PNG or JPG: which should you use for a screenshot?

Compare PNG and JPEG from the same screenshot

The illustration above shows two ways text can lose detail: resizing an image and saving it as a low-quality JPEG. Its JPEG example uses quality 15 to make compression artifacts easy to see.

The table below compares a lossless PNG and a quality-85 JPEG made from the same 1200 x 760 sample dashboard. Both use Sharp 0.35.4; the JPEG uses 4:2:0 chroma subsampling. The sizes and visual results apply to this image and these settings.

Scroll sideways to read all columns.

Compare your own exports fairly

1. Keep one original

   Save the unedited original and make comparison copies from it.

2. Keep dimensions equal

   Export both copies at the same pixel dimensions so you can compare the formats without also comparing different image sizes.

3. Record the settings

   Record the encoder and JPEG quality setting if the exporting tool exposes them.

4. Inspect size and detail

   Compare file sizes and inspect the smallest text at 100% zoom and at the size your readers will see.

Avoid repeated quality loss

Repeatedly saving an already compressed JPEG can introduce further loss. Return to the original source when editing again. Converting a damaged JPEG to PNG preserves its current pixels, including existing artifacts.

A PDF container does not repair a poor source image. If a screenshot is unreadable before conversion, recapture it when possible.

Choose the next step

Keep the original PNG when sharp text matters. If several screenshots need to be shared together, combine them into a PDF. For presentation, add a frame or background, then check the exported image at its final display size.

If file size is the immediate problem, crop to the necessary context or divide an overly long capture into useful sections. Do not shrink important text until the attachment is unreadable.