This article describes what PNG files are, why they are preferred over other image formats in certain situations, and what programs can be used to open PNG files or convert them to another image type.
What is a PNG file? (And how is it different from .GIF)
A PNG file is a Portable Network Graphics file. The format uses lossless compression and is generally regarded as the replacement for the GIF image format.
Unlike GIF, PNG files do not support animations. The very similar MNG (Multiple-image Network Graphics) format does, but it has yet to gain the popularity that GIF or PNG files have.
PNG files store images on websites. Some operating systems, such as macOS and Ubuntu, save screenshots in PNG format by default.
