Choosing the right file format can mean the difference between a crisp, professional document and a blurry, oversized mess. Here's when to use PDF, JPG, and PNG — and how to convert between them.
PDF — Best for Documents
Use PDF when: sharing multi-page documents, contracts, reports, forms, or anything that needs to look exactly the same on every device.
- Preserves exact layout, fonts, and formatting
- Supports text selection and search
- Can be password-protected
- Ideal for print-ready documents
JPG — Best for Photos
Use JPG when: sharing photographs, email attachments where file size matters, or any image where small quality loss is acceptable.
- Excellent compression for photographs (small file size)
- Universally supported — works everywhere
- No transparency support
- Lossy — each re-save degrades quality slightly
PNG — Best for Graphics
Use PNG when: you need transparency, sharp text/logos, screenshots, or images where every pixel matters.
- Lossless — no quality degradation
- Supports transparency (alpha channel)
- Ideal for logos, icons, screenshots, and text-heavy images
- Larger file size than JPG for photos
Quick Decision Guide
| Scenario | Best Format |
|---|---|
| Multi-page report | |
| Vacation photo | JPG |
| Company logo | PNG |
| Contract to sign | |
| Website banner | JPG or PNG |
| Screenshot | PNG |
| Email attachment (photo) | JPG |
| Print-ready design |
Converting Between Formats
Need to convert? Here are the most common scenarios:
- PDF → JPG: Use a PDF to JPG converter to extract pages as images. Great for sharing individual pages on social media or in presentations.
- PDF → PNG: Use a PDF to PNG converter when you need lossless quality or transparency.
- JPG → PDF: Use a JPG to PDF converter to combine photos into a shareable document.
- PNG → PDF: Same as above — useful for packaging screenshots or graphics.
All conversions can be done instantly in your browser with Peregrine PDF — no sign-up, no upload, completely free.