Converting JPG to PNG is one of the most requested image conversions, and also one of the most misunderstood. PNG is lossless, so the result is a pixel-exact copy of the decoded JPG. That copy includes every compression artefact the JPG already had. The image does not get sharper, and the file gets several times larger. The conversion is still useful in specific cases, listed below.
When converting JPG to PNG makes sense
- A program or portal requires PNG. Some design tools, game engines, app stores, label printers and online forms accept only PNG.
- You will edit and save the image many times. Each JPG save compresses again and the losses add up: blocks, colour blotches, halos around edges. Convert once to PNG, do all the work in PNG, and export a final JPG only at the end.
- You want to add transparency. A JPG cannot have a transparent background. Converting to PNG does not remove the background by itself, but the PNG gives you a file where an editor can store the transparency you create.
- Orientation problems. Phones often store a photo sideways and add a tag saying "rotate when displaying". Some programs ignore the tag. Our converter rotates the pixels themselves, so the PNG appears upright everywhere.
When it does not help
- "Improving" quality. Information discarded by JPG compression is gone. Blocky areas and halos are copied faithfully into the PNG.
- Saving space. A photo as PNG is typically several times the size of the JPG. For storage and sending, keep JPG.
- Removing a white background automatically. White stays white. Transparency has to be made in an editor.
What our converter does
We decode the JPG, apply the EXIF orientation to the pixels and write a standard PNG with lossless Deflate compression. Specifics:
- Colour depth stays at 8 bits per channel, the same as the JPG. Turning it into 16 bits would only inflate the file.
- JPGs in CMYK, typical for files from print shops, are converted to RGB because PNG has no CMYK mode. Colours can shift slightly, especially without an embedded colour profile.
- Resolution in pixels is unchanged. A 4000 × 3000 photo stays 4000 × 3000.
- We do not deliberately strip metadata. If the photo contains GPS coordinates and you plan to publish it, check the result before posting.
Common questions people search for
Why is my PNG so much bigger than the JPG?
JPG stores an approximation of the photo, PNG stores every pixel exactly, including the noise of a camera sensor, which compresses poorly. Five to ten times the size is not unusual for photos. That is the price of lossless storage, not an error.
JPG to PNG with transparent background
Not possible by conversion alone. Open the PNG in an editor with a background removal tool, delete the background and save as PNG again.
Does converting JPG to PNG lose quality?
No. The PNG matches the decoded JPG pixel for pixel. It also does not gain any.
JPG and PNG compared
| JPG | PNG | |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | lossy (DCT, 8 × 8 blocks) | lossless (Deflate) |
| Transparency | no | yes |
| Bit depth | 8 bits per channel (baseline) | 1 to 16 bits per channel |
| Repeated saving | loses quality each time | no loss |
| Typical use | photos, sharing, web | graphics, screenshots, editing masters |
| Standard | ISO/IEC 10918-1 (1992), JFIF ISO/IEC 10918-5 | W3C 1996, ISO/IEC 15948:2004, third edition 2025 |
The Library of Congress describes both formats in detail: JFIF and PNG. Our format pages: JPG, PNG.
Other ways to convert JPG to PNG
Windows Paint opens a JPG and saves it via Save as > PNG picture. On a Mac, Preview does the same through File > Export with PNG as the format (Apple's guide). For one image that is quicker than any website.
Our converter helps with many files, on phones or Linux, and when you need the orientation fixed reliably: up to 10 files at once, 100 MB each, results as a ZIP or as a link by e-mail. Conversion runs on our servers in the Czech Republic; uploads are deleted right after conversion, results after 14 days. Going the other way, with the trade-offs explained: PNG to JPG. Vector logos are better turned into PNG straight from the source: SVG to PNG.