Your line art is ready, but you hesitate at export — PNG or JPG? How high a resolution? Transparent background or not? You don't want the line art you invested effort in ruined by incorrect export settings in the final step.
This guide provides clear export recommendations for every common use case — resolution, format, and transparency mapped to each scenario. Follow the guide and you can't go wrong, no technical background needed.
01 PNG vs JPG: Which Format for Line Art
Bottom line first: PNG is the line art format, always. The reason is simple — JPG is lossy compression that reduces file size by blurring details. For photos, this is barely noticeable (eyes are forgiving of photo blur), but for line art it's devastating — line art is fundamentally "sharp lines," and JPG edge-blurring turns clean strokes into fuzzy "dirty lines."
Additionally, PNG supports transparent backgrounds while JPG doesn't. One of line art's greatest assets is overlay flexibility on any background — saving as JPG forfeits this entirely.
The only JPG scenario: you need to send via WeChat or platforms that don't support PNG transparency. Save a PNG master first, then convert a JPG copy for sending.
Remember: PNG is the "master format" — always save PNG first. When you need JPG or other formats, convert from PNG. Never the reverse.
02 Resolution Recommendations by Use Case
Social media avatars: minimum 800×800px, recommended 1080×1080px. Larger is fine but most platforms auto-compress — beyond 2000px wastes bandwidth.
Social media posts (Instagram/Facebook/Twitter): long edge 1500–2400px is the sweet spot. Too small looks blurry; too large gets compressed to no visible difference.
A4 print (210×297mm): long edge needs at least 3500px (300dpi). Phone photos of 12 MP or above typically suffice.
A3 or larger prints: long edge 5000px+ (300dpi). Requires high-megapixel source photos, or AI upscaling before line art conversion.
Custom products (phone cases/t-shirts/mugs): prepare to the specific dimensions your print service requires. Line art is more forgiving on resolution than photos due to high contrast — 200dpi usually suffices.
03 When to Use Transparent Backgrounds
Transparent backgrounds let line art "float" on any color or pattern — the biggest source of layout flexibility. For social avatars, custom prints, poster design, or presentation assets, transparency is nearly essential.
When is transparency unnecessary? When the line art stands alone — like a framed wall print. A white background is more natural and avoids transparency processing issues during printing. Simply export with white background from Louvre.
Note: some platforms (certain CMS editors, e-commerce backends) don't support PNG transparency, rendering transparent areas as black or white. Test before publishing.
04 WebP Format: The Modern Option
WebP is Google's modern image format combining PNG quality with JPG's small file size. For line art, WebP is an increasingly excellent choice — sharp lines (unlike JPG blurring), 30%–50% smaller than PNG, with transparency support.
The limitation is compatibility — while mainstream browsers and phones support WebP, some legacy systems, certain design software, and WeChat mini-programs may not. For purely online distribution, WebP is optimal. For broad compatibility, stick with PNG.
Best strategy: save PNG as master archive, then export WebP (web/apps) or JPG (messaging) based on your publishing channel.
FAQ
How much difference does JPG make for line art?
The difference is very noticeable. Zoom into a JPG sketch and you'll see "fuzz" (JPEG artifacts) around every line. PNG lines are razor-sharp. Line art is extremely sensitive to this difference.
What if the file is too large?
Line art PNGs are usually not large — PNG compresses large areas of blank space (solid color regions) very efficiently. If the file is indeed too big, use a lossless compression tool.
Can line art be used as SVG vector?
Louvre exports raster images (PNG/JPG), not vectors. For SVG, use Adobe Illustrator's Image Trace to convert the raster sketch — line art is the easiest image type to vectorize.
Do I need CMYK color mode for printing?
Black-and-white line art technically doesn't need CMYK conversion — pure black has virtually no color shift between RGB and CMYK. But if you plan to add color to areas, or your print shop requires it, convert to CMYK in Photoshop.
Can I upscale if the resolution isn't enough?
Yes. Line art scales up better than photos — because lines are high-contrast geometric shapes, AI upscaling tools (like waifu2x) can cleanly enlarge sketches 2–4×. Results are far superior to upscaling photos.
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This guide provides clear export recommendations for every common use case — resolution, format, and transparency mapped to each scenario. Follow the guide and you can't go wrong, no technical background needed.