What is a PNG file?
PNG (Portable Network Graphics) was created in the mid-1990s as a free replacement for GIF, which was then covered by a patent. It became a W3C Recommendation in 1996 and is now supported everywhere.
PNG is lossless: it packs the pixels with the same kind of compression as a ZIP file, so nothing is thrown away. That makes it ideal for screenshots, diagrams, logos and anything with text or sharp edges. It also stores a full alpha channel, so a logo can sit on any background with smooth, anti-aliased edges. The downside is size: a photo saved as PNG is often several times larger than the same photo as JPG.
PNG at a glance
| Full name | Portable Network Graphics |
|---|---|
| File extensions | .png |
| Created by | PNG Development Group (W3C Recommendation) |
| Introduced | 1996 |
| Compression | Lossless: every pixel is kept exactly |
| Transparency | Yes, full alpha channel with soft edges |
| Animation | Only as APNG, which few apps play |
| Typical size | Often 3–10× larger than JPG for photos; small for flat graphics |
| Opens on | Every browser, phone, computer and image editor |
| Best for | Screenshots, logos, text and graphics with transparency |
How to open a PNG file
PNG opens in every browser, phone gallery and image editor. If a PNG photo is too large to email or upload, convert it to JPG or WebP; if you need it smaller but still lossless, PNG to WebP in lossless mode usually saves a quarter or more.