JPEG or PNG: Which Is Better When Converting a PDF to Images?
Key points
- For photo-heavy pages, JPEG is lighter and fits
- For crisp text and diagrams, PNG fits
- If unsure, JPEG; redo in PNG if needed
JPEG
- Small files
- Good for photographs
- Slight blur can appear around text
PNG
- Text and lines come out crisp
- Good for diagrams, slides and screenshot-like material
- Files tend to be larger than JPEG
Rule of thumb
- Photo-centered material: JPEG
- Text-centered PDFs (résumés and so on): either; JPEG if you want small, PNG if you want crisp
- Material with many charts and graphs: PNG
- Posting on social media or pasting in email: JPEG (lighter)
Relation to size
Choosing "Large" raises the image resolution and makes text easier to read, but the file grows as well. Try "Normal" first and switch to "Large" if the text is hard to read.
Use "PDF to Images" (free)Tools that go well with this
- Compress & Resize Images: Make image files smaller, and resize them if you like.
- Convert Image Format (JPG, PNG, WebP): Convert images to JPG, PNG or WebP, several at once.
- Extract or Delete PDF Pages: Keep only the pages you need, or remove the pages you don't.
More guides for this tool
- How to Turn a PDF into JPEG or PNG Images
- Turning a PDF Page into an Image for Social Media or Slides
- Tips for Submitting PDF Documents as Images
- Why a PDF Won't Convert to Images and What to Do
- A Safe Way to Convert PDFs to Images Without Sending Them Out
- Choosing the Size When Converting PDF to Images: Small, Normal or Large