PNG to GIF

Why convert PNG to GIF

PNG has replaced GIF for most graphics, but GIF is still the only choice in some places: older email templates and newsletter builders, forum signatures and avatars on older boards, and software that predates PNG. Logos, icons, buttons and simple diagrams usually convert to GIF with no visible change at all, which makes PNG the best starting point when a GIF is required.

How to convert

1. Choose up to 30 PNG images, each up to 50 MB. You can also drop them on the box or paste a screenshot.
2. Press Convert to GIF.
3. Download each GIF, or all of them together as a ZIP.

Colors: often exact

GIF holds up to 256 colors. Graphics made of flat colors, such as most logos, icons and charts, use fewer than that, so every pixel is stored exactly as it was. Screenshots and pictures with gradients or photos inside them use more; for those the tool chooses the 256 colors that fit best and dithers, mixing nearby colors in a fine pattern so that smooth areas don’t break into bands. The note under each result says when colors were reduced.

Transparency, the GIF way

A PNG can be partly see-through, like a soft drop shadow or anti-aliased edges that fade into the background. A GIF can only mark a pixel as fully clear or fully solid. The tool makes every pixel that is at least half see-through clear and the rest solid. On a plain background the difference is hard to spot; on a busy or dark background, smooth edges can look a little jagged. If you know the background color the GIF will sit on, placing the logo on that color before converting gives the cleanest edges.

What else to know

• Still images only: each PNG becomes one single-frame GIF.
• Size in pixels stays the same; file size is usually close to the PNG’s for simple graphics, and bigger for photos.
• Names: logo.png becomes logo.gif. A file that can’t be read gets its own message, and the rest still convert. For photos, see JPG to GIF.