PNG gives web images a lossless format

Context and provenance

The Portable Network Graphics specification became a W3C Recommendation on October 1, 1996. PNG describes a raster image as pixels while using lossless compression, allowing image data to be reconstructed without discarding detail to reduce the file. The format supports features such as transparency and information relevant to consistent display. Those capabilities make it particularly useful for graphics where sharp edges or a transparent background matter. A file format is more than a suffix at the end of a filename: it is an agreement about how image data is organized, decoded, and interpreted by software made by different people.

Why it matters

Editorial perspective: Visual culture depends on format decisions. Choosing an image format affects clarity, file size, compositing, and longevity, so the technical container becomes part of how an illustration can circulate and be reused.

Sources and evidence

1. W3C: PNG Recommendation, 1996