What Is a PNG File?

How to open, edit, & convert PNG files

What to Know

• A PNG file is a Portable Network Graphics file.
• Open one with any browser or image program, like XnView.
• Convert to JPG, SVG, ICO, and other images with FileZigZag or another image converter.

This article describes what PNG files are, why they’re preferred over other image formats in certain situations, and which programs can open one or convert one to other image types.

What Is a PNG File?

A PNG file is a Portable Network Graphics file. The format uses lossless compression and is generally considered the replacement to the GIF image format.

However, unlike GIF, PNG files do not support animations. The very similar MNG (Multiple-image Network Graphics) format does, however, but has yet to gain the kind of popularity that GIF or PNG files have.

PNG files store graphics on websites. Some operating systems like macOS and Ubuntu store screenshots in the PNG format by default.

Another use for PNGs is when portions of the image need to be transparent, which can be helpful when making illustrations, designing a website, creating photography, etc. For example, if you have a logo you want to be placed over a photo, it’s much easier to «cut» the logo out, leaving transparent pixels around it, so that when it’s placed over the other picture, that picture will show through the transparency.

How to Open a PNG File

The default photo viewer program in Windows opens PNG files but there are many other ways to view one.

All web browsers (like Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, etc.) automatically view PNG files that you open from the internet, which means you don’t have to download every PNG file you want to look at online. You can also use the web browser to open PNG files from your computer, by using the Ctrl+O keyboard combination to browse for the file.

Most browsers also support drag-and-drop, so you might be able to just drag the PNG file into the browser to open it.

There are also several standalone file openers, graphic tools, and services that open PNG files. A few popular ones include:

To edit PNG files, the XnView program just mentioned can be used, as well as the Microsoft Windows included graphics program called Paint, the Windows 10 Paint 3D tool, the popular GIMP utility, and the popular Adobe Photoshop.

Considering the number of programs that open PNG files, and that you very likely have at least two installed right now, there’s a very real chance that the one that’s set to open them by default (i.e. when you double-click or double-tap on one) isn’t the one you’d like to use.

If you find that to be the case, see How to Change File Associations in Windows tutorial for detailed instructions on how to change that «default» PNG program.

How to Convert a PNG File

Probably every single image file converter that you run across converts a PNG file to another format (like JPG, PDF, ICO, GIF, BMP, TIF, etc.). There are several options in our Free Image Converter Software Programs list, including some online PNG converters like FileZigZag and Zamzar.

Visit Pngtosvg.com to convert a PNG to SVG.

When to Use PNG Files

PNG files are a great format to use but not necessarily in every situation. Sometimes a PNG can be way too large in size and not only use unnecessary disk space or make it harder to email but can also drastically slow down a web page if you’re using one there.

Consider if the image quality benefits are enough to sacrifice that space (or slow web page loading, etc.). Because a PNG file doesn’t compress the image like other lossy formats like JPEG do, quality doesn’t diminish as much when the image is in the PNG format.

JPEG files are useful when the image is low contrast, but PNGs are better when dealing with sharp contrast like when there are lines or text in the image, as well as large areas of solid color. Screenshots and illustrations, then, are best in PNG format while «real» photos are best as JPEG/JPG.

You might also consider using the PNG format over JPEG when you’re dealing with an image that needs to be edited over and over again. For example, since the JPEG format undergoes what’s called generation loss, editing and saving the file again and again will result in a lower quality image over time. This isn’t true for PNG because it uses lossless compression.

More Help With PNG Files

To make the background transparent in a PNG, your options include automated tools like Clipping Magic or the free Background Burner tool, or nearly any image editing program.

.PNG File Extension

File Type Portable Network Graphic

What is a PNG file?

A PNG file is an image saved in the Portable Network Graphic (PNG) format. It contains a bitmap compressed with lossless compression similar to a .GIF file. PNG files are commonly used to store web graphics, digital photographs, and images with transparent backgrounds.

The PNG format is widely used, especially on the web, for saving images. It supports indexed (palette-based) 24-bit RGB or 32-bit RGBA (RGB with a fourth alpha channel) color images. The format also supports full-color, non-indexed RGB or RGBA images and grayscale images.

Many types of computer users may encounter PNG files, whether it be downloading an image from a website, receiving a digital photo attached to an email, or taking a screenshot on a computer. Graphics professionals commonly save graphics as PNG files for use on the web. They also use PNG files to save logo or icon mockups with transparent backgrounds that can be placed over other images.

How do I open a PNG file?

How do I convert a PNG file?

Why was PNG format created?

While the PNG format became more widely used than GIF, PNG is a single-image format, whereas GIF supports multiple images. The GIF format allowed users to save simple animations as GIF files and led to the resurgence of format online. In response to this limitation, the PNG Development Group created the Multiple-image Network Graphics (.MNG) format in 2001 but was not widely adopted like the GIF format.

NOTE: Microsoft Windows can save screenshots as PNG files, along with Mac OS X (macOS) 10.4 and later. Ubuntu Linux also stores print screen screenshots in the PNG format.

Open PNG File

Information, tips and instructions

Open PNG File

PNG files are used to store bitmap images. This format was developed as an alternative to GIF files but without patents burden and with additional features like transparent backgroud. Files with the PNG file extension use indexed colors and lossless compression. PNG files cannot be animated like GIF images.

Opening a PNG file, or any other file on your PC, is as simple as double clicking on it. Most operating systems, both desktop, servers or mobile OS, have native software to open PNG files. If file extension associations are configured correctly, the base application to open PNG files will launch automatically when you double click on a PNG file.

It is also feasible to operate and modify PNG files through the use of graphic design software, such as Adobe Illustrator (https://www.adobe.com/). If for some reason, the PNG extension is associated with some other application, native to the operating system or not, it is necessary to open it from the Illustrator file menu or any other design program.

In the case of Illustrator, you can display the list of supported extensions and you will find the PNG extension, so only the images with PNG extension will appear in the file window.

It is necessary to make a special mention that most operating systems, whether Windows, based on Linux or MacOS, are preconfigured so that when making a screenshot with the preset key combination, the generated image is a PNG extension file.

PNG files are usually a bit greater than their JPG equivalent; This is because PNG files offer lossless image compression while JPEG compression is lossy. This difference can be observed in the image quality.

Technical details about PNG files

PNG images offer a good alternative to the GIF format, as they include an 8-bit transparency channel, support 24-bit RGB color palettes, RGB images and grayscale. Files with the PNG extension were introduced to simplify the transfer of images over the internet, but not to store professional graphics.

A special note, applying CMYK is not possible in PNG files.

Can’t you open a PNG file?

There are several reasons why it is not possible to open a PNG file, the most important are:

• The extension is not associated with a suitable software. To solve this problem, simply open the file from the file menu of the software.
• The file is damaged. If this is the case, it is best to download a correct version of the file and try to open it again.
• The file extension was deliberately changed. It is possible that for some reason, the file extension has been changed, so there will be no match between the header information and the appropriate software to open it, so it will result in an error. To solve this problem, just change to the original extension and try to open the file.

Open PNG File on Windows OS

• Try double clicking on a PNG file in Windows File Explorer.
• If the PNG reading software is associated correctly then the file will open
• If the file did not open you should install GIMP software
• To open PNG file in GIMP you need to launch it and then select File->Open in the main menu
• In the File Open dialog select PNG file and click «Open»

Get more information about how to open PNG file.

If you are not able to open file with certain file extension make sure to check if extension for the file is correct. It is possible that information in the file doesn’t match file extension.

Open PNG file

Portable Network Graphic file

The most common type of file with png file extension

Files with png extension are commonly used for Portable Network Graphic files. PNG is a bitmap image mainly used on web pages.

There are 2 other file types using
the PNG file extension!

.png — Corel PaintShop Photo Pro browser catalogue

.png — Adobe Fireworks proprietary PNG data

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PNG file extension — Portable Network Graphic file

What is png file? How to open png files?

File type specification:

Bitmap image file type

Internet related file type

png file icon:

File extension png is commonly used for images in Portable Network Graphics file format.

PNG is a bitmap graphics format similar to GIF, that uses image compression mainly for web purposes. PNG is a lossless format with 16.7 million colors, index color, grayscale, true color, transparency and also is streamable, which makes it superior to GIF.

The format was approved as a standard by the WWW consortium to replace GIF, because GIF is using a patented data compression algorithm called LZW. In contrast, PNG is completely patent- and license-free.

Originally only Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer supported PNG file format, but today every web browser can read the format correctly.

Some games also use this format to store images. For example Spore computer game saves its creatures images for Sporepedia in PNG format.

png MIME types:
image/png
image/x-png
application/png
application/x-png

Windows 10: Unable to use “Open with” on txt, jpg or png extensions. Opens only in default app

Intro

In December 2018, I got myself a new ASUS N550JV laptop and I did a standard installation of Windows 10 Education 64-bit on the first day.

Everything works quite nicely, but there’s one problem that’s been bothering me for months now. In December, I even posted feedback about that on Microsoft Feedback Hub, but it seems like nobody pays attention to that.

Funny thing is that I also own a desktop PC, which also runs Windows 10 Education, and the same problem occurs.

The issue

Let’s talk about files with .txt extension. I prefer opening any textual files using Sublime Text 3. Windows uses Notepad by default, so my system opens .txt files using Notepad on double-click.

Sublime Text 3 is installed on the system, and is located in C:\Program Files\Sublime Text 3 .

After I right-click the .txt file, the «Open with» text is bold and the only offered option under that menu is, again, «Open with». Clicking this option does absolutely nothing but ignores my command.

I previously had Windows 7 installed on my PC, and I was able to use «Open with» context menu, as well as set Sublime Text 3 as a default application for opening .txt files.

The same problem occurs with extensions .jpg, .png, .pdf, .docx, .xlsx and so on. Nothing happens after I press «Open with».

I tried setting the default app for .txt extension using a setting called Choose a default app for each type of file in Windows 10, but trying to change the app from Notepad to Sublime Text 3 was impossible because Windows somehow thought that Notepad was the only available application.

It seems that even after some Windows 10 major updates during these 4 months, the issue has not been resolved. I’m starting to think that this isn’t Windows-related.

Screenshots

Using «Open with» on .png : Fail

Using «Open with» on .mp4 : Success

Some file types, like .mp4, are not glitched and it looks like this:

System specs

DxDiag of my laptop

DxDiag of my PC

Update

I’ve previously attempted to set the default app for these extensions using Choose a default app for each type of file setting in Windows 10, but with no luck. For example, clicking on Notepad dropdown menu right next to .txt extension would give me Notepad as the only option. I tried this today (2019-04-04), and it gave me a couple of choices, including Sublime Text 3. Apparently this has been fixed, and I can now happily double-click .txt files and have them opened in my favorite text editor.

But, I am still curious to know why the right click -> Open with -> Open with option does not work.

Update 2

Thanks to Win32Guy’s answer in the first comment below, the issue was resolved quickly. Turns out it was a shell extension blocking some other context menu items. Using ShellExView I managed to detect a suspicious context menu item and I’ve disabled it.

It helps a lot if you sort these items by «Microsoft» column, to see which context menu items are not from Microsoft Corporation because one of these is probably causing the problem.

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