PNG File Format (.png)

A PNG file stores a raster image using lossless DEFLATE compression, which is why screenshots, logos, and graphics with flat colour or sharp edges use it instead of JPEG.

.pngImage Files

PNG at a glance#

Full name	Portable Network Graphics
File extension	.png
Category	Image Files
Developer	PNG Development Group
First released	1996
MIME types	image/png
Compression	Lossless
Specification	ISO/IEC 15948 / W3C Portable Network Graphics (PNG) Specification (Third Edition)
FileFlip support	FileFlip reads and writes this format

What a .png file can hold#

These are the things a PNG file either supports or does not, and they are what decides whether a conversion keeps everything or quietly drops something.

Transparency (alpha channel)	Yes
Animation	No
Lossless compression	Yes
Embedded metadata	Yes
Colour profiles	Yes

Strengths and limitations of PNG#

What PNG does well

Lossless, so an image can be re-saved any number of times without generational quality loss
Alpha channel transparency, which JPEG has no way to represent
Opens in every browser, operating system, and image editor without a plugin or codec install
Free of the licensing that made GIF's LZW compression a legal problem in the 1990s

Where PNG falls short

Files run several times larger than JPEG or WebP for photographs, since lossless compression can't discard the noise a photo is full of
No native animation; a plain PNG is always a single still image
No CMYK support, so it isn't used for print colour separations
No alternative compression mode, so there's no way to trade quality for a smaller file the way JPEG or WebP allow

Use PNG for screenshots, logos, icons, and any graphic with flat colour or transparency, where exact pixel reproduction matters more than file size.

Convert PNG to JPEG or WebP when the image is a photograph and file size matters more than pixel-perfect reproduction, since a photographic PNG is typically several times larger than an equally sharp lossy file.

How to open a .png file#

A .png file opens in the programs below, grouped by the platform you are on. If you would rather not install anything, FileFlip converts PNG into a format your machine already opens, and it does it in the browser tab rather than on a server.

Platform	Programs that open it
Windows	Photos, Paint, Adobe Photoshop, IrfanView, GIMP
macOS	Preview, Photos, Adobe Photoshop, Affinity Photo
Linux	GIMP, Eye of GNOME, ImageMagick
iOS	Photos, Files
Android	Google Photos, Gallery
Web	FileFlip

PNG questions people ask#

Is PNG lossless?

Yes, PNG is always lossless. It compresses image data with the DEFLATE algorithm, the same family of compression used in ZIP files, so every pixel decodes back exactly as it was encoded. There is no lossy PNG mode, unlike JPEG.

Does PNG support animation?

A standard PNG file does not animate; it holds exactly one image. Animated PNG (APNG) is a separate extension, created by Mozilla developers in 2008 and folded into the official PNG specification in 2025, that stores multiple frames inside a file that still uses the .png extension. All major browsers now play APNG frames, but many image editors and older viewers only show its first frame, so GIF or WebP remain more reliable choices when animation has to work everywhere.

Why is my PNG file so much bigger than the same photo saved as JPEG?

PNG's DEFLATE compression is lossless, so it has to encode every bit of the noise and subtle colour variation a photograph contains. JPEG gets its smaller size by discarding detail the eye barely notices, which a lossless format like PNG can't do. PNG stays efficient for flat-colour graphics like screenshots or logos; it's photographs where the size difference shows up.

Does PNG support transparency?

Yes, PNG supports transparency through an alpha channel, letting each pixel be fully opaque, fully transparent, or partially see-through. It works on both truecolour and palette-based PNGs, which is why PNG is the standard choice for logos and icons that need to sit on any background.

What's the difference between PNG-8 and PNG-24?

PNG-8 and PNG-24 are Photoshop's export names for two of PNG's internal color types, not separate file formats. PNG-8 uses an indexed palette of up to 256 colors, similar to GIF, and produces a smaller file. PNG-24 stores full 24-bit RGB (or 32-bit with alpha) and can represent millions of colors, at a larger file size.

Converting PNG files#

Every conversion runs inside your browser. The file is read from your disk, the work happens on your own machine, and nothing is uploaded. How FileFlip works names the engine behind each family and how to verify that for yourself.