How to create image copies for a compatibility test

An image opens in one app but not another, or a website accepts one file type and rejects the next. To find out which formats work, make test copies from one source image and try them in the app, site, or device you need to use.

The Image Converter can make copies in common formats without installing software. Keep the original untouched, and convert each copy from that original so the test is fair.

Create the test copies

1. Choose one image that you can use for testing. A small, ordinary photo is a good start. If transparency matters, choose a separate image with a transparent background too.
2. Open the Image Converter and select the source image. The converter supports JPG, PNG, WEBP, GIF, BMP, ICO, and TIFF, with up to 50 images in a batch.
3. Choose a format you want to test and save the converted copy. Use a clear file name, such as sample-jpg or sample-webp, so you can tell the files apart.
4. Repeat with each format you need to check. Start with JPG, PNG, and WEBP for common apps and websites. Add TIFF, BMP, GIF, or ICO only if your destination might need one.
5. Open or import each copy in the specific app, website, or device you want to check. Note whether it opens, looks right, and keeps the image features you need.

Make every copy from the same original, not from a copy you already converted. Repeatedly converting a JPG can reduce image quality, so using the original each time helps keep the format as the main thing you are testing.

What the results mean

One format opens and another is rejected

The destination supports some formats but not all. Use the format that opened successfully, or check the app's import requirements before making more copies. A file extension alone does not prove compatibility: the app must be able to read the image data inside the file.

The file opens but looks different

The format may change how image details are stored. JPG is useful for photographs and widely supported, but it uses lossy compression and does not support transparency. PNG keeps image data without lossy compression and can preserve transparency. WEBP is common on websites and supports both lossy and lossless images, but older apps may not open it.

The image opens but transparency is missing

Check whether you tested a format that supports transparency, such as PNG or WEBP. JPG cannot preserve transparent areas, so a transparent background may become a solid color. Test with a transparent source image if preserving that feature is important.

Some formats are not relevant to your destination

BMP may help when checking an older program, but files can be large. TIFF is used in some publishing and image workflows, but it is not accepted everywhere. GIF is associated with simple animations and limited colors, while ICO is used for icons. Choose based on the destination's requirements rather than converting to every available format.

How to fix a failed format test

1. Check the destination's accepted formats. Look for an import or upload requirement in the app or service. If it lists only JPG and PNG, testing TIFF or ICO will not tell you anything useful.
2. Try a common format first. Convert the original to JPG for a photo or PNG when transparency matters, then test that copy. If it works, you have a practical alternative to the rejected format.
3. Check the file extension and the file itself. Make sure the saved copy has the expected extension, such as .png or .webp. Renaming an extension does not convert the image, so create a new copy in the converter instead.
4. Open the file in the intended app directly. If double-clicking launches the wrong program, that may be a default-app setting rather than a format failure. In Windows 11, open Settings › Apps › Default apps and search for the file extension. On macOS, select the file in Finder, press Command + I, expand Open with, and choose the app.
5. Test a simpler source image. Try a small, static image with ordinary dimensions. If that opens, the original may use an image feature, size, or encoding the destination does not handle.
6. Test on the device that matters. If the file must work on a particular phone, computer, or older app, transfer the copy there and open it in that environment. Passing a test in your browser does not guarantee that every other app supports the format.

Make the test useful

Keep the source image and each converted copy together, and write down which destination you tested. A simple note such as PNG opened in the editor, WEBP rejected by the upload form is more useful than remembering that one version seemed to work.

If appearance matters, compare the copies at the same size and zoom level. Look for missing transparency, visible compression artifacts, unexpected color changes, or content that is cut off. A successful open only confirms that the destination can read the file. It does not prove that the image looks identical or is suitable for printing.

The Image Converter works in your browser, and your source image and converted copies stay on your device.