Image Formats for OCR: JPG vs PNG vs WebP

Not all image formats behave the same when used for OCR. Compression and color depth play a major role.

PNG — best overall

• lossless compression,
• sharp text edges,
• ideal for screenshots.

JPG — acceptable with care

• smaller file size,
• compression artifacts may break characters,
• use high quality (90%+).

WebP — modern but inconsistent

• great compression,
• lossy WebP may harm OCR,
• lossless WebP performs well.

Bottom line

For best OCR accuracy, PNG is the safest choice. JPG works fine if compression is minimal.