GIF to PNG
Convert GIF to PNG to get a clean still picture from a GIF, with its transparent background intact.
How the files you choose are handled is set out in the privacy policy.
How to convert GIF to PNG
- Tap Choose GIF files and select one or more files.
- There is nothing to set. PNG stores the picture exactly.
- Press Convert to PNG, then save the picture, or all of them as one ZIP.
Two kinds of GIF
GIF is known for short looping animations, but the format began in 1987 as a way to store ordinary still pictures, and many GIFs are still exactly that: old logos, buttons, clip art, diagrams.
| Your GIF is | The PNG contains |
|---|---|
| A still picture | The same picture, pixel for pixel |
| An animation | Its first frame, as a still picture |
For an animation, the first frame is what most programs show as the preview. If the frame you want comes later, a video or GIF editor is needed to step to it.
Why PNG suits a GIF
PNG was created in the 1990s as a direct replacement for GIF, and it does everything a still GIF does, better.
- The conversion is exact. A GIF holds at most 256 colours. PNG stores those same colours without changing any.
- Transparency carries over. A GIF pixel is either fully see-through or fully solid, and the PNG keeps it so.
- Every program opens it. Some editors and design tools treat GIF awkwardly or flatten it on import. PNG is handled cleanly everywhere.
- It can be improved afterwards. Once in PNG, the picture can be edited with millions of colours and soft transparent edges, which GIF cannot represent.
Why not JPG?
GIFs are mostly flat graphics with hard edges and few colours. JPG handles that kind of picture badly, adding haze around lines and losing any transparency. Only if the GIF is a photograph is JPG worth choosing, and you can do so by changing Convert to before converting.
Common uses
- Rescuing a logo or icon that only exists as an old GIF.
- Getting a thumbnail or poster picture for an animated GIF.
- Placing a GIF graphic into a document, slide or design tool that prefers PNG.
- Taking a reaction GIF's opening frame as a still.
The other direction
To make an animated GIF from a clip, use video to GIF. To shrink the PNG, compress PNG works especially well on former GIFs, since they already have few colours and lose nothing.
Questions
Can I convert an animated GIF to PNG?
Yes, but the PNG is a still picture of the first frame. The animation is not kept.
Does GIF to PNG lose quality?
No. PNG stores the GIF's colours exactly.
Is the transparent background kept?
Yes. Transparent pixels in the GIF are transparent in the PNG.
Can I choose which frame is saved?
No. It is always the first one.
Is PNG better than GIF?
For still pictures, yes: it supports millions of colours and soft transparency. GIF's advantage is animation.