What JPEG quality should I pick when turning a restaurant menu PDF into a light but clear image?
Start at 150 to 200 DPI with a JPEG quality between 80 and 85, close to the tool's default of 85. Then convert the same page at two different qualities and compare the size shown under each image and how clear the smallest price is. If smudges appear around the figures, raise the quality or switch to PNG.
Two separate levers: DPI and quality
People often mix these up. DPI decides how many pixels the image has: an A4 menu page at 150 DPI is 1241 × 1754 px, and at 200 DPI 1654 × 2339. JPEG quality never changes the pixel count; it decides how much detail may be thrown away when saving. The slider in the tool runs from 10 to 100.
- Low DPI with high quality: a small, clean image, where small prices may be too tiny to read.
- High DPI with low quality: large dimensions, but smudges and grey halos around letters and figures.
- The balance: enough DPI to read the smallest text, and enough quality to hide the compression.
Why a menu is a special case
A restaurant menu puts the two hardest kinds of content on one page: dish photos full of colour and gradients, which JPEG handles well, and small prices and names on a flat background, which JPEG handles badly. A low quality that looks perfect on the dish photo can make an 18 look like a 13. Judge the image by its text, not its photos.
A two minute comparison test
- Open PDF to images, choose the menu and type the page most crowded with prices.
- Choose JPEG and 150 DPI, leave quality at 85, and convert. Note the size under the preview and save the image.
- Move the slider to 70. A notice says the settings changed, so press Convert again and note the new size.
- Open both images on your phone and zoom into the smallest price. If you see no difference, 70 is enough and you keep the smaller file.
- If both show smudges around the figures, try 200 DPI, or choose PNG.
Changing any setting clears the previous result from the page, so download the first version before you move the slider.
Where will the menu be posted?
If the menu is going out on WhatsApp, a status update or Instagram, remember that those apps may recompress the image themselves. An image saved at low quality and then squeezed again by the app ends up worse than either step alone. So do not go very low if the image will pass through another app, and if you need it smaller still, try the Image compressor on the final image and compare by eye.
Common questions
Why not just choose 100?
Quality 100 gives the largest file, and the difference from 90 is rarely visible. For a menu sent to phones, size matters.
Does quality affect PNG?
No. The quality slider only appears when you choose JPEG, because PNG is lossless.
Can I save the menu with a transparent background?
Not as JPEG. It has no transparency, so the page is drawn on white.