Mathematica Import/Export Format

PNG (.png)

Registered MIME type: image/png
PNG raster image format.
Commonly used for graphics and photographic images on the web.
PNG is an acronym for Portable Network Graphics.
Binary format.
Stores a single image.
Stores color bitmaps at a resolution of 8 or 16 bits per channel.
Grayscale images are represented at a depth of 1, 2, 4, 8 or 16 bits per pixel.
Supports alpha channels for 8-bit and 16-bit RGB and grayscale images.
Has support for color-reduction palettes using up to 256 8-bit RGB colors.
Developed in 1995 as an open and patent-free alternative to the GIF format.
Published as international standard ISO/IEC 15948:2003 and ISO/IEC 15948:2004.

Import and Export fully support Version 1.2 of the PNG format.

IMPORT AND EXPORT

Import["file.png"] imports a PNG file, returning a graphics object.

Export["file.png", expr] exports graphics or any other expression as an image to a PNG file.

Import["file.png"] returns an expression of the form Graphics[Raster[data], opts], where data is an array of RGB color values.

Export["file.png", expr] creates a PNG image with the same image size as the displayed form of .

Because PNG is a raster image format, all fonts are rasterized on export.

Import["file.png", elem] imports the specified element from a PNG file.

Import["file.png", {elem, sub_a, sub_b, ...}] imports a subelement.

Import["file.png", {{elem₁, elem₂, ...}}] imports multiple elements.

The import format can be specified with Import["file", "PNG"] or Import["file", {"PNG", elem, ...}].

Export["file.png", expr, elem] creates a PNG file by treating expr as specifying element elem.

Export["file.png", {expr₁, expr₂, ...}, {{elem₁, elem₂, ...}}] treats each expr_i as specifying the corresponding elem_i.

Export["file.png", expr, opt₁->val₁, ...] exports expr with the specified option elements taken to have the specified values.

Export["file.png", {elem₁->expr₁, elem₂->expr₂, ...}, "Rules"] uses rules to specify the elements to be exported.

See the reference pages for full general information on Import and Export.

ImportString and ExportString support the PNG format.

ELEMENTS

General Import elements:

	"Elements"	list of elements and options available in this file
	"Rules"	full list of rules for each element and option
	"Options"	list of rules for options, properties, and settings