JPG, PNG or GIF? Which image file type to use for email marketing

In email, use JPG for photos, PNG for logos, graphics with text and transparent backgrounds, and GIF for simple animations. These three formats are displayed by all common email clients. Modern WebP and AVIF, vector SVG and the HEIC format from iPhones are not supported across the board: classic Outlook for Windows displays them only in some versions or not at all, and Gmail converts them to another format.

Key takeaways

1. According to Can I email, JPG, PNG and GIF are displayed by all common email clients, from Gmail and Apple Mail to Outlook for Windows.
2. Save photos as JPG. In our measurement, the same photo as PNG was 8.3 times larger.
3. Save logos, graphics with text and images with a transparent background as PNG, and they stay sharp.
4. Use GIF only for simple animations. Outlook for Windows does not play them, so put the key message in the first frame.
5. WebP, AVIF, SVG and HEIC do not belong in email. Outlook for Windows displays them only in some versions or not at all, and Gmail converts them to JPG or PNG.
6. WebP and AVIF are smaller, but the saving is not worth some recipients not seeing the image.

In short: what to use, what to avoid, where to check and what can go wrong

• What to use: JPG for photos, PNG for logos and graphics, GIF for animations.
• What to avoid: WebP, AVIF, SVG, HEIC, BMP and TIFF.
• Where to check: in Can I email, which regularly tests format support in email clients.
• What can go wrong: an empty space instead of the image in Outlook, a converted image in Gmail and needlessly large files.

Which image formats email clients support

An image format is the way an image is stored in a file, and you can recognise it by its extension, such as .jpg or .png. On the web, browsers today display almost any format. Email clients are much more conservative, though, especially classic Outlook for Windows, which renders emails differently from a browser.

Format support in email clients is tested by Can I email. This is the state as of October 2026:

Source: Can I email, as of October 2026. Outlook for Windows means classic Outlook in versions 2007 to 2019, Gmail means its web version as well as the iOS and Android apps. The individual formats were tested in different years, SVG most recently in September 2026.

Watch out: WebP, AVIF, SVG and HEIC are not supported across the board in email. Just because an image displays for you in Apple Mail does not mean a recipient with Outlook for Windows will see it too. They will see an empty space instead of the image.

When to use JPG, when PNG and when GIF

JPG is a lossy compression format that discards detail the eye does not notice when saving, so it stores photos in small files. It suits photos and images with smooth colour gradients. It does not support transparency and blurs the sharp edges of text at stronger compression.

PNG is a lossless compression format that stores every pixel exactly. It suits logos, icons, graphics with text, screenshots and images with a transparent background. For photos it produces needlessly large files.

GIF is a format with a palette of at most 256 colours that also supports simple animations. In email it suits short animations, such as a countdown or switching between products. Photos look grainy in it and the files tend to be large.

How large the same image is as JPG, PNG, GIF and WebP

To get real numbers, in October 2026 we saved the same two images in every format in the Photopea editor. Both were 1240 px wide, which is double the space of a full width email image. For JPG, WebP and AVIF we used 80% quality.

For a photo, JPG comes out great. PNG is 8.3 times larger and GIF 3.7 times larger, and on top of that it has only 256 colours. WebP saves about 15% compared to JPG and AVIF 8%, but neither belongs in email.

For graphics, PNG is the largest, and yet it is the right choice. JPG would blur the edges of text and buttons, and GIF handles only 256 colours, so gradients and shadows get banding. A screenshot as a PNG of just under 100 kB is fine for email.

In Photopea you choose the format under File, Export as, where you pick JPG, PNG or GIF. In the Save for web window you can still switch it in the Format field, and the bottom left corner immediately shows how large the file will be. How to make the image smaller first is described in the article How to resize an image online.

Animated GIF in email: what to watch out for

An animated GIF is the only way to get motion into an email that Gmail, Apple Mail and Outlook.com all display. The exception is classic Outlook for Windows in versions 2007 to 2019, which does not play animations. With a Microsoft 365 account, Outlook plays the animation three times, then stops it and offers a button to play it again.

• Put the key message and call to action in the first frame so they work without the animation.
• Keep the animation short with few frames, as the file grows with every frame.
• Do not put photos into an animation, as they look grainy in 256 colours.
• Write important text in the email itself too, not just in the animation.

Why SVG, WebP, AVIF and HEIC do not belong in email

SVG is a vector format that describes an image with shapes instead of pixels, so it is sharp at any size. On the web it is ideal for logos. In email, however, according to Can I email, Gmail converts an SVG file to PNG, classic Outlook for Windows in versions 2007 to 2016 does not display it, and SVG embedded directly in the email HTML is displayed by neither Gmail nor any Outlook. So save your logo for email as PNG at double the size.

WebP and AVIF are modern formats with more efficient compression that make files smaller than JPG. Apple Mail displays them, but Gmail converts them to JPG and Outlook for Windows does not display them. A saving of a few tens of percent is not worth the risk that some recipients will not see the image at all.

HEIC is the format iPhones save photos in. According to Apple, it offers better compression than JPG while keeping the quality. In email, however, neither Outlook for Windows nor Outlook.com displays it, and Gmail converts it to JPG. So before inserting iPhone photos into an email, save them as JPG, or on your iPhone choose Most Compatible under Settings, Camera, Formats.

BMP and TIFF do not belong in email either. The files are large, and according to Can I email, Gmail displays BMP with wrong colours, while neither Outlook for Windows nor Outlook.com displays TIFF.

Tip: Give every image in Quanda an alternative text. After inserting an image into the email, enter it in the right panel in the image title field. Recipients who have images turned off will see the text instead of the image, so write it as a short, readable description of what the image says.

Image format checklist for email

• Photos are saved as JPG at 70 to 80% quality.
• Logos, icons and graphics with text are saved as PNG.
• Animations are GIF, and the key message is in the first frame.
• The email contains no WebP, AVIF, SVG, HEIC, BMP or TIFF images.
• iPhone photos are converted from HEIC to JPG.
• Every image has its alternative text filled in.
• I have checked the test email in both Outlook and Gmail.

Final thoughts: three formats are enough

Three formats are all you need for email: JPG for photos, PNG for logos and graphics and GIF for animations. All common email clients display them. Newer formats such as WebP and AVIF have smaller files, but as long as Outlook for Windows does not display them and Gmail converts them, they do not belong in email. How to prepare images at the right dimensions is described in the articles How to resize an image online and How to crop an image to a specific size.

For working with images across the whole email, take the free online course Email Copywriting and Design That Gets Read. If you are stuck with images or with a whole campaign, book a free consultation or write to us at support@onquanda.com.

Good luck!