The PNG format is one of the most common graphic formats currently in use. It provides a balance between image quality and file size, but it does not support animations.
The PNG format was created by the developers of Netscape Navigator, who were looking for an easy-to-use replacement for GIF images that could be used on webpages with limited bandwidth connections.
This article will examine the pros and cons of the PNG format as well as give you some tips to help you decide which file format to use when creating your graphics.
What is the PNG Format?
The PNG format is a lossless image compression file format. This means that when you save your graphic, it will be an exact replica of the original without any pixelation or distortion from having been compressed into a smaller size.
PNG images are ideal for graphics that don’t require animation because they can take up more space on your computer hard drive than other formats such as JPG due to their high quality and lack of compression artifacts.
Unlike JPEG files, which also do not support transparency or animations, PNGs have no compression settings so there’s less room for error with regard to choosing the correct setting before saving them in this format.
What Makes PNG Files Different?
PNG files are not supported by all web browsers. If you want to be sure that your images will display on every computer, then it is recommended that you save them in a JPG to PNG conversion.
One example where the PNG file type works better than PSD would be when saving icons for apps or games that might need transparency effects or animations that PSD cannot support.
On the other hand, png has some nice features over JPG like its ability to store more metadata about image information such as color profiles and pixel depth.
This can help with compatibility across different devices if properly used but also makes PNGs larger in size so unless it’s an absolute must-have feature use JPG whenever possible.
What are the Benefits of PNG Files?
The main benefit of PNG files is that they don’t use a compression algorithm because the file type itself performs lossless data compression.
PNG format web graphics can be larger in size than other image formats such as JPG, but this also means that there’s no risk of pixelation due to excessive JPEG-style compression artifacts.
In fact, png often produces smaller file sizes than JPGs for certain types of images despite their lack of built-in compression algorithms.
What are the Drawbacks of PNG Files?
One drawback to png is that it doesn’t support animation. This means if your graphics include any sort of movement on the web, then you’ll have to save them in an animated GIF file format instead.
Another issue with png files is their lack of built-in compression algorithms which can lead to PNGs being larger than JPGs for certain types of images without offering better image quality or smaller pixel sizes due to lossless data compression.
Interested in Learning More About the PNG Format?
The PNG format is ideal in a variety of different online applications. To learn more about this subject, continue reading our blog for more helpful articles.
