Image Format Comparison

Quick Format Comparison Table

Feature	JPEG	PNG	BMP	TIFF
Compression	Lossy	Lossless	None/Lossless	Lossless/Lossy
Transparency	No	Yes (Alpha)	Yes (32-bit)	Yes
File Size	Small	Medium	Very Large	Large
Best For	Photos, Web	Graphics, Web	Editing, Windows	Print, Archive
Web Support	Excellent	Excellent	Limited	Limited
Quality	Good (Lossy)	Perfect (Lossless)	Perfect (Lossless)	Perfect (Lossless)

Which Format Should You Use?

For Web Use

JPEG for Photos

Use JPEG for photographs and images with many colors on web pages. Quality setting of 80-85% provides excellent balance between file size and visual quality.

PNG for Graphics

Use PNG for graphics, logos, icons, and images requiring transparency. PNG-8 for simple graphics, PNG-32 for complex graphics with transparency.

For Print Media

TIFF for Professional Print

Use TIFF with lossless compression for professional printing. Supports CMYK color space and extensive metadata needed for print workflows.

High-Quality JPEG

JPEG at 95-100% quality can work for print, but TIFF is preferred for professional applications.

For Image Editing

TIFF for Professional Work

Use TIFF for professional editing workflows. Supports layers, multiple pages, and extensive metadata preservation.

PNG for Graphics Editing

PNG is excellent for graphics editing as it preserves quality through multiple save operations.

BMP for Simple Editing

BMP works for simple editing tasks but is less efficient than PNG or TIFF.

For Archival Storage

TIFF for Long-Term Archive

TIFF with lossless compression is the industry standard for archival storage. Supports extensive metadata and guarantees quality preservation.

PNG as Alternative

PNG can serve as an archival format, especially for graphics, though TIFF is more commonly used in professional archives.

Detailed Feature Comparison

Compression Comparison

JPEG: Uses lossy compression achieving 10:1 to 20:1 compression ratios. Some quality is lost, but file sizes are significantly smaller.

PNG: Uses lossless compression achieving 2:1 to 5:1 compression ratios. No quality loss, but larger files than JPEG.

BMP: Typically uncompressed, resulting in very large files. Optional RLE compression provides minimal benefit.

TIFF: Supports multiple compression methods. Lossless compression (LZW, ZIP) provides 2:1 to 4:1 ratios without quality loss.

File Size Comparison

For a typical 1920x1080 photograph:

JPEG (85% quality): ~200-400 KB
PNG: ~2-4 MB
BMP: ~6 MB
TIFF (LZW): ~3-5 MB

Quality Comparison

JPEG: Good quality for photographs, but compression artifacts may be visible at lower quality settings. Quality degrades with repeated saves.

PNG: Perfect quality preservation. No artifacts, no quality loss from compression or repeated saves.

BMP: Perfect quality preservation. No compression means no quality loss, but file sizes are prohibitive.

TIFF: Perfect quality with lossless compression. Industry standard for quality-critical applications.

Browser and Platform Support

JPEG: Universal support across all browsers, devices, and platforms. The most widely supported format.

PNG: Excellent support across all modern browsers and platforms. Widely used on the web.

BMP: Limited web browser support. Primarily used in Windows applications and desktop software.

TIFF: Limited web browser support. Primarily used in professional photography and printing software.

Conversion Recommendations

Convert to JPEG When

Sharing photos online
Creating web galleries
File size is a priority
Quality loss is acceptable

Convert to PNG When

Graphics need transparency
Images contain text
Quality must be preserved
Web graphics and logos

Convert to BMP When

Windows-specific applications
Uncompressed source needed
Simple editing workflows

Convert to TIFF When

Professional printing
Archival storage
Metadata preservation needed
Professional workflows

Summary

Choosing the right image format depends on your specific needs. JPEG is best for web photos, PNG for web graphics with transparency, BMP for simple Windows applications, and TIFF for professional printing and archival purposes. QuickFormat makes it easy to convert between these formats based on your requirements.

Start Converting Images