Several file formats are used when it comes to saving the digital copy of any picture. JPG and PNG are among the most used formats among the rest of all. One should be clear about the distinctions of the two formats before saving any picture. The basic characteristic of each format is its compression and quality.
JPG vs PNG
The main difference between JPG and PNG is that JPG is the image saving format that is lossy and doesn’t help to maintain transparency whereas PNG is the format that is lossless and helps to keep transparency intact.
JPG forms the part of larger format JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) and is generally used by professional photographers. Nowadays, JPG is used as the standard format to save pictures because they are small in size and are easy to open on any device.
PNG was initially developed as an alternative to save internet graphics. It is also known as Portable Network Graphics and is used to save images without compromising on the quality of the image. This format provides the lossless compression and helps to retain the transparency of the browser.
Comparison Table Between JPG and PNG (in Tabular Form)
| Parameters of Comparison | JPG | PNG |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | JPG is the widely used picture saving format that compresses the picture to the small size and is easy to store. Along with it, usually, it degrades the quality of the picture. | PNG is the format that is usually used to save the graphics. It doesn’t reduce the size of the picture and doesn’t compromise on the quality of the picture. |
| Transparency | JPG doesn’t ensure the transparency of the browser. | PNG ensures the transparency of the browser. |
| Compression | JPG uses the lossy format of compression. | PNG uses the lossless format of compression. |
| Recommended for photographers | This format is highly recommended for professional photographers because the picture can be reduced to considerable sizes. | PNG is mostly used to save the graphics and is not used by photographers. It can’t be reduced to the desired sizes according to the will. |
| Used for graphics | JPG is largely used to save images to scale them whenever needed. | PNG is used to save the graphic files and to retain high-quality images. |
What is JPG?
JPG is the image storing format that is widely used as the standard format to store pictures on the computer or from the browser. It forms part of the larger file storing format known as JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group). This format is used extensively because it can reduce the size of the picture to the considerable sizes and is compatible to store in various devices.
Most of the photographers save files with this format to save the space of their devices and to edit the picture to the desired sizes.
Some of the key aspects of the JPG format are as follows:
- JPG uses the lossy format for compression of the pictures.
- It doesn’t maintain the transparency of the browsers.
- The pictures stores can be degraded quality-wise at times.
- It provides the desired compression of the images.
- It is highly recommended for the use of photographers.
What is PNG?
PNG is the image saving format that is predominantly used to store graphics on the computer or from the browser. It was initially developed as an alternative format to GIF to store and access the network graphics. It is abbreviated as Portable Network Graphics that stores graphics and images to retain the high quality of the image and transparency of the browser.
Images stores with PNG cannot be compressed to the desired sizes therefore this format is not used by the photographers.
Some of the key aspects of PNG format are as follows:
- PNG uses the lossless format of compression.
- It is used to retain the high quality of the image.
- It helps to maintain the transparency of the browser.
- It is not recommended for the uses of photographers because it saves the large size of images.
- It is not the ideal format to save the animated graphics.
Main Differences Between JPG and PNG
- JPG is the image saving format that can compress the images to the required size whereas PNG is the format where the size of file saves is generally large.
- The quality of the image saved in JPG format is degraded to some extent whereas the PNG maintains the high quality of the image saved.
- PNG retains the transparency of the browser whereas JPG doesn’t ensure the transparency of the browser.
- JPG uses the lossy format of compression whereas PNG uses the lossless format of compression.
- JPG is the format that is highly recommended for the photographers whereas PNG is the format that is recommended only to store the graphic images.
Conclusion
JPG and PNG are image saving formats that are used substantially to store and save the images to the computer or other devices. These two formats are often confused to be the same but they differ widely.
JPG is the file storing format that can store images by compressing the images to the desired sizes. This format is used as the standard format because it is easy to store and open. It is lossy because it doesn’t maintain the transparency of the browser. This format is largely used by professional photographers.
PNG is the file format that saves and stores the graphics. The format is lossless because it helps to retain the transparency of the browser. It maintains the high quality of the image and the file stored is usually large.