What does PNG stand for?

PNG stands for Portable Network Graphics.

PNG is a raster-image file format designed for lossless compression, meaning saving or compressing an image does not discard pixel data. It was created as a modern, freely usable alternative to GIF, especially after concerns arose over licensing fees connected with GIF’s LZW compression patent.

The format supports indexed-color images, grayscale, and full-color RGB or RGBA images. Its alpha channel is particularly useful for smooth transparency, which is why PNG is common for logos, interface graphics, screenshots, and illustrations with irregular edges.

PNG’s history began in January 1995 with a Usenet discussion led by Thomas Boutell. The name was influenced by “PING,” jokingly expanded as “PING is not GIF,” before the official name became Portable Network Graphics. PNG was published as RFC 2083 in March 1997 and standardized as ISO/IEC 15948 in 2004.

A common mix-up is treating PNG as a photographic format like JPEG. PNG preserves detail well but often produces larger files for photographs, while JPEG generally achieves smaller sizes through lossy compression.