The PNG format, which has been the standard for storing images on the internet for over two decades, has received a serious update. PNG now officially supports HDR images, APNG animation, and Exif metadata, remaining relevant in the modern world.
G. Ostrov
The PNG format, which has been the standard for storing images on the internet for many years, has received its first serious update since early 2003. This landmark event in the world of digital graphics brings long-awaited improvements that make PNG an even more universal and relevant format.
HDR Support: A New Level of Image Quality
One of the main innovations is support for HDR (High Dynamic Range) images. This technology allows displaying a wider range of colors and brightness, closely matching human eye perception. The efficiency of implementation is particularly impressive — storing HDR data requires only four additional bytes, making the technology accessible even with limited space.
HDR support is especially important in the era of modern displays capable of showing extended color gamuts. Now web developers and designers can create brighter and more saturated images without switching to other formats.
APNG: Animation Without Quality Loss
The inclusion of the Animated PNG (APNG) format in the official standard was another important change. Originally proposed by Mozilla, APNG is already supported by most modern browsers and graphics programs.
Animated PNGs will now become a full-fledged alternative to the outdated GIF format, offering significantly better quality thanks to lossless compression. This is especially important for web designers who previously had to choose between image quality and file size.
Built-in Exif Metadata Support
The third major innovation was built-in support for Exif metadata. Previously, adding information about authorship, camera settings, geolocation, and other metadata required using third-party tools and various workarounds.
Now this information will be embedded and saved as easily as in JPEG files. This is especially important for photographers and content creators who need to preserve technical information about their work.
Wide Support and Compatibility
The new PNG standard is already supported by most modern browsers, including Chrome, Safari, and Firefox. The iOS and macOS operating systems are also ready to work with the updated format. Professional programs such as Adobe Photoshop and DaVinci Resolve have already integrated support for the new capabilities.
It's important to note that no additional actions are required from users — the update happens automatically through browser and operating system updates.
Future Plans
The PNG Working Group has already announced further development plans for the format. The fourth version of the standard plans to improve compatibility between HDR and regular images, making the transition even smoother.
The fifth version will focus on optimizing compression algorithms and adding support for parallel file processing. This will further increase efficiency when working with large images and improve website performance.
The PNG format update marks a new era in web graphics, providing developers and designers with powerful tools for creating quality visual content.
For more information, visit the official 3DNews website.
If you have any problems, contact us, we will help quickly and efficiently!