Updated 23 October 2026
Choose JPG, PNG, WebP or BMP
Compare PDF image formats for scanned pages, sharp text, file size, transparency and compatibility using this converter's actual export behavior.
Open PDF ConverterChoose for the content and destination
For a scanned page dominated by photos, start with JPG: lossy compression usually keeps file sizes manageable and most software accepts it. Fine text can develop halos or blocks after compression, so inspect small letters at normal viewing size. Repeatedly saving a JPG can add further loss.
PNG stores rendered pixels without lossy compression. Use it for screenshots, diagrams, flat colors and text where crisp edges matter. It can be much larger than JPG for photographic scans. This converter exposes no separate compression-quality control for PNG.
WebP and BMP have different tradeoffs
WebP often gives compact images for web sharing. This converter exports lossy WebP using the selected DPI preset's encoder quality; it does not offer a lossless WebP mode. Check that the receiving application accepts WebP before converting a long document.
BMP stores an uncompressed raster here. Choose it only when a particular legacy workflow requires it. It uses much more storage and bandwidth than compressed formats, has no quality slider, and seldom improves visible detail over a PNG made at the same DPI.
Transparency and searchable text
PNG and WebP formats can support transparency, but this converter renders PDF pages on a white background. Switching format will not create a transparent cutout. JPG and this BMP export also produce opaque page images.
Every output is a raster image. Searchable text, PDF links, form fields and reading-order tags are not preserved as interactive information. Keep the original PDF alongside the images when people need to search, select text or use a screen reader.
Try one representative page first
Set a page range such as 2, choose 150 DPI, and compare a text-heavy page and a photographic page before a batch. Use 300 DPI only if the destination needs extra pixels; changing compression format does not recover missing scan detail.
At the same DPI the pixel dimensions stay the same across formats, while file size and compression artifacts change. JPG and WebP encoder quality also increases with the DPI preset in this tool. Download a sample and inspect it in the software your recipient will use.