| Full Name | Portable Network Graphics |
| Extension | PNG |
| Type | Image |
| Mime Type | image/png |
| Format | Binary |
A PNG file is a two-dimensional image file format often used to store high-quality logos, icons, and other imagery. PNG files first emerged in the early 1990s as an alternative to the GIF format, which was in widespread use at the time. PNG files have garnered support over the years to at least equal or surpass that of the GIF format. You will find all modern image editing or viewing applications will support PNG files.
Part of the success of the PNG format is its use of special compression techniques that allow a high-resolution image to be compressed into a very small file size. The compression used in the PNG format is lossless compression, ensuring no image detail is lost when an image is saved to the PNG format.
Uses
The PNG format is ideally suited for storing images that require no loss of detail or have transparent areas, such as company logos and computer graphics icons. It is not suited for storing general photos as, due to the nature of the compression, it will result in very large file sizes. Other formats, such as JPEG, use a lossy compression method, and this format is better suited to full-color photographic images.
| Full Name | Scalable Vector Graphics |
| Extension | SVG |
| Type | Vector |
| Mime Type | image/svg+xml |
| Format | Text |
The SVG format is a well-known file format used to store highly scalable vector graphics. SVG files have been around for many years and have widespread support within vector graphics and other image editing applications, and many image viewing applications support SVG.
SVG files store an image in the form of lines, curves, and other basic shapes within a plain text file format based on the XML standard. Due to its versatility and support, SVG has become the standard vector format used by websites to provide icons and other scalable graphics.
Uses
Due to their ability to scale without any loss of detail, as is the case with raster formats such as JPG and PNG, the SVG format is a popular choice of format for high-definition print media as well as for use within websites for providing clear and scalable graphics.
