PNG tools

What you need to know

PNG (Portable Network Graphics) was created in 1996 as a patent-free alternative to GIF, designed for lossless compression and web use. PNG supports 8-bit and 24-bit color, full alpha channel transparency (256 levels of opacity), and interlaced progressive display. Unlike JPG, PNG compression is lossless: no pixel data is discarded when the file is saved. This makes PNG ideal for screenshots, logos, diagrams, text graphics, and any image where sharp edges or transparency matter. The trade-off is file size: PNG files are typically 2-5 times larger than equivalent JPG files for photographic content, though PNG can be smaller for images with large areas of solid color.

Key points

• PNG is lossless: saving a PNG repeatedly does not degrade image quality
• PNG supports full alpha channel transparency with 256 opacity levels
• PNG works best for screenshots, text, logos, and graphics with sharp edges and solid colors
• PNG files are typically larger than JPG for photographs but smaller for simple graphics
• PNG does not support animation (use APNG or GIF for animated images)

Screenshots and screen recordings

Screenshots contain sharp text, UI elements, and solid color areas where JPG compression creates visible artifacts. PNG preserves every pixel perfectly, making text crisp and UI elements clean.

Logos and brand graphics with transparency

PNG losslessly preserves sharp edges, solid colors, and alpha transparency, so logos, icons, and brand marks stay crisp on any background without compression artifacts.

Recommended practices

• Use PNG when transparency or lossless quality is required; use JPG or WebP for photographs
• If a PNG file is too large for web use, consider converting to WebP or JPG depending on content
• Use PNG-8 (256 colors) for simple graphics with limited color palettes to reduce file size
• Optimize PNG files with tools that remove unnecessary metadata and apply better compression
• Keep PNG dimensions at the exact display size for web use; oversized PNGs waste bandwidth

Common mistakes to avoid

• Using PNG for photographs: PNG photographs are typically 5-10 times larger than equivalent JPG files with no visible quality benefit. For web delivery, photographs should use JPG or WebP, not PNG.
• Expecting PNG compression to reduce file size dramatically: PNG lossless compression has limits. If a PNG is too large, converting to WebP or JPG will usually produce a much smaller file than any PNG optimization technique.
• Using PNG for images that will be edited and re-saved as JPG: If the final output is JPG, editing in PNG and then converting to JPG is fine, but saving intermediate versions as JPG causes quality loss. Keep working files in PNG or a lossless editor format until final export.