How to Convert PNG to JPG

What to Know

• Windows: Open the image in Paint and select File > Save As. Choose JPEG from the drop-down menu and save the image.
• Mac: Open the image in Preview and select File > Export. Choose JPEG, adjust the quality if necessary, and select Save.
• Note: You can convert PNG to JPG on any platform using third-party editing software like Adobe Photoshop or GIMP.

If you have a PNG photo, you might find it’s hard to post to social media, attach to email, or otherwise share. Still, there are several ways to convert PNG images to JPG format, whether you’re a photo expert or have no idea what PNG stands for.

Convert a Picture to JPG With Microsoft Paint

If you don’t have any fancy photo editing software and aren’t interested in getting any, you can do this with Microsoft Paint or Paint 3D on Windows computers.

Open the image in Paint. Choose File or Menu > Save As. A File Explorer menu opens. Choose JPEG from the drop-down menu and save the image where you can easily find it.

Use Preview App to Convert PNG to JPEG on a Mac

Converting PNG to JPEG on the Mac is super easy as every Mac comes with the program called Preview, which does a lot more than the name implies.

1. Open the .png file you want to convert by double-clicking it. The image opens in Preview by default.

2. Click the File menu at the top of the Preview screen and select Export.

   
   

3. Choose JPEG in the Format drop-down menu.

   
   

4. Adjust the size with the Quality slider if desired and click Save.

   
   

Use Photos App to Convert PNG to JPEG on iOS

The photos app on your iPad or iPhone can convert any image to a JPEG, but you must make a change to the file in order to trigger the conversion.

So, if you have the image, save it to your photo library like you would any image. Then, in the Photos app, edit the photo like you would any image (tapping the magic wand is a good way to do this quickly). Now when you share the image, it will be shared a JPEG.

You must make a change to the file in order for it to be automatically saved as a JPG.

How to Change PNG to JPG on Any Platform: Photo Editing Software

If you’re hoping to do more with professional or semi-professional editing software, it’s a good idea to use it as often as possible, even for simple tasks, as it helps you get used to the environment. General Image Manipulation Program (GIMP) is a common application that can be used for many things in addition to converting PNG files to JPG.

1. Open the image in GIMP.

2. Make any edits, such as resizing, filtering, or otherwise that you’d like to do,

3. Go to File > Export As or Save As.

4. In the window that opens, you can either change the file extension at the end to .jpg, or you can click the Save File As drop-down menu and choose JPG from the menu that appears.

5. Once that’s set, click Export or Save As to save your file.

   
   

What Is a PNG, and Why Won’t It Attach to My Email?

PNG, shown as .png at the end of a file, is short for Portable Network Graphics. It’s designed to create photos that are “lossless,” which means you can compress them, like in a ZIP file, and when you reopen them, they’ll be restored as if they were never squished down in the first place. They also have other useful features, such as being able to retain transparent backgrounds, making them easier to use in photo editing.

That can be convenient if you need your photos completely pristine at all times. But it also means PNG files are much bigger than JPG files, which are “lossy.” This was and is a problem on the internet, since the bigger the file, the longer it takes to upload and download. If an image isn’t going to be compressed repeatedly, and images on websites rarely are, then the site loads faster and the emails go out more easily if they don’t let you upload PNG files. Fortunately, turning a PNG into a JPG is easy.