PNG Analyzer

Decodes an uploaded PNG in your browser and produces a single combined report covering its width/height/aspect ratio/orientation, alpha-channel transparency, count of distinct colors used, and average color, with nothing uploaded to a server. A free online tool from Staaarter, right in your browser.

Runs locallyUpdated 2026-07-26

Overview

Introduction

Instead of running several separate PNG tools one after another, the PNG Analyzer gives you a single combined report from one upload: size, shape, transparency, and color figures all in one place.

Everything runs locally in your browser after decoding the file, so nothing is uploaded anywhere.

What Is PNG Analyzer?

A combined PNG report tool that decodes an uploaded image and runs the same dimension and transparency analysis used by this site's dedicated Dimensions Finder and Transparency Checker tools, then adds two more figures: unique color count and average color.

It's meant as a fast first look at an unfamiliar PNG before deciding which specialized tool to reach for next.

How PNG Analyzer Works

The uploaded file is decoded into an RGBA pixel buffer via canvas, then a pure lib function runs the dimension math (GCD-based aspect ratio, orientation comparison), the alpha-channel scan for transparency, and a single loop over every pixel that both builds a set of distinct RGB values and accumulates channel sums for the average color.

All of that happens in one function call so the report reflects a single consistent read of the pixel data.

When To Use PNG Analyzer

Use it as a first-pass check on any PNG you're unfamiliar with, before deciding whether you need to resize, crop, or clean up transparency.

It's also handy for a quick sanity check that an exported asset looks right — right dimensions, expected transparency, and a color count that matches whether it's a photo or a flat icon.

Features

Advantages

  • One upload produces dimension, transparency, and color figures instead of running multiple tools.
  • Reuses the exact same, already-tested dimension and transparency logic as this site's dedicated tools, so the numbers are consistent across tools.
  • Runs entirely client-side; the image never leaves your device.

Limitations

  • The average color is a simple channel mean, not a perceptual dominant-color algorithm — a half-red, half-blue image averages to a purple that may not appear anywhere in the actual image.
  • Doesn't report file-level metadata like bit depth, color type, or embedded text chunks; use a byte-level tool for that.

Examples

Flat two-color icon

Input

A 128x128 PNG icon using only black and transparent pixels

Output

Orientation: square, Has transparency: Yes, Unique colors: 1, Average color close to the icon's fill color

Flat icon art typically uses very few distinct colors, unlike a photo.

Photographic PNG

Input

A 1600x1200 photo exported as PNG

Output

Orientation: landscape, Has transparency: No, Unique colors: several thousand, Average color a muted mid-tone

Photos have continuous color gradients, so the unique-color count is far higher than flat graphics.

Best Practices & Notes

Best Practices

  • Run this before deciding which specialized tool (dimensions, transparency, or color count) to use next on an unfamiliar file.
  • Compare the unique color count against your expectations — a surprisingly high count on what should be a flat-color logo can reveal unwanted anti-aliasing artifacts.

Developer Notes

The report is built from pure functions over a plain Uint8ClampedArray pixel buffer (reusing findPngDimensions and checkPngTransparency internally rather than re-deriving that math), so the whole analysis is fully unit-tested without touching a canvas; only decoding the upload into that buffer happens in the browser-only component.

PNG Analyzer Use Cases

  • Getting a fast overview of an unfamiliar PNG before choosing a follow-up tool
  • Sanity-checking an exported asset's dimensions, transparency, and color complexity in one step
  • Comparing two candidate export settings by eyeballing their unique color counts

Common Mistakes

  • Treating the reported average color as the image's 'main' color — for multi-color images it's a blend, not a dominant hue.
  • Assuming a high unique-color count means the file is large; that depends on compression, not raw color variety.

Tips

  • If unique colors comes back surprisingly high for what should be simple flat art, check for anti-aliased edges introduced by a previous export step.
  • Pair the transparency figures here with the dedicated Transparency Checker if you need the fully/partially-transparent pixel breakdown.

References

Frequently Asked Questions