How to Convert Any Image to PNG (Complete Guide)

PNG is the format you reach for when quality and compatibility both matter. Lossless compression, transparency support, and near-universal software acceptance make it a reliable default — whether you are editing, sharing, or archiving an image.

This guide covers every common source format: JPG, WebP, HEIC, AVIF, TIFF, GIF, and BMP. Pick your format and follow the steps.

Convert Any Image to PNG with Pixotter

Pixotter converts all major formats to PNG directly in your browser. No file uploads, no account, no waiting for a server.

Works for: JPG, WebP, HEIC, BMP, TIFF, GIF, AVIF

Step-by-step:

1. Open Pixotter's image converter.
2. Drop your image onto the conversion tool — or click to browse.
3. Select PNG as the output format.
4. Click Convert.
5. Download your PNG file.

Your file never leaves your device. Processing happens inside your browser using WebAssembly, which means results are instant and your images stay private.

Batch conversion: You can drop multiple files at once. Each converts independently. Download individually or grab them all as a ZIP.

Why Convert to PNG?

PNG is not always the right choice — but when it is, nothing else comes close.

Lossless Quality

PNG compression is lossless. Every pixel you put in is exactly the pixel you get out. JPG and WebP use lossy compression by default, which discards some image data to shrink file size. For logos, screenshots, diagrams, text-heavy images, and anything that will be edited further, lossless matters.

Transparency Support

PNG supports an alpha channel — meaning individual pixels can be fully transparent, fully opaque, or anywhere in between. JPG has no transparency at all. If you are cutting out a background or creating a logo to layer over other content, PNG is the format.

Universal Compatibility

PNG opens everywhere: every browser, every OS, every photo editor, every design tool. Newer formats like AVIF and HEIC are more efficient but still not universally supported. PNG is the safe choice that always works.

Editing Without Degradation

Every time you save a JPG, the lossy compression runs again. Open, edit, save ten times — the image degrades. PNG does not work that way. Save as many times as you want; the quality does not change.

Format-by-Format Conversion Guide

Quick reference for every conversion path Pixotter supports:

Use the Pixotter converter for any of these. Same steps regardless of source format.

JPG to PNG

When to convert: You need transparency, you are going to edit the file further, or you want a lossless copy before making destructive changes.

The trade-off: PNG files are larger than JPG for photographic content. A 500 KB JPG photo might become a 2 MB PNG. That is the cost of lossless — acceptable for editing workflows, not ideal for web delivery.

One thing to know: Converting a JPG to PNG does not recover quality already lost by JPG compression. If the JPG was saved at low quality, the PNG will be a lossless copy of the degraded image, not the original.

For a full walkthrough: How to Convert JPG to PNG.

WebP to PNG

When to convert: The software you are using does not support WebP — which is still common in older design tools, some CMS platforms, and certain print workflows.

WebP has excellent compression and supports transparency, so it is genuinely a good format. The reason to leave it is compatibility, not quality. Chrome, Firefox, and Safari all support WebP, but Photoshop versions before 23.2, older Microsoft Office versions, and some image editors still trip over it.

Converting to PNG resolves compatibility issues immediately. The PNG will be larger but will open everywhere.

HEIC to PNG

When to convert: You took photos on an iPhone (iOS 11 and later defaults to HEIC) and need to share or edit them somewhere that does not support HEIC.

HEIC is efficient — typically half the size of an equivalent JPG — but support outside Apple's ecosystem is patchy. Windows requires a codec download to open HEIC natively. Many web platforms reject HEIC uploads entirely.

PNG is a clean escape: full color fidelity, universal support, and the alpha channel is preserved if present.

Full guide: Convert HEIC to PNG.

AVIF to PNG

When to convert: You have AVIF files (typically from a modern browser or image CDN) and need to use them in software that does not yet support AVIF.

AVIF is the most efficient image format widely available — it regularly beats WebP on compression at equivalent quality. Browser support is solid (Chrome 85+, Firefox 93+, Safari 16+), but desktop software is catching up slowly.

Converting to PNG trades file size for compatibility.

Full guide: Convert AVIF to PNG.

TIFF to PNG

When to convert: You have TIFF files from a scanner, camera RAW workflow, or print production pipeline and need something more practical for digital use.

TIFF files can be enormous — an uncompressed A4 scan at 600 DPI is easily 150 MB. PNG is lossless like TIFF but compressed, which typically cuts TIFF sizes by 50–70%. You keep every pixel; you just store them more efficiently.

Full guide: Convert TIFF to PNG.

GIF to PNG

When to convert: The image is static (no animation) and you want better color reproduction.

GIF is limited to 256 colors per frame — a constraint from 1987 that was never resolved. PNG supports 16.7 million colors. For logos, illustrations, and screenshots stored as GIF, converting to PNG produces noticeably sharper, more accurate color.

If the GIF is animated, converting to PNG loses the animation — you get only the first frame.

Full guide: Convert GIF to PNG.

BMP to PNG

When to convert: You have BMP files from older Windows software, legacy systems, or hardware that outputs uncompressed images.

BMP is uncompressed by design. A 1920×1080 BMP is around 6 MB. The equivalent PNG is typically 1–3 MB — same quality, half the size or less.

There is no quality trade-off. PNG is strictly better than BMP for almost every use case: smaller files, same lossless quality, better software support.

When NOT to Convert to PNG

PNG is not the right choice for everything:

Photographs going on the web. Photos contain millions of colors across complex gradients — exactly the case where JPG's lossy compression is efficient and PNG's lossless compression creates bloat. A photographic PNG can be 5–10× larger than a well-optimized JPG at visually indistinguishable quality. For tips on reducing PNG file sizes, see how to make a PNG smaller.

Animations. PNG does not support animation (APNG exists but has inconsistent support). Use GIF or WebP for animated content.

Maximum compression is the priority. If you are storing thousands of photos and file size is the dominant concern, AVIF or WebP will be 30–50% smaller than PNG at equivalent quality.

Print production. High-end print workflows typically use TIFF or PDF. PNG works for print in many cases, but confirm with your print shop first.

To learn more about when PNG makes sense, see what is PNG and when should you use it.

FAQ

Does converting to PNG improve image quality? No. If the source image was saved with lossy compression (JPG, WebP lossy), the data lost during that compression is gone. Converting to PNG creates a lossless copy of whatever quality the source file has — it does not recover lost detail.

Will the PNG file be larger than my original? Usually yes, if your original is a JPG or compressed WebP. For BMP and TIFF, PNG is typically smaller because those formats are uncompressed or less efficiently compressed.

Does Pixotter support batch conversion to PNG? Yes. Drop multiple files at once onto the converter, select PNG as the output format, and all files convert in one step.

Can I convert a PNG back to JPG after this? Yes. Pixotter converts in both directions. If you convert a JPG to PNG for editing and then want a JPG for web delivery, convert back when you are done.

Is there a file size limit? Pixotter processes files in your browser using WebAssembly. There is no server-side file size limit. Practical limits depend on your device's available memory.

Does Pixotter preserve transparency when converting to PNG? Yes. For formats that support transparency (WebP with alpha, HEIC with alpha), Pixotter preserves the alpha channel. Formats without transparency (JPG, BMP) produce a PNG with no transparency.