Sijun Forums :: View topic - how come noone is using the png-format?

a_sh · Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2001 6:57 am

to me, it seems that png (portable network format) combines the strengts of jpg and gif while leaving their weaknesses behind. it also seems to have some extra candy in it (alfa-channel etc.)

so why isn't anyone using it?

Matt Elder · Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2001 8:09 am

I've wondered about png format at times. I do a little web development work at the moment and only use the gif / jpg format. I know a bit about the format but I guess I'm not 100% sure what browsers support it. I would find it hard to believe that someone will update their browser just to see an image (unlike someone updating their version of flash or windows media player). I guess at this point in time, it is probably easier to stick with something that is known to work. I may have demonstrated my ignorance with regards to the format but I would love to hear what the 'current status' is with the format.

Jabberwocky · Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2001 8:49 am

Pretty New Graphic... :P

I used it once or twice on some web graphics, but just so use to using jpg or gif that I really don't think about it.

XAQT... · junior member Member # Joined: 31 Jul 2001 Posts: 6

PNG isn't optimal supported by the current (most used) browsers, which is a shame tho.

You can create some very nifte (web)designs with PNG.

XAQT

Grendel Khan · Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2001 9:56 am

I believe only mozilla (hence, N6 too) supports it. Yeah, it's a shame, png has alpha chanels and it's free. Web design using that kind of transparency would change a lot of things imo.

edible snowman · member Member # Joined: 12 Sep 2000 Posts: 998

its good to use when you have bitmaps in flash. it seems like the best way to get a good transparency.

gekitsu · Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2001 2:10 pm

png features a real alpha channel, not a on-or-off-transparency like gif, which makes this format unique and great in my eyes. also, there are no artifacts as in jpg's and the color range is good.
the only thing that lacks atm is the software support:
no browser actually uses the real alphachannel (i.e. no greyscale-transparency...)

when working with png's, i had some problems to get the colors like the colors i did in the original. i always had a bit of a tip too much red in it

that#s why i stick to save my work in rif/psd and one (as far as possible)uncompressed jpg.

indeed, i wonder that it's not used instead of gif's when looking at the graphical quality.

anyone has further infos on that format (background stuff: how works compression etc...)

Frost · Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2001 7:50 pm

PNG is a fine format, but has a few oddities about it.

First off, it's awesome in that it is a lossless compression scheme, so images are always as pixel perfect as you made them. You can also store additional layers and channels, for such things as alpha masking/blending and such.

However, there seems to be this issue of photoshop premultiplying the alpha and doing some weird things, ... I haven't had much luck in getting it to work properly (save/load) with additional data channels. This could be a photoshop problem or maybe I haven't looked into it more to find a solution.

Overall a good format, compresses less than jpeg, but is not overly supported by software (last time I checked).