Image formats matter because they affect your file’s appearance, compatibility with other software, and overall performance.
If you’re not a graphic designer, then the random acronyms following your image files might cause some confusion. If PNG is a foreign language to you, then this article will shed some light on what these file types are, and when you should use them.
What Is a PNG File?
PNG stands for Portable Network Graphics. This file type was developed as a non-patented improvement of Graphic Interchange Format (GIF) files, offering lossless compression and far more impressive color displays.
IT specialist, Oliver Fromme, proposed the name PING for the file format, which would later become PNG, unofficially derived from “PING not GIF”. The “portable” aspect of the file extension refers to the digital sharing capabilities of PNG files.
PNG file formats are used to save, share, and display high-quality digital images. They are a widely supported file type and therefore can be viewed on nearly any program, website, or image-viewing software. Popular programs like Photoshop and Illustrator allow users tosave their files as PNGs, JPEGs, and other file types, depending on their needs.
PNG files are raster image file formats that support lossless compression. This means that these image types are compiled using pixels, not vectors, and that little data will be lost during image resizing.
These image types will retain their original quality, regardless of how many times the file is edited or resized, making them ideal to use when working with detailed digital images.
Characteristics of PNG Files
The fast developments of digital graphics and screen resolutions urged the development of PNG file formats. As well as being a development of GIFs, these files have a number of unique characteristics that make them specialized for use within the digital space.
1. Lossless Compression
PNG files will retain their image quality, regardless of multiple edits and resizes. This aspect distinguishes them from JPEG files, which often lose more information during the compression process.
2. Full Color Spectrum
PNG files support millions of colors, unlike GIFs which only support 256. A gamma correction feature in PNG file types allows for brightness and color tuning, as required by different software and display manufacturers.
This means the image will appear to the viewer in its “true” colors when on screen, as opposed to a strangely digitalized version that looks brighter or more saturated than in reality.
3. Transparency Support
One characteristic that PNG files are known for is their compatibility with transparent images. PNG files allow a user to share, save, and display irregularly shaped images, avoiding a white box that would otherwise appear around the object’s edges.
While there aremany ways to make an image’s background transparent, it will need to be saved as a PNG in order for the background to remain invisible when saved or shared.
4. High Resolution
The lossless compression algorithm, combined with an extensive color display and large file size, means PNG images are incredibly detailed and high quality. No number of edits or compressions will deter the resolution of these files.
What Are PNG Files Used For?
The characteristics listed above make for an image file type that is ideal for use within the digital space. The transparency support allows for outputs, such as irregularly shaped logos or shapes, to be shared and imported easily without a jarring white background.
The lossless feature of a PNG file is ideal when working with intricate imagery or information, often included in graphs or charts. The important data, whether that be numbers or writing, will be retained even if the overall file is edited or resized.
The high resolution and formidable color display of PNG files also makes them suitable for imagery featuring intricate details. This can include paintings or illustrations with line art, as well as photographs and other quality-demanding graphics.
Advantages of PNG Files
As well as transparent imagery and lossless compression, PNG files also support any degree of opacity, meaning that sections of the image can be see-through on a scale from transparent to opaque.
These file types offer high-quality images with a full-color spectrum. For digital images, whether it be editing, saving, or sharing, PNGs are a functional and reliable option.
Disadvantages of PNG Files
In order to provide stunning quality, be prepared to sacrifice some file space. PNGs often require more memory space due to compressing images at a larger file size.
Moreover, animation is not supported, which is why GIFs are still popular when it comes to moving imagery, despite not always being of the greatest quality.
Finally, PNG file types are not practical for any print work. These files do not support CMYK color, as they are designed to display beautiful digital imagery using RGB color formats.
PNG Files Made Simple
Best for digital images, but not for print, PNG files are an ideal way to display and share high-quality digital imagery. Your logo and website needs are answered thanks to this clever, lossless, high-resolution file format.
