PNG vs JPG vs WebP: how to export your image
Use File → Export to download a finished image. Choose PNG when transparency and clean edges matter, JPG for many photographic uses, or WebP when the destination supports it. Use File → Save As separately to preserve editable layers in JSON.
Which image format should you choose?
| Format | Useful for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| PNG | Transparent graphics, screenshots, sharp text | Photographs can produce large files |
| JPG / JPEG | Photographs where transparency is unnecessary | Lossy compression; no transparent pixels |
| WebP | Web images and transparency where accepted | Destination compatibility and export behavior |
| JSON project | Continuing a layered miniPaint edit | Not a display image or a PSD file |
Export from miniPaint step by step
- Check the canvas. Confirm the dimensions, visible layers and composition. Hide unwanted layers before exporting if necessary.
- Choose File → Export. Enter a meaningful file name without private information you do not want in the downloaded name.
- Select the file type. The format list includes PNG, JPG and WebP. Available encoding behavior can depend on the browser.
- Adjust quality when applicable. For a lossy format, a lower quality value can reduce size but may introduce artifacts. A quality setting is not a guaranteed file-size target.
- Download and inspect. Open the downloaded file in another viewer. Confirm its format, dimensions, transparency and visual quality before using it.
- Save a project too. Choose File → Save As to download a JSON copy when you want to retain the layer structure.
Transparency is not a white background
A transparent area is different from an area painted white. Exporting a photograph as PNG does not automatically remove its background. The canvas or layer must already contain transparent pixels. A JPG cannot keep those pixels transparent, so do not use JPG when the image needs to sit over different background colors.
This deployment does not include an AI background-removal backend. Removing a complicated background is a separate editing task, not something that happens when you change the file extension.
How to reduce file size sensibly
First check whether you need all the existing pixels. A 4000-pixel-wide photo displayed as a small thumbnail may contain more pixels than necessary. Resize a copy to appropriate dimensions, then compare formats and quality settings. See how to resize without stretching. There is no single quality percentage that is best for every image.
Repeatedly exporting and reopening a JPG can accumulate compression damage. Keep the original photograph and your editable project. Create each final version from those sources instead of using an already compressed export as the next master file.
What a JSON project keeps
The project format is intended for miniPaint’s layer data. It is useful when the composition contains text, separate images and other elements you may want to move or revise. It is not a substitute for a finished image when uploading to a shop or social network. Test reopening an important project while you still have the working tab available.
Save before leaving: one exported image for sharing, one JSON project for editing. A successful download is more dependable than assuming your browser session will remain open.
Try it in the editor ↗