2026-09-16
Why PNG Files Get So Large (and What to Convert To)
PNG is lossless — photos saved as PNG stay huge. Know when to keep PNG, when to convert to JPG/WebP, and when to compress.
FormatCompressionQuality
Lossless storage costs bytes
PNG stores every pixel without photographic lossy shortcuts. Camera-like images become multi-megabyte PNGs quickly. That isn’t corruption — it’s the format doing lossless work.
Photos vs UI
Photos → JPG or WebP after resize. Logos, UI, and screenshots with text or transparency → keep PNG (or SVG). Converting a logo to JPG often softens edges.
Resize, then convert or compress
A 4000px PNG in a 1200px slot wastes bandwidth. Resize to real display size, then convert or run the PNG compressor for delivery.
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