PNG vs JPG: which do you need?
PNG is lossless and supports transparency, which makes it ideal for logos, icons, diagrams and screenshots with sharp text. JPG is much smaller for photographs but can't be transparent and blurs hard edges slightly.
If your PNG is actually a photo, you'll save far more by converting it to JPG — use the "To an exact size" option or one of the KB tools. If it's a graphic or needs a transparent background, stay in PNG.
How PNGs get smaller here
PNG files shrink mainly by reducing their pixel dimensions, since PNG doesn't have a quality slider like JPG. Screenshots from high-resolution screens are often twice the size they need to be for sharing, so scaling them to a normal width cuts the file a lot without making text unreadable.
Tips for smaller screenshots
- Crop to just the part you need before compressing.
- Avoid screenshots of photos — save those as JPG instead.
- For documentation, the Web Optimized level keeps text crisp at normal zoom.
Frequently asked questions
Will transparency be kept?
Yes, when you use a quality level the output stays PNG with transparency. Exact-size mode converts to JPG, which fills transparent areas with white.
Why didn't my PNG shrink much?
Small or already-optimised PNGs have little to remove. Try a stronger level, or convert to JPG if the image is a photo.
Can I compress PNG to under 100KB?
Yes — switch to "To an exact size" and choose 100KB. Note that this saves the result as JPG.