Media type · image/png
image/png
image/png is the media type for PNG images — lossless raster graphics with transparency.
Key facts
| Type | image/png |
|---|---|
| Extensions | .png |
| Standard | ISO/IEC 15948; W3C PNG |
| Text or binary | Binary |
| Transparency | Yes (alpha channel) |
What image/png is
PNG is a lossless raster format with an alpha channel, well suited to screenshots, logos, icons and images with sharp edges. Repeated compression keeps every pixel exact, so re-saving does not degrade quality, but photographic images become much larger than in JPEG or WebP.
When not to use PNG
For photographs, PNG can be several times larger than a quality-80 JPEG or WebP with no visible benefit. Large PNGs are a common cause of slow pages and wasted bandwidth. Use SVG for simple vector shapes, WebP or AVIF for photos, and PNG when you need lossless pixels or transparency that the other formats cannot provide.
Frequently asked questions
Is PNG better than JPEG?
It depends on the image. PNG is better for sharp graphics, text and transparency; JPEG is usually much smaller for photographs.
Does PNG support animation?
Not in the standard PNG format. APNG is an extension supported by browsers, but the registered type is still image/png.