How to save a .png file on photoshop?

PNG files or ( Portable Network Graphics) are a great items to decorate any media be it posters, flyers, websites, portraits and also videos at times. Today while creating one myself I was unable to save my file as I could not even get the option to do so. I found all the other options on the dropdown like .psd, .pdd, .jpeg, .pdf etc. but not .png. This made me wonder.. why?

I started with a blank canvas of 700x700 pixels and resolution 300 pixels/inch with a transparent background which should have been an ideal to save a png file. I created my image, merged all the layers and while saving I just could not find the option to save it in the .png format!

It turns out that the reason the image could not be saved is because PNG files typically require RGB color mode and can be saved in either 8-bit or 16-bit channel formats. My canvas was set to CMYK with 8-bit. I went to the menu bar and selected Image -> Mode -> RGB. I then tried saving the image once again and this time I found my .png option on the dropdown!

PNG is a file format designed for digital use and supports only RGB colors (Red, Green, Blue), which work perfectly for screens and websites. On the other hand, CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black) is used for printing because it matches the way printers apply ink. Since PNG was never meant for print, it cannot truly store CMYK colors.

In case we have to use CMYK images for printing with transparent backgrounds ( t-shirt, mugs, stickers, packaging, etc. ) we should use formats like TIFF, PDF, AI, or PSD, which support both high-quality print and transparency. The golden rule is: use PNG for web and digital graphics, and use CMYK file formats for print design.

At the end of the day, every detail we explore—whether it’s colors, files, or formats—brings us closer to creating something beautiful. Thanks for reading, and I’d love to hear your thoughts too!

Connect!