converter
2. Upload one or more PNG files
3. Choose JPG as the output format
4. Set quality to 85–90 for photos
5. Download the JPGs

No uploads, no account, no watermarks.

Keeping quality: the settings that matter

• Quality 85–90 — invisible difference from the PNG for photos, 60–80% smaller
• Quality 100 — rarely worth it; the file grows a lot for detail nobody sees
• Resize first — if the image is larger than you'll display it, resize before converting (see how to resize for email)

Common mistakes

• Converting screenshots — text gets mangled by JPG compression; keep PNG
• Ignoring transparency — logos come out with ugly white boxes
• Converting masters — you lose the editable original; keep the PNG
• Compressing twice — convert once, then compress the JPG once; don't re-save repeatedly

Frequently asked questions

Does converting PNG to JPG lose quality?

JPG is lossy, but at quality 85–90 the difference is imperceptible in photos. Keep the original PNG if you'll edit the file again.

How much smaller will the JPG be?

Typically 60–85% smaller for photos. For flat graphics the savings are smaller — which is a sign you shouldn't convert those anyway.

My PNG has a transparent background — what happens?

Transparent pixels become the background color you choose (white by default). If you need transparency in the output, use PNG or WebP instead.

Should I convert screenshots?

No. Screenshots have sharp text, which JPG artifacts mangle. Keep them as PNG.

What if I need transparency AND a smaller file?

Convert to WebP lossless instead — it keeps transparency and is smaller than PNG. The Image Converter outputs WebP too.

Need to convert in the other direction? The JPG to PNG guide explains when that actually makes sense.

The bottom line

Convert photos from PNG to JPG for big size savings, keep screenshots and transparent graphics in PNG (or WebP), and let the Image Converter handle it — free and private.