Export formats
Exporting a floor plan as PNG
A floor plan is thin black lines, small numbers and large white areas. PNG was built for exactly that kind of image: it compresses losslessly, so a wall line stays a wall line and an area figure is still readable at 40 per cent display size.
That makes PNG the default raster format for plans wherever an image rather than a document is wanted: in presentations, on websites, in chat messages to prospects, and anywhere a PDF will not be opened.
Why PNG wins for drawings
PNG stores every pixel exactly as exported. For a line drawing with few colours the result is not only cleaner than JPG but frequently smaller too, because large flat areas compress very efficiently.
The second advantage is transparency. A plan with a transparent background can be placed on a slide or a coloured brochure page without producing a white box around it.
- Lossless compression — no artefacts at edges
- Transparent background possible
- Ideal for slides, websites and messengers
- Inefficient for photographs and soft gradients
Check size and legibility
Decide before exporting where the image will end up. A website usually needs twice the display width, a presentation needs the slide width, and for print you should be using a PDF anyway.
Review the result at true display size. If room names are no longer readable, more resolution will not help — a tidier plan will: fewer dimensions, larger type, fewer symbols.
Where PNG is not enough
PNG is a raster image. It carries no scale, no layers and no structure, so anyone wanting to measure or continue drawing can do nothing with it. That is what PDF and DXF are for.
For sending to clients a PDF is usually the better choice as well: printable, carrying a scale bar, and easy to archive. The PNG is the display copy, not the original document.
Frequently asked questions
PNG or PDF for sending to prospects?
PDF. It prints, carries the scale bar and legend, and reads as more formal. PNG is right when the image has to appear directly inside a web page or a slide.
Can a PNG have a transparent background?
Yes, and that is one of the format's main advantages. It lets you place a plan over a coloured background without a white frame around it.
How large should I export?
At least at display width, preferably double, so the plan stays sharp on high-resolution screens. What ultimately decides is whether the smallest text is readable at true size.