What is the PNG format?

a versatile lossless format with transparency support

MIME type: image/png
Extensions: .png
Introduced: 1996
Compression: Lossless compression
Transparency: Yes
Animation: No
Shown directly in browsers: Yes
On this site: Read (input) · Save (output)

Overview

PNG (Portable Network Graphics) is a lossless format created in 1996 to avoid the patent problems around GIF. Because not a single pixel changes when you save and reopen it, it suits original artwork that goes through many edits.

It has an alpha channel, so soft shadows and smooth edges on a logo can be saved without a background. The downside is that photos, where colors change continuously, compress poorly and can be several times larger than the same scene saved as JPG.

History

PNG was developed in the mid-1990s as a freely usable replacement for GIF after the patent issues around GIF's LZW compression became public. It became a W3C recommendation in 1996 and was later adopted as an ISO standard (ISO/IEC 15948).

Unlike GIF it has no 256-color limit and supports an alpha channel, which made it the default format for logos, icons and screenshots on the web.

Pros

Lossless compression: no quality loss no matter how often you save
Alpha channel (semi-transparency) support
Crisp edges for text, line art and screenshots
Opens in almost every browser and program

Cons

Photos are much larger than JPG or WebP
Standard PNG has no animation (APNG is a separate extension)

Best used for

Logos and icons
Screenshots
Images that need a transparent background
Intermediate files for editing

Compatibility

Supported by every modern browser, operating system and image editor. It is the safest choice when you want to avoid compatibility problems.

Convert PNG

Convert from PNG

Convert to PNG

PNG: frequently asked questions

+Which programs can open PNG files?

Supported by every modern browser, operating system and image editor. It is the safest choice when you want to avoid compatibility problems.

+Does PNG support transparent backgrounds?

Yes, PNG supports transparent backgrounds.

+How do I convert PNG to another format?

Upload your PNG file to AnyPicToAnyPic and pick one of JPG, WebP, GIF, BMP, ICO, SVG. It is converted right in your browser and the file is never uploaded.

+How does PNG compare with JPG in file size?

For the same photo, PNG is roughly 3× the JPG size. It varies a lot with image content and quality settings, so check the actual size in the result screen.