PNG for transparent images you’ll edit or share
PNG supports full and partial transparency, which keeps soft edges around a cutout. It is widely accepted by presentation tools, design apps, office software, and web platforms. That makes it a sensible default when you do not yet know every place the image will be used.
The tradeoff is file size. Detailed photographs in PNG can be much larger than an equivalent WebP or JPEG. For a few slide assets that may not matter. For a page with dozens of product images, it can affect load time and storage.
WebP suits transparent images headed for the web
WebP can combine transparency with efficient photographic compression. It is useful for storefronts, landing pages, and other web layouts where a lighter file matters. Modern browsers handle it well, but the destination still decides whether it belongs in your workflow.
Some older office tools, upload forms, and partner systems remain friendlier to PNG or JPEG. If a transparent WebP is rejected, export PNG rather than adding a white background by accident. Compatibility is part of the format decision.
JPEG for a finished photo on a solid background
JPEG is efficient for photographic color and broadly compatible, but it has no transparency channel. A removed background must therefore be replaced before saving. White is common, but it is not mandatory. A deliberate warm gray or brand color can be better if that is the final canvas.
Because the color becomes permanent, choose JPEG near the end of the workflow. Keep a transparent master if the subject may later move onto another background. Recutting the same object simply to change white to cream is avoidable work.
Set the format and background in ClickCutout
Open ClickCutout and choose PNG, WebP or JPEG in the output settings. If you choose JPEG, select the background color there too. The extension remembers both settings for the next image.
Downloads keep the source dimensions. PNG uses lossless encoding; WebP and JPEG use a fixed quality setting of 92. That number is an encoder setting, not a percentage of the original pixels or a change in resolution.
Copy always puts a PNG on the clipboard. With PNG or WebP selected, that copy is transparent. With JPEG selected, the copy includes your chosen solid color. Select PNG or WebP again before copying if you want to paste the subject onto a different background.
