From: fastgraph@aol.com (Fastgraph) Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer Subject: PNG Announcement Date: 2 May 1995 02:27:58 -0400 --------------------------------- PLEASE COPY AND DISTRIBUTE WIDELY --------------------------------- Graphics Community Endorses a New File Format May 1, 1995. A coalition of major software developers, publishers and technical writers announced today its endorsement for the new PNG graphics format. PNG (Portable Network Graphics, pronounced "ping") is a flexible and open format for storing bitmapped graphics images. This effort began in late 1994, when CompuServe and Unisys stunned the online world by announcing that royalties would be required on the formerly freely used GIF file format. Several companies claim a patent on the LZW compression algorithm, which is an integral part of the GIF file format. Unisys is now requiring developers, publishers, and vendors to pay royalties on any software that either creates or displays GIF files. In response to this announcement, developers hastened to replace the GIF file format with an improved royalty-free format. A coalition of experienced independent graphics developers from the Internet and CompuServe formed a working group and proceeded to design the new format. The result is the PNG format. PNG is a major advance over the venerable GIF format. By adopting PNG, you would not only be helping the computer graphics community free itself from the Unisys patent, but you would be enjoying the advantages of a powerful new graphics file format. Converting your GIF collections to PNG offers the following benefits: * PNG retains GIF's strength as a simple and portable graphics format. * PNG's compression method has been thoroughly researched and judged free from patent problems. * PNG allows support for true color and alpha channel storage. Its extensible structure leaves room for future requirements. * PNG's feature set allows conversion of all GIF files. * On average, PNG files are smaller than GIF files. * PNG offers a new, more visually appealing, method for progressive display than the scanline interlacing used by GIF. * PNG is designed to support full file integrity checking as well as simple, quick detection of common transmission errors. * Implementations of PNG are royalty-free. The advantages of making PNG an industry-standard file format are clear. We are now presented with a rare opportunity to move forward in the area of royalty-free graphics display and archiving software. Please help with the adoption of PNG by supporting it as your preferred graphics file format. For more information, source code, file specifications, developer tools, and freeware file converters, you can contact the comp.graphics Internet newsgroups or the Graphics Support Forum on CompuServe (GO GRAPHSUP). For files, check the ftp.uu.net:/graphics/png directory, or email png-info@uunet.uu.net. Thank you for supporting this project. Signed by: Michael Abrash, author, Zen of Graphics Programming Michael Console Battilana, Cloanto (Personal Paint/Write, etc.) Bradley Bell & Elizabeth Piegari, TriSoft (Depth Dwellers) Andrei Belogortseff, ChaoSoft (FM StepUp, FM Toolbar, FM Guard, etc.) C. Steven Blackwood, Cytherean Adventures (Cargo Bay) Robert K. Blaine, ECONO-SOFT John Bradley, author of XV John Bridges, author of GRASP, PC Paint and PICEM Rick Byrnes, The Software Development Group (NoteWorthy, MoneyWise, Eventz, and various shareware products.) Tony Caine, ARCaine Technology George Campbell, OsoSoft (Winclip, etc.) Mike Ceranski, President, Dvorak Development Lee Crocker (Piclab, PGIF, GTools) Karen Crowther, Redwood Games (Math Rescue, Word Rescue, Pickle Wars) E. Nicholas Cupery, Farba Research (Farba Utilities (tm)) Thomas Boutell, author of the gd library and the World Wide Web FAQ Gary Elfring, Elfring Soft Fonts (Clip Art) Steve Estvanik, Cascoly Software (Winzle, Windows in Time, MVP Bridge) Jim Faliveno, Monumental Computer Applications, Inc. (TagVue-CaddView) Dan Farmer, POV-Team (POV-Ray) Oliver Fromme, TBH-Softworx (QPEG, PicDex) John Gallant, First Magnitude (3-Ball Juggler, Beat the Bomb, Math Sampler) Lawrence Gozum, author (VIDVUE) Phil Grenetz, Ivden Technologies Diana Gruber, Ted Gruber Software, Inc. (Fastgraph) David Hofmann (Computer Graphics Artist, Germany) Michael D. Jones, Insight Software Solutions (Finance/Hobbies/Word Games) Lutz Kretzschmar, coauthor of Ray Tracing Worlds (Moray) Tom Lane, organizer, Independent JPEG Group (IJG JPEG software) Steve Lee (Atlantic Coast plc) Ralph Mariano @ STReport International Online Magazine David K. Mason, author of Morphing on Your PC, coauthor of Making Movies on Your PC (DTA, DFV, DMorf) Randy Maclean, Formgen Corp. Brad McLane, Caladonia Systems Inc. (Code.Print, ToolThings) Al Meadows/Fineware Systems (Author of Space Hound, Peeper, etc.) Scott Miller, Apogee Software, Sultans of Shareware Jeff Napier, Another Company (Computer Magic) Peter Nielsen, Raja Thiagarajan, Julie England (PMView & PMSnap for OS/2) David Noakes, Fugue Software Dick Oliver, author of PC graphics books and software including Tricks of the Graphics Gurus, PC Graphics Unleashed, and FractalVision Dan Richardson, illustrator, author of Create Stereograms on Your PC John Richardson, Rogue Marketing (Amazing Secrets Series, Gambling Secrets, JobDisk) Steve Rimmer, Alchemy Mindworks Inc. (Graphic Workshop, etc.) Greg Roelofs, Info-ZIP (Zip, UnZip and related utilities) Guy Eric Schalnat, Group 42 (PNGLIB, GraphX Viewer) Paul Schmidt, Photodex Corporation, GDS (The Graphics Display System) Monty Shelton, CrystalWorks (EZCosmos, SIRDS for NIRDS, Language Wiz) Steve Sneed, Ozarks West Software, Inc. (OzCIS, OzWin, OZBEXT/OZGIF) David Snyder, MVP Software (MVP Paint) Chuck Steenburgh, Tay-Jee Software (Palantir for DOS & Windows, S.O.S.) Peter Tiemann (author of TrueBase) Glen Tippetts, NeoSoft Corporation (NeoPaint, NeoBook, etc.) Rod Underhill, Computer Fine Artist (CIS Comic Forum's Underhill Gallery) John Wagner (Improces) Bruce F. Webster, Pages Software Inc (WebPages by Pages) Tim Wegner, author of Image Lab and Fractal Creations (Fractint) Rosemary West, R. K. West Consulting (By The Numbers, LoveDOS, etc.) Thomas R. White, Recreational Engineering Associates (MultiMedia Swiss Army Knife) Charles L. Wiedemann, Rexxcom Systems (XL2001, E-Z-Book, etc.) Terry Wilkinson, CIO, AffNet Publishing Ben Williams, Black Belt Systems Inc. (WinImages, Imagemaster, etc.) Jeff Woods, deltaComm Development, Inc. (Telix for Windows)