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Format
Convert an image to PNG
PNG stores exactly what it is given, pixel for pixel, and supports transparency. That makes it the right container for logos, screenshots, diagrams and anything that will be edited again later.
Converted
Expect the file to get bigger
This surprises people, so it is worth stating plainly: converting a JPEG to PNG almost always produces a much larger file, frequently five to ten times larger. PNG is lossless, so it has to store every pixel faithfully, including all the compression artefacts the JPEG encoder introduced. You get a perfect copy of an imperfect image, at great expense.
That is not a reason to avoid the conversion, but it is a reason to be clear about why you are doing it. Good reasons: you need transparency, you are handing the file to a designer, you are about to edit it repeatedly and do not want to accumulate generation loss, or a system will only accept PNG. Bad reason: hoping to improve quality. The detail JPEG discarded is gone, and no format can bring it back.
Transparency
If the source has an alpha channel — a WebP or GIF with see-through areas — it is carried across intact. If the source is a JPEG it has no transparency to preserve, and the result will be fully opaque.
Common questions
Which is better, PNG or JPG?
Neither. They solve different problems. PNG for anything with text, sharp edges, flat colour or transparency. JPEG for photographs, where its losses are invisible and its size advantage is enormous.
Can I convert PNG to PNG to make it smaller?
Not usefully here. Real PNG optimisers reduce the colour palette and pick better filter strategies, which a browser's built-in encoder does not expose. Reducing the dimensions is the lever available to you in a browser.
Does it keep animation from a GIF?
No. Only the first frame is converted. PNG has an animated variant, APNG, but no browser will produce one from a canvas.
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