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Congratulations on your new website! Coming up with a logo, header, and other graphics for your home page is the easy part of establishing your website. 

How to turn an image into a PNG in order to make the pictures viable takes some work.

It’s a simple process to convert image to PNG with very few steps. It can be done on any PC or Mac. 

It can be done on a mobile device such as a smartphone or a tablet. 

We’ll walk you through the steps, so you can see how simple it really is to convert an image to PNG.

What Is PNG?

A Portable Network Graphics or PNG file is a format for processing images so that browsers can support transparency. 

What this means is that a browser’s software will process a background, and then it will place the graphic you want to showcase against that background.

PNG uses both 8-bit and 24-bit colors. It’s also called a lossless file or a file whose quality will not fade, no matter how many times the file is opened and saved.

Why Does The PNG Format Matter?

Why would you worry about how your pictures look online? Mostly, people upload pictures to social media, where just the gist of the thing is all that’s needed. 

On the other hand, let’s say you’re a professional the quality of whose pictures means the difference between a paycheck and you’re out of luck.

The PNG format retains more information than other forms of graphics files like GIF or JPEGs. It is editable, although the layers may not save the same way. As an example, let’s say you’re a real estate agent posting pictures of a house on the ‘Net. 

Let’s further say the price of the house dropped, and you want to edit your PNG file. While the picture of the house might survive the edit, the text might not or vice versa. 

This is something to remember while learning how to turn an image into a PNG.

Types Of Images To Convert To PNG Format

Graphics files typically use multiple colors and text. Examples of the types of image convertible to PNG include:

  • Banners
  • Logos
  • Infographics
  • Screenshots
  • Animation
  • Packaging design (picture it: the flow of air through a mattress)
  • Graphics that block out something (picture in your mind a person whose face is pixelated)

How To Turn An Image Into A PNG

So, that’s what a PNG file is as well as what types of images are used to convert image to PNG. Many images are saved as JPEGs. 

The image will have to be converted. How is it done?

Note: Each OS uses its own graphics viewer. In this viewer, you can drag and drop pictures, text boxes, and other graphics. 

In Windows, for instance, you would use MS Paint. On a Mac, you would use Preview. There’s no need to download an outside graphics viewer.

In Windows

1. Open MS Paint

You can either scroll down the list of Microsoft or Windows Accessories, or you can type Paint into the search box. When it comes up, click Paint to open the application.

Open MS Paint how to save image as png

2. Open The File

Click File at the top of the toolbar. It will open. Click on JPEG file. Click Open. Your image will open in Paint.

Open The File you want to convert into png how to save image as png

3. Save Image As PNG

Click File at the top of the toolbar. Click Save As. The menu will open.

click file then PNG file how to save a picture as a PNG

4. PNG Picture

Click PNG Picture in Save As. A dialog box will open.

5. File Name

You’ll need a separate name for the PNG file. Type it in. Make very sure the dot PNG or .PNG extension is on the end of your new name.

6. Save

Click Save. Your image or graphic is now a PNG file.

add a name to the png file how to turn an image into a PNG

On A Mac

1. Choose Preview

Right-click the image file. Click on Open With> Preview (default.)

2. Export

Click on File. Scroll down to Export and click.

3. Choose PNG

A window will open. Choose PNG format. Rename the file.

4. How To Save Image As PNG

Click Save.

on the preview app go to export then click on format and select PNG how to turn an image into a PNG

Using A Conversion Tool Or Site

Using your computer’s conversion tool is pretty simple, but if you’d rather use an online conversion site in learning how to turn an image into a PNG, then go to convertimage.net. We like this converter because it’s a browser extension, so there’s no software to download. There are two simple steps in how to save a picture as a PNG, and you’re off to the races.

1. Click Start

This will take you to the Web Store, where you will choose your extension.

go to convertimage how to save a picture as a PNG

2. Add To Favorites

Scroll down to the button that says Add To Favorites. Click on it.

add to favorites how to turn an image into a PNG

3. Choose PNG

Now you’ll click on the graphics format in which you want your picture to convert. Click on PNG.

Choose PNG and select your image how to turn an image into a PNG

4. Choose Image

A box will open with space to upload your image. Upload it.

5. Click Convert

Click on Convert This Image. Boom, you’re done!

click convert this image then download the image how to turn an image into a PNG

On Mobile

Presently, no Android or iPhone can convert JPEG graphics into PNG. However, there are plenty of apps on each that know how to save a picture as a PNG. They’ll happily do it for you, to wit:

Android Apps

  • JPEG PNG Image File Converter 4.2
  • XnConvert-Photo 4.0
  • Image Converter Pro 4.0
  • Photo Editor 4.5

iOS Apps

  • Image Format Converter
  • JPEG PNG Image File Converter
  • Image Format Converter
  • File Converter by Online-Convert.com

Converter Apps And/Or Websites Reviews

For those who’d rather entrust their conversions to the how to turn an image into a PNG pro, here are two reviews of such converters. The first is specifically for use on Mac called CoolUtils Online Image Converter:

  • Operates in real-time, meaning you don’t need an email link to open the app.
  • It works with Mac, but also with Linux, and Windows.
  • Nothing to download. It works online.
  • You can download images from Google Drive, your computer, or your Dropbox.
  • You can resize or rotate your graphic before converting it.
  • You can download the image straight away.
Coolutils how to save a picture as a PNG

Pros And Cons

The pros include processing in batches, watermark your images, emailing images, and it isn’t slow.

The cons are ads for the developer’s programs, a cluttered interface, you can’t drag and drop (you can, but it’s converted into something else,) and perhaps the most annoying of all is that emails are converted to JPEG instead of remaining in PNG format.

CloudConvert

One of the things that impressed us the most about CloudConvert is their strict adherence to security. If that’s not enough to grab you, here are some of the things they convert:

  • Ebooks
  • Spreadsheets
  • Audio and video
  • Documents and presentations
select file from your device how to turn an image into a PNG how to save image as png

Need MP3 converted into MP4? CloudConvert can do it. There are just as many layers to the quality product they turn out as there is to their security. All of this and more at prices with which you can live.

after selecting the file click on from then on to how to turn an image into a PNG how to save image as png

Pros And Cons

The pros include conversion without corrupting the file (a big pro,) no ads, easy interface to use, it’s built into Gmail, you can set properties like color when converting, and it’s free.

The cons aren’t many, but they’re important, such as the Internet speed sometimes befouls video conversion, so you have to start over, the occasional outage, it doesn’t have all the fonts you had in the file you want to convert, as well as hesitating or going out altogether when processing large files.

JPG2PNG

Another online conversion tool is jpg2png.com. It’s a simple three-step process whereby you add the extension to your browser and then upload your pictures or graphics. The app does the rest. How cool is that?

JPG2PNG how to turn an image into a PNG

Pros And Cons

The pros are just as impressive as the other conversion tools with a couple of exceptions. 

Jpg2png needs no email address, and it offers large conversions up to 50MB. When you click the upload tab, you can upload 20 JPEG files to convert. 

The app converts them, one after another, and applies the proper compression to each and every file. 

Now, just tap on Download All, and the converted images will arrive in a zip folder.

The cons only come in a single con: your conversions are deleted after an hour.

Final Thoughts

In many instances, professionals integrate pictures or other types of graphics into presentations for clients or for the board room. 

Advertising executives, marketers of all types, and real estate agents come to mind. In order to present a perfectly arranged product, they need to know how to turn an image into a PNG.

The whole process is quite simple and with, in most cases, three to four steps. It can be done using your computer’s own conversion system. 

Those whose computer literacy doesn’t extend that far have the option of using an online converter. 

These don’t always have to be downloaded; some are simple browser extensions that can be used from Google Play or from the Apple store.

Mobile conversions are a problem in that no smartphone converts JPEG graphics into PNG. Each maker, though, offers apps in their Android or iPhone store that will convert your pictures and graphics for you. 

Again, only two to three or four steps are needed to get those graphics into the right format.

The pros and cons of these online conversion sites are of interest because most are involved with time and bandwidth considerations. 

Some apps are slow, don’t deal well with large projects, and cut out sometimes. Those whose projects are on a deadline should have alternate apps for just these occasions.

The pros are impressive. Cropping, rotating, and resizing your graphics or pictures is a snap within the converter. 

Converters will turn your project into a professional product that you can edit however many times it takes to comply with future projects.

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