[mike_m]

so what's the crack - who uses them on websites? should you be battered to death with a wet cod for using them on websites etc.

I'd quite like to start using them not for the transparency, but mainly because I get smaller file-sizes for gradient based images using png's.

Also, anyone know of a reliable source for browser compatibility?

[Luke Redpath]

I use pngs sometimes, however as well as the old lack of alpha support in IE, I have noticed that IE does seem to have some color/gamma issues.

http://hsivonen.iki.fi/png-gamma/
http://www.libpng.org/pub/png/pngapbr.html

[emil]

EDIT: Luke beat me to it

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I use png only when I need transparency. (Of course that means feeding IE another styleshhet and/or using the transparency filter). I still use jpg for the rest, probably out of habit, and maybe because I have more control over compression in PS.
Anyway here's a list with browsers and png compatibility
http://www.libpng.org/pub/png/pngapbr.html

[mike_m]

hmm, doesn't look like it's going to be much use for the moment then ( not as part of a css layout using them as background images considering the gamma problems..)

shit.

[gray]

ive always like png, but there so huge filesizes usually compared to gif/jpg

[Stickman]

I'd export it and have a look. It might be fine.

We use them, but not often because jpg and gifs do most things for the web and the filesizes of pngs aren't always worth it. And IE is crap.

Can be useful for half gif / half jpg type of images - where you've got flat colour or gradients that suit a gif with the amount of colours you'd use a jpg for.

http://www.w3.org/Graphics/PNG/

[Luke Redpath]

Originally Posted by gray

ive always like png, but there so huge filesizes usually compared to gif/jpg

Do you use Photoshop? Photoshop's export to PNG is less than efficient - the files are larger than they should be.

[gray]

what should you use fireworks?

i usually use png in flash, unless im loading dynamically

[Luke Redpath]

I dunno, I use Photoshop as well, and live with the PNG compression. I do remember seeing some free plugin for Photoshop which improves it but dunno where, and if its still compatible with recent versions of PS.

[mike_m]

well I do seem to be getting better quality images at lower filesizes with png's in photoshop ( around15% lower than jpg's in this case) maybe I have a magic edition of photoshop?

[Mik]

i find the file sizes are smaller but then it helps if you know what your doing.

[tomncap511]

I find that png isn't compatible with certain browsers and viewers using those browsers can't see the images. I don't see the point in using them.

[gray]

cant see the images? like which browser?

its only transparency that some browsers dont support as far as i know?

[Ackoo]

PNG's rock, IE sucks...

[riat_sila]

I generally use 8-bit PNGs instead of GIFs (depending on the amount of colours used) as with PS Save for Web they generally end up as a smaller or similar size as the GIF and give me a lot more flexibility. If only IE understood how to do a damn alpha transparency!

[skyrocket]

Transparency support for PNG has (finally) been patched for IE7. More details here: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/IE/ie7/default.mspx