PNG is a popular graphic file format, perhaps second only to JPG today. It has a few advantages over JPG and is easy to work with because it's widely supported. Here's what you need to know.
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What is a PNG file?
PNG, short for Portable Network Graphics, is a high-quality graphic file format that you can view in almost any graphic program, image viewer, or web browser.
The PNG format is an alternative to the slightly better-known JPG file. While JPG is the format of choice for consumers, especially for storing images in digital cameras, PNG is more popular among professionals in web design, and in fact is the successor to the now largely obsolete GIF format.
Here are the main characteristics of the PNG format.
- Format of choice on the web: Many websites rely on PNG for rendering images on its webpages.
- Lossless: Unlike many other file formats, including JPG, PNG uses a lossless compression algorithm that results in a high image quality.
- Supports transparency: PNG allows you to specify a transparent background, which is essential for illustrators and graphic designers. This allows irregular images, illustrations, and logos to sit on top of a background color.
- No animation: Unlike the older GIF format (which is also lossless), PNG images don't support looping animations.
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How to open PNG files
There is simply no shortage of ways to view and use PNG files — it's a common standard file format and is supported by virtually every major web browser, file viewer, graphic and photo program for Windows and Mac.
That means if you want to view a PNG file, you simply need to double-click it and it should open in the default viewer on your computer. You can also view a PNG file by dragging it into any web browser (or use CTRL + O to browse for the file and then open it in a browser).
The list of programs that can display PNG files is almost endless, but here is a short list of options:
- Microsoft Paint (included with Windows)
- Adobe Photoshop
- IrfanView
- FastStone Image Viewer
- XnView
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How to convert PNG files
While the PNG format is common enough that you should have no trouble using, viewing and sharing it in that format, you might want to occasionally convert it to another format. A JPG version of the same image can be substantially smaller, for example, making it easier to share.
The good news is that almost any graphics program that displays a PNG file will let you convert it to another format like JPG, and for the most part, they all work essentially the same way. For example, here is how to convert a PNG file in Microsoft Paint:
1. In Paint, open the PNG file you want to convert.
2. Click File, then Save As and choose the format you want to convert the image into, such as JPG.
3. Name the file and click Save.
You can also use a free online file converter like Convertio. To use Convertio:
1. Click Choose Files and select your PNG file.
2. In the dropdown menu to the right of to, choose the file format you want to convert it to (such as JPG).
3. Click Convert.
4. After a moment, the file will be completed. Click Download and save the file to your computer.
Freelance Writer
Dave Johnson is a technology journalist who writes about consumer tech and how the industry is transforming the speculative world of science fiction into modern-day real life. Dave grew up in New Jersey before entering the Air Force to operate satellites, teach space operations, and do space launch planning. He then spent eight years as a content lead on the Windows team at Microsoft. As a photographer, Dave has photographed wolves in their natural environment; he's also a scuba instructor and co-host of several podcasts. Dave is the author of more than two dozen books and has contributed to many sites and publications including CNET, Forbes, PC World, How To Geek, and Insider.
