Images · .png
What Is a PNG File?
A .png file is a lossless image format that supports transparent backgrounds.
- Extension
- .png
- Full name
- Portable Network Graphics
- Type
- Image
- MIME type
- image/png
- Developed by
- PNG Development Group (W3C standard)
Free PNG Tools
These run in your browser. Your PNG files are never uploaded.
About PNG Files
PNG stores images with lossless compression, so no detail is lost no matter how many times you save the file. It supports full transparency, which is why logos, icons, screenshots and graphics with text are usually PNGs. The trade-off is size: a photo saved as PNG can be several times bigger than the same photo as a JPG. PNG was created in the 1990s as a patent-free replacement for GIF, and every browser, operating system and image editor supports it. PNG files can hold some metadata, but not usually the camera details that JPG photos carry.
How to Open a PNG File
- Windows
- Double-click to open it in the Photos app
- Mac
- Double-click to open it in Preview.
- iPhone & Android
- PNG files open in Photos
- Any device
- Drag the file into any web browser.
PNG File Questions
Is PNG better quality than JPG?
PNG never loses quality, so it's better for screenshots, text and graphics. For photos, a high-quality JPG looks the same to the eye and is much smaller.
Why is my PNG file so big?
PNG is lossless, so photos saved as PNG keep every pixel exactly. Convert photos to JPG or WebP, or use the PNG Compressor to reduce the number of colours.
Does PNG support animation?
Standard PNG doesn't, but an extension called APNG does. APNG files use the same .png extension and play in modern browsers.