What does PNG stand for? In computing it stands for Portable Network Graphics, an image file format that keeps every pixel exactly as it was saved and can show see-through backgrounds. Files in this format end in .png, and you meet them every day as screenshots, logos, icons and diagrams.
The format was designed in the mid 1990s as a free, open replacement for GIF, whose compression method was tied up in patents at the time. It has since become one of the most common image types on the web.
Quick facts
Stands for
Portable Network GraphicsType
Initialism and file extension (.png)How to say it
"Ping" is the official way; many people say P N GCompression
Lossless, so no detail is thrown awaySpecial feature
Transparency through an alpha channelOther meaning
Papua New Guinea (country code PNG)Related terms
What does PNG stand for, word by word?
- Portable: the file opens the same way on any computer, phone or browser.
- Network: it was built for sharing over networks, above all the web.
- Graphics: it holds pictures, from photos to simple drawings.
The people who wrote the format said the name should be pronounced "ping." In offices and classrooms you will hear both "ping" and "P N G," and either one is understood. A playful unofficial reading, "PNG's Not GIF," also circulated among its early developers, poking fun at the format it was meant to replace.
What PNG files are good at
The big draw is lossless compression. The file is squeezed to save space, yet when it opens, every pixel is identical to the original. That keeps text crisp and edges clean.
The second draw is transparency. A PNG can mark parts of the image as fully or partly see-through, using what designers call an alpha channel. That is why a round logo saved as PNG sits neatly on a colored page with no white box around it.
- Screenshots of apps, error messages and web pages
- Logos, icons and buttons
- Charts, maps and diagrams with sharp lines
- Images you plan to edit and save again several times
When another format fits better
| Format | Best for | Trade off |
|---|---|---|
| PNG | Screenshots, logos, graphics with text | Large files for photos |
| JPG (JPEG) | Photos of people and places | Loses a little detail each save, no transparency |
| GIF | Short looping animations | Only 256 colors per frame |
| SVG | Logos and icons that must scale to any size | Not for photos |
| Documents to print or sign | A document format, not a plain image |
A camera photo saved as PNG can be several times larger than the same photo as a JPG, with little visible gain. Standard PNG also does not animate, although an extended version called APNG can.
How you will see PNG used
On a job application site: "Upload your headshot as a JPG or PNG, max 5 MB." Either format is accepted, so a phone photo in JPG works fine, and a PNG works too as long as it stays under the size limit.
Designers often ask for "a transparent PNG" of a logo. That request means the background should be empty, not white, so the logo can sit on any color. Web developers may also talk about PNG along with RGB color, since the format stores red, green and blue values for each pixel, plus the alpha value for transparency.
PNG stands for more than an image format
Outside computers, PNG is also the three-letter country code for Papua New Guinea, the nation that shares the island of New Guinea north of Australia. You will see it on sports scoreboards, shipping forms and travel documents. Context makes it clear: a file name ending in .png is an image, while PNG next to a team or flag is the country. For more letters from the digital world, visit the tech acronyms guide.
Writing it correctly
Write PNG in capitals when you mean the format in a sentence: "Send it as a PNG." Use lowercase only in the file extension itself, as in chart.png. Choose the article by sound. If you say "ping," write "a PNG"; if you spell it out, "a PNG" still fits, since "pee" opens with a consonant.
Questions people ask
What does PNG mean on a file?
It means the file is a Portable Network Graphics image. Any modern phone, computer or browser can open it without extra software.
Is PNG better than JPG?
Neither is better everywhere. PNG wins for screenshots, logos and anything with text or transparency, while JPG keeps photos much smaller.
How do you pronounce PNG?
The official pronunciation is "ping," like the sound. Many people say the letters P N G, and both are fine.
Can a PNG have a transparent background?
Yes. That is one of its main uses, which is why logos and icons are often shared as PNG files.
Does PNG lose quality when saved?
No. PNG uses lossless compression, so saving it again does not blur or blotch the image the way repeated JPG saves can.