Is PNG better quality than JPG?

PNG is lossless, so it never adds compression artefacts. For photos the difference at high JPG quality is usually invisible, while PNG files are several times larger.

When should I use TIFF?

For print workflows, scans and archives where you'll edit again later and file size doesn't matter.

What format does iPhone use?

HEIC by default (High Efficiency in Camera settings). Choose Most Compatible to shoot JPEG instead.

PNG vs JPG vs TIFF: Which Format to Export Photos In

Use JPG for photos you share or upload, PNG for screenshots, logos and anything with transparency, and TIFF for printing, scanning and archiving when you’ll edit again later. iPhone photos start as HEIC, which saves space but isn’t accepted everywhere.

How they differ

Format	Compression	Transparency	Typical photo size	Best for
JPG	Lossy	No	Small	Web, email, marketplaces
PNG	Lossless	Yes	Large	Graphics, screenshots, logos
TIFF	Lossless (usually)	Yes	Very large	Print, archive, editing
HEIC	Lossy, efficient	Yes	Smallest	iPhone storage

Lossy means some detail is discarded each time the file is saved. Lossless keeps every pixel.

Common mistakes

Saving photos as PNG to “keep quality”. You get a much larger file with no visible gain for a photo that was already compressed.
Re-saving JPG many times. Each save loses a little more. Edit from the original.
Uploading HEIC to sites that don’t read it. Some forms and older Windows software reject it.

Converting a batch on iPhone

Batchly (my app) converts between HEIC, JPEG, PNG and TIFF for a whole set at once:

Pick the photos.
Add a Convert step and choose the format.
Add Compress for JPEG if you need smaller files.
Export to Photos or Files.

It writes new files, so the originals stay untouched, and keeps EXIF data. Free: 7 photos at a time; Pro: unlimited.

Should you use PNG, JPG or TIFF for photos?

How they differ

Common mistakes

Converting a batch on iPhone

Questions people ask

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