Potential GIF Substitute
For images with sharp edges and areas of flat color that would typically be saved as GIFs, the 8-bit PNG is a viable option. It can even handle transparency. You may find that a PNG version of an image has a smaller file size than the GIF version of the same image, but that depends on whether your image editing tool handles PNG compression properly and efficiently. Adobe Photoshop/ImageReady and Macromedia Fireworks now do an impressive job of creating PNGs. Using the Preview function in both tools, it’s easy to compare the file sizes of each format. If the PNG is smaller, use it with confidence.
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