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The Best Image Formats for Etsy Digital Downloads

When you set up a digital download listing on Etsy, you need to decide what file formats to include. Here's a practical breakdown of the main options.

JPG - The Default Choice

For most wall art and printable art with solid or photographic backgrounds, JPG is the right call.

Pros:

✦Universally supported - any printer, any device, any app can open a JPG
✦Smaller file size than PNG at comparable quality
✦Customers won't have trouble downloading or opening it

Cons:

✦Lossy compression - at high quality settings (95+) this is invisible, but technically some data is lost
✦No transparency support - backgrounds are always solid

Use JPG when: your artwork has a solid background color, or you're selling photographic art.

PNG - For Transparent Backgrounds

PNG supports full transparency (alpha channel), which is essential if your artwork has no background and you want buyers to place it on colored paper or use it in a project.

Pros:

✦True transparency - buyers see a checkerboard in image preview apps, get transparent background when printing or compositing
✦Lossless compression - every pixel is preserved exactly

Cons:

✦Larger file size (sometimes significantly)
✦Some print shops have trouble with large transparent PNGs - they may add a white background automatically

Use PNG when: your design has a transparent or complex-edged background.

PDF - For Framing and Professional Printing

PDF is the format print shops prefer. A PDF can contain vector graphics that stay crisp at any size, and most professional printers accept PDFs directly.

Pros:

✦Native format for professional printers
✦Can bundle multiple sizes in one file
✦Preview looks exactly like the print output

Cons:

✦Customers can't easily view or edit a PDF on mobile
✦Larger than JPG at the same quality

Use PDF when: you're targeting buyers who will take files to a professional printer.

What PrintPrep Outputs

PrintPrep currently outputs JPG (for solid backgrounds) and PNG (for transparent backgrounds). PDF export is in development. For most Etsy listings, offering JPGs of each size covers the vast majority of customer needs.

← All Posts Try PrintPrep →

JPG - The Default Choice

For most wall art and printable art with solid or photographic backgrounds, JPG is the right call.

Pros:

✦Universally supported - any printer, any device, any app can open a JPG
✦Smaller file size than PNG at comparable quality
✦Customers won't have trouble downloading or opening it

Cons:

✦Lossy compression - at high quality settings (95+) this is invisible, but technically some data is lost
✦No transparency support - backgrounds are always solid

Use JPG when: your artwork has a solid background color, or you're selling photographic art.

PNG - For Transparent Backgrounds

PNG supports full transparency (alpha channel), which is essential if your artwork has no background and you want buyers to place it on colored paper or use it in a project.

Pros:

✦True transparency - buyers see a checkerboard in image preview apps, get transparent background when printing or compositing
✦Lossless compression - every pixel is preserved exactly

Cons:

✦Larger file size (sometimes significantly)
✦Some print shops have trouble with large transparent PNGs - they may add a white background automatically

Use PNG when: your design has a transparent or complex-edged background.

PDF - For Framing and Professional Printing

PDF is the format print shops prefer. A PDF can contain vector graphics that stay crisp at any size, and most professional printers accept PDFs directly.

Pros:

✦Native format for professional printers
✦Can bundle multiple sizes in one file
✦Preview looks exactly like the print output

Cons:

✦Customers can't easily view or edit a PDF on mobile
✦Larger than JPG at the same quality

Use PDF when: you're targeting buyers who will take files to a professional printer.