How to Convert JPG to PNG (and Back) for Free

JPG and PNG solve different problems, so "converting" between them only helps if you're converting for the right reason. Here's how to do it, and — more importantly — when each direction actually makes sense.

Step-by-step: convert with the Image Converter

1. Open the Image Converter.
2. Upload your JPG or PNG file.
3. Choose the target format — PNG or JPG.
4. If converting to JPG, set a quality level for the export.
5. Download the converted file.

When to convert JPG to PNG

• You need transparency — JPG has no alpha channel, so if you're about to add transparency (e.g. cutting out a background) you need a PNG first.
• You're about to make lossless edits — cropping, adding text, or layering in an editor repeatedly on a PNG avoids stacking up JPEG compression artifacts.
• The image has sharp text or hard edges — like a screenshot or scanned document — where JPEG compression tends to smear fine detail.

When to convert PNG to JPG

• You don't need transparency — most photos and flattened graphics don't, and JPG will give you a noticeably smaller file.
• File size matters more than pixel-perfect fidelity — email attachments, web pages, photo galleries.
• You're finished editing — once an image is final, converting to JPG for delivery avoids carrying around an unnecessarily large PNG.

What actually happens during conversion

PNG to JPG applies lossy compression for the first time, so there is some quality trade-off — controlled by the quality setting you choose. JPG to PNG doesn't add quality back that JPEG already discarded; it just repackages the existing pixels losslessly from that point forward, which is why it's the right move before further edits, not a way to "undo" JPEG compression.

Tips

• Convert from the highest-quality source you have — converting a heavily compressed JPG to PNG won't recover lost detail.
• If you'll be editing further, convert to PNG first and only export to JPG at the very end.
• Set JPG quality around 80-90% for a good balance of size and appearance.
• Check for transparency before converting PNG to JPG so you're not surprised by a flattened background.

Common mistakes

• Converting JPG to PNG expecting the quality to improve — the compression already happened and can't be reversed.
• Converting a transparent PNG straight to JPG without noticing the background gets filled in solid.
• Repeatedly saving as JPG through multiple edit rounds, compounding artifacts each time.