PNG

PNG uses lossless compression, allowing the encoded image to be reconstructed without the deliberate information loss associated with lossy formats such as conventional JPEG.

PNG can contain transparent and partially transparent pixels through alpha information. This enables artwork to be placed over different backgrounds or products without requiring a visible rectangular background.

PNG is an openly documented and widely implemented image format. The Library of Congress describes it as well established for digital imagery and preservation contexts.

Because PNG stores pixel-based image information, it is suitable when the intended result is fundamentally raster-based and the user wants the encoded pixel information preserved without lossy compression.

PNG can function as a raster artwork input across multiple production technologies when their software accepts it. This makes it useful as a common Creator-to-Maker handoff format.

That flexibility has an important limitation: PNG compatibility is workflow-dependent, not universal.

A PNG may be appropriate for one RIP, printer, production method, or Maker while requiring modification or an alternative format in another workflow.

PNG is governed through a published W3C specification. The Third Edition became a W3C Recommendation on June 24, 2025.