Easy methods to open, convert, and edit a PNG file: Simple strategies

PNG is not only an abbreviation you see in your screenshots, it’s a file format that ensures your photos don’t lose their high quality, regardless of what number of occasions you edit and re-save them! On this tutorial, we reply the query “what’s a PNG file and why do you have to apply it to Mac?” in addition to stroll you thru the simplest methods to open, edit, and convert PNG. 

What’s a PNG file?

PNG or Transportable Community Graphics (you don’t need to do not forget that, pinky promise) is a high-quality graphic file format that was created to interchange GIF. In contrast to GIF, PNG doesn’t assist animation, nevertheless it is among the finest uncompressed picture codecs. Right here’s why you need to use PNG: 

• Lossless compression. In contrast to different codecs, a PNG file received’t lose high quality every time you reopen and put it aside. That is referred to as lossless compression — one of many key explanation why PNG is superior to its standard different JPEG. 
• Most suitable option for screenshots. As a result of there’s no high quality loss, PNG can deal with high-contrast graphics higher than JPEG. It means it’s finest to save lots of photos which have textual content and contours in them — aka screenshots — utilizing PNG format. Notably if it is advisable edit your screenshots and re-save them, PNG will assist preserve the standard. 
• Nice for logos, because of transparency assist. PNG can also be distinctive due to its clear pixels, which makes it attainable to overlay photos. For instance, if it is advisable place a brand over some web site content material, you’ll have to make use of PNG. 

Easy methods to open PNG recordsdata

The native utility to open PNG recordsdata in your Mac is Preview. On most Macs, it’s set as a default program for opening photos, so you possibly can open your PNG just by double-clicking it. Alternatively, you possibly can right-click the picture > Open with > Preview. 

If you happen to don’t need to obtain a PNG file to your Mac — PNG recordsdata are bigger than JPEG, which is usually the primary purpose individuals don’t need to use it — you possibly can view PNG recordsdata in your browser. Most browsers, together with Chrome and Safari, can natively open a PNG picture in a brand new tab. 

You can too drag and drop a PNG picture onto your browser and it’ll open in a brand new tab. 

In contrast to macOS native utility, CleanShot X permits you to save screenshots to its inner cloud and immediately get a shareable hyperlink. You’ll by no means have to fret concerning the dimension of these great-quality PNG screenshots!

It makes much more sense to make use of CleanShot X if it is advisable edit your screenshots — crop, add annotations, and so on. The circulate that CleanShot X presents is unbeatable: proper after you seize a screenshot, you see an overlay menu that allows you to edit the screenshot earlier than saving it. And also you’ll need to see all of the modifying choices it gives! Sensible. 

Easy methods to edit and convert PNG recordsdata 

Whereas CleanShot X is good for modifying PNG screenshots, what about modifying different photos in PNG format? No worries, there are various instruments obtainable.

TouchRetouch is one such software — and a reasonably superb one. Not solely does it assist with primary modifying comparable to cropping or inserting textual content, TouchRetouch can take away undesirable objects and contours out of your photos! All of the dots, spots, and defects will likely be gone in a sec. We advocate this app for skilled picture retouching in addition to making ready logos and different graphics for web sites. Impeccable high quality assured.

Convert PNG to JPEG, or some other picture format, with Permute. It’s comprehensible that PNG received’t at all times serve your functions and also you would possibly want to alter the format. If that’s what you need to do, Permute is essentially the most versatile — and the most secure! — selection. 

Permute is a common media converter that may convert file to PNG (any file, that’s), PNG to JPEG, PNG to PDF, and extra. You can too use Permute to transform video and audio recordsdata safely in your Mac. Right here’s the best way to use Permute: 

1. Open Permute
2. Click on the plus button and add your file or use drag and drop 
3. Choose the format you need to convert to within the upper-left nook
4. Click on the Begin button to start out the conversion
5. You can too edit PNG — for instance, crop it — earlier than changing. 

In case your transformed recordsdata end up too giant, we propose Squash. It’s a win-win answer — a picture converter and compressor. Simply as Permute, it’s fully secure to make use of because it handles all of your recordsdata regionally on Mac. Squash helps changing PNG to JPEG, TIFF, and extra codecs. 

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And right here’s how one can make these photos weigh much less: 

1. Open Squash and drop your photos
2. Within the Compress menu, select Format and set the compression stage  
3. Click on Export Picture As > Select. 

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Another which you could profit from with out putting in any apps is Preview’s native functionality to transform PNG to JPEG. Its profit is that it lets you convert a number of photos on the similar time. Right here’s the way it works: 

1. Open Preview
2. Maintain down Command and select all of the PNGs you need to convert
3. As soon as the pictures open in Preview, click on on their thumbnails > Export as 
4. Click on Choices > Format > JPEG > Select
5. Save the transformed file to a choose location. 

A case for a PNG file: Why you need to use it 

In comparison with its standard rival JPEG, PNG is rather more superior when it comes to picture high quality it caters for. Due to lossless compression and transparency assist, you need to use PNG to create graphics for web sites, edit and re-save screenshots as many occasions as you want, with out sacrificing picture high quality. 

Dimension-wise, PNGs could seem not so profitable — they’re heavier than JPEGs. But it surely’s straightforward to unravel when you’ve got Setapp instruments like Squash, CleanShot X, and Permute in your Mac. Notably for those who like to save lots of screenshots in PNG (and you need to!) CleanShot X is undeniably the answer. It saves screenshots to the inner safe cloud so that you don’t have to fret about gigabyte waste. Setapp is free to attempt with all of the apps we’ve talked about above for 7 days. 

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