PNG vs JPG for Screenshots
Screenshots contain sharp edges, text, and flat colors — exactly the content type where JPEG compression creates the most visible artifacts. PNG is almost always the right choice for screenshots.
Why PNG wins for screenshots
- Lossless — text stays crisp with no compression artifacts
- Sharp edges and flat colors don't trigger ringing artifacts like JPEG does
- UI screenshots, code snippets, and diagrams all benefit from lossless
- File sizes are often manageable because screenshots have less entropy than photos
When JPG is acceptable
- Screenshots of photos or complex gradients where lossless precision isn't needed
- When file size is critical and slight softness on text is tolerable
- Web pages with lots of imagery and minimal UI chrome
File size reality check
A screenshot of a typical software UI as PNG is usually 100–400KB — not large enough to justify quality loss from JPEG. Use PNG. For photographic screenshots, compress with WebP instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
My screenshot is 2MB PNG — too big?
Compress with PNG lossless compression first. If still too large, convert to WebP for web use.
Does Windows snipping tool save as JPG?
Windows Snipping Tool saves as PNG by default, which is correct. Some third-party tools default to JPG — change the setting.