PNG vs. JPEG (split)

[synthetic]

I use PNG format regularly, but generally not for photos unless they are random. Reason I don't use for photos is nonspecific, but I vaguely recall PNG having a different use, reason why I regularly have and will continue to use PNG is because it gives me best quality-size ratio when saving on winxp MS Paint.

[Dae]

Is there any reason for that? I use PNG for everything.

PNG is very inefficient for compression of photos compared to JPEG. PNG shines when used for images made of few colors (such as maps from Google Maps or comics), or when parts of the image need to be transparent or semi-transparent. Found this illustration in the interwebs, check it out.

[Psychotic]

PNG is great quality, particularly so with MS Paint has it has no JPEG quality controls but there are free alternatives to fix that.

MS Paint also won't save in any higher than 96 DPI as far as I can tell. Not important for most people but 72 is average for web-based graphics and 300 for print. Take that into consideration if you want to print photos, for example.

[James]

JPEG may be a shitty format but if you're not using minimal colours, vector art and basically what Eugene said you can go die if you save photographs in PNG.

[synthetic]

PNG is great quality, particularly so with MS Paint has it has no JPEG quality controls but there are free alternatives to fix that.

MS Paint also won't save in any higher than 96 DPI as far as I can tell. Not important for most people but 72 is average for web-based graphics and 300 for print. Take that into consideration if you want to print photos, for example.

I used to save DX sshots in JPG in Paint. Bad idea.

[clyzm]

I'm a fan of .tga

[Psychotic]

I'm a fan of .tga

Now I'm not all too familiar with this format. I know of it, but I don't know it's reasons for existing.

Care to share?

I used to save DX sshots in JPG in Paint. Bad idea.

Photoshop in particular actually tells you what the file size will be when you are exporting an image, so you can change it if it's too big and so, in rare circumstances, PNG can be good for photos, but this is rare.

Aside from this I hardly ever upload my screenshots in full resolution, preferring to keep them at 60-80% quality, depending on how much loss there is. Depending on the image there isn't always a good reason to have them at 100% quality.

Screenshots in particular get this treatment when I'm just trying to show someone something in particular.