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How to Write Animated PNG (APNG) Files from MATLAB?

MATLABSolutions. Oct 11 2025 · 7 min read
How to Create Animated PNG (APNG) Files in MATLAB

Animated PNG (APNG) files are an excellent way to share animations with high-quality, lossless images while maintaining transparency—something standard GIFs cannot do effectively. While MATLAB natively supports exporting images and videos, writing APNG files requires a few extra steps.

This guide shows you how to create APNG files directly from MATLAB, perfect for visualizing simulations, plots, or image sequences.

1. Understanding APNG

APNG is an extension of the PNG format that supports multiple frames and transparency, allowing animations with better quality than GIFs. In MATLAB, you typically have two options:

 

  1. Generate individual PNG frames and combine them into APNG.

  2. Use MATLAB functions or third-party tools to write APNG directly.

    5. Applications of APNG in MATLAB

    • Simulations – Show evolving data or system dynamics.

    • Plots – Visualize changing curves or time-series.

    • Image Processing – Animate filter effects or transformations.

    • Educational Materials – Share interactive examples in presentations or websites.

    Conclusion

    While MATLAB does not directly support APNG export, combining frame generation with external tools like apngasm allows you to create high-quality animated PNG files easily. With this approach, you can share smooth, transparent animations of your plots, simulations, or images in a compact and widely supported format.