Format at a glance
- Full name
- Portable Network Graphics
- File extensions
- .png
- MIME types
- image/png
- Category
- Images
- Compression
- Lossless
- Transparency
- Yes
- Animation
- No
- Properties
- Alpha channel, Color profiles
Suitable tools
What is this format?
PNG stands for Portable Network Graphics. It stores a rectangular grid of pixels with lossless DEFLATE compression, so repeatedly opening and saving a PNG does not introduce JPEG-style compression artifacts.
PNG supports grayscale, indexed-color and true-color images as well as alpha transparency. Standard PNG files are static; animated files use the related APNG extension to the specification.
What is it used for?
- Screenshots and software documentation
- Logos, icons and interface assets with transparent edges
- Diagrams, pixel art and text-heavy graphics
- Intermediate images that must retain exact pixels
Which programs can open it?
- All current major web browsers
- Windows Photos and macOS Preview
- GIMP, Krita, Affinity Photo and Adobe Photoshop
- ImageMagick and common command-line image tools
Support across devices and browsers
Native preview and editing support is broadly available.
Preview, Photos and most graphics applications open PNG directly.
Desktop image viewers and editors generally support PNG without extra codecs.
Gallery, browser and messaging apps normally display PNG.
Photos, Files, Safari and editing apps open PNG natively.
PNG is a baseline web image format supported by current browsers.
Advantages
- Lossless compression preserves sharp edges and text
- Full alpha transparency allows smooth semi-transparent pixels
- Very broad application and browser support
Disadvantages
- Photographs are often much larger than JPEG, WebP or AVIF
- Standard PNG does not provide animation
- It is pixel-based and cannot scale indefinitely like SVG
Comparison with alternatives
PNG keeps pixels losslessly and supports transparency; JPEG is usually smaller for photographs.
WebP can be lossless or lossy and can animate, often at smaller sizes, while PNG has simpler universal support.
PNG stores pixels; SVG stores vector shapes and is better for resolution-independent logos and icons.
LocalFileLab support
Decoded locally as an image source.
Can be created as a lossless PNG output.
Can be resized and re-encoded locally; PNG remains lossless although resizing changes pixels.
A local image preview is available.
Compatible metadata can be preserved when the selected conversion path supports it.
Related formats
Frequently asked questions
Does PNG lose quality when it is compressed?
PNG compression is lossless. The decoded pixels remain the same, although resizing or color conversion can still alter an image.
Can a PNG have a transparent background?
Yes. PNG supports an alpha channel with fully transparent and partially transparent pixels.
Why is a PNG larger than a JPEG?
PNG preserves pixel data losslessly. JPEG discards visual information and is optimized for photographic content, which usually produces smaller files.