PNG-24 vs PNG-8: Which Format Cuts File Size Without Killing Quality?
PNG-24 is a true-color format with 16.7 million colors and an 8-bit alpha channel; PNG-8 is a palette format that holds up to 256 colors plus 1-bit transparency. Both are lossless, but the way they store pixels—and therefore file size—differs dramatically. Designers reach for PNG-24 when they need glassy gradients or drop shadows, then wonder…