JPG to PNG Converter

What this tool is used for

• Converting a photo to a lossless format before editing it, so repeated saves do not degrade it.
• Getting a format that supports transparency, ready for a cutout you are about to make.
• Producing a PNG for a tool or a pipeline that will not accept JPEG input.
• Preparing a screenshot-style asset where sharp edges and text must stay crisp.
• Converting an image for a context that requires lossless compression by policy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does converting JPG to PNG improve quality?

No — and this is the key point. JPEG loss is already baked into the pixels; PNG preserves them exactly but cannot recover what was discarded. You get a larger file containing the same visible artefacts.

When is this conversion worth doing?

When you need transparency (JPEG has no alpha channel), lossless further editing, or a format that will not degrade on each re-save. Screenshots and images with text or sharp edges also genuinely belong in PNG.

Why is the PNG so much bigger?

Because PNG uses lossless DEFLATE compression, which suits flat colour and sharp edges but handles photographic noise poorly — including the JPEG artefacts themselves, which are effectively random detail that resists compression.

What is generation loss?

The cumulative degradation from repeatedly opening and re-saving a JPEG, since each save re-quantises. Converting to PNG stops the bleeding, but does not undo the losses already accumulated.

Is metadata preserved?

Usually not. EXIF — including GPS coordinates, camera model and timestamps — is typically dropped, which is often desirable for privacy. If you need it retained, verify explicitly rather than assuming.

Do JPEG compression artefacts survive the conversion?

Yes, permanently — PNG stores exactly what it is given, including the blocking and ringing already baked into the pixels. Lossless does not mean restored; it means no further damage.

Which is better for a screenshot containing text?

PNG, decisively. JPEG's frequency-based compression blurs the sharp edges that letterforms are made of, which is why screenshots saved as JPEG look smeared around the text.

Does PNG support the same colour depth?

More — PNG handles 8 and 16 bits per channel plus palette modes, while baseline JPEG is 8-bit. Nothing is lost on depth; the cost is entirely in file size.

Common errors and gotchas

• Expecting the conversion to recover quality. JPEG artefacts are already baked in and become lossless artefacts.
• Being surprised the file grows. A photograph in PNG is usually several times larger than the JPEG.
• Assuming transparency appears. The source has none, so you get an opaque image in a format that supports it.
• Losing EXIF metadata, which PNG stores differently and many converters simply drop.
• Converting a photo for the web, where JPEG or WebP is almost always the better choice.