### Output File Options (--output, --ext)

Source: https://context7.com/kornelski/pngquant/llms.txt

Specify the output filename using '--output' or change the output file extension using '--ext'. Use '--force' with '--ext .png' to overwrite the original file.

```bash
# Write to specific output file
pngquant --output compressed.png input.png
```

```bash
# Change output extension/suffix
pngquant --ext -optimized.png image.png
# Creates: image-optimized.png
```

```bash
# Overwrite original file in place (dangerous!)
pngquant --ext .png --force image.png
```

--------------------------------

### Build pngquant from Source

Source: https://context7.com/kornelski/pngquant/llms.txt

Instructions for compiling pngquant from source using Rust/Cargo, including cloning the repository and building with optional features like lcms2, cocoa, or static linking.

```bash
git clone --recursive https://github.com/kornelski/pngquant.git
cd pngquant

cargo build --release
```

```bash
cargo build --release --features=lcms2
```

```bash
cargo build --release --features=cocoa
```

```bash
cargo build --release --features=static
```

--------------------------------

### Enable Verbose Output

Source: https://context7.com/kornelski/pngquant/llms.txt

Use the --verbose option to display detailed progress and quality information during the conversion process. This helps in monitoring the compression.

```bash
pngquant --verbose --quality=70-90 image.png
```

--------------------------------

### Production Workflow for PNG Compression

Source: https://context7.com/kornelski/pngquant/llms.txt

A bash script demonstrating a production workflow for compressing PNG assets using various pngquant options like quality control, speed, stripping metadata, skipping if larger, and forcing overwrite.

```bash
#!/bin/bash
# Compress all PNG assets with quality control

for file in assets/*.png; do
    pngquant \
        --quality=70-95 \
        --speed 3 \
        --strip \
        --skip-if-larger \
        --force \
        --ext .png \
        "$file"

    if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
        echo "Compressed: $file"
    elif [ $? -eq 98 ]; then
        echo "Skipped (larger): $file"
    elif [ $? -eq 99 ]; then
        echo "Skipped (quality): $file"
    fi
done
```

--------------------------------

### Unix-style Stdin/Stdout Chaining

Source: https://github.com/kornelski/pngquant/blob/main/README.md

This command demonstrates how to pipe data through pngquant using standard input and output. Useful for integrating pngquant into complex shell pipelines.

```bash
… | pngquant - | …
```

--------------------------------

### Quality Control with --quality

Source: https://context7.com/kornelski/pngquant/llms.txt

Set minimum and maximum quality thresholds (0-100) to control the compression level. The tool uses the fewest colors needed to meet the target quality. If the minimum quality is not met, the image is skipped (exit code 99).

```bash
# Set quality range: minimum 65, maximum 80
pngquant --quality=65-80 image.png
```

```bash
# Allow any quality up to 90 (auto-adjust minimum)
pngquant --quality=90 image.png
```

```bash
# Require at least 70% quality, allow up to perfect
pngquant --quality=70- image.png
```

--------------------------------

### Batch Conversion with Wildcards

Source: https://context7.com/kornelski/pngquant/llms.txt

Process multiple PNG files simultaneously using wildcards or by listing specific files. Compression can be parallelized if OpenMP is enabled.

```bash
# Compress all PNG files in current directory
pngquant *.png
```

```bash
# Compress specific files
pngquant icon1.png icon2.png background.png
```

--------------------------------

### Set Custom Output Extension

Source: https://github.com/kornelski/pngquant/blob/main/README.md

Specify a custom file extension for the output files. By default, pngquant appends '-or8.png' or '-fs8.png'. Use with caution if overwriting input files.

```bash
pngquant --ext new.png
```

--------------------------------

### Speed/Quality Trade-off (--speed)

Source: https://context7.com/kornelski/pngquant/llms.txt

Adjust the speed and quality trade-off using the '--speed' option, ranging from 1 (slowest, highest quality) to 11 (fastest, rougher quality). The default is 4.

```bash
# Maximum quality (slow)
pngquant --speed 1 image.png
```

```bash
# Faster processing for real-time use (e.g., map tiles)
pngquant --speed 10 image.png
```

```bash
# Fastest mode (disables dithering, light compression)
pngquant --speed 11 image.png
```

--------------------------------

### Dithering Control (--floyd, --nofs)

Source: https://context7.com/kornelski/pngquant/llms.txt

Control Floyd-Steinberg dithering intensity. '--nofs' disables dithering, while '--floyd' allows setting intensity from 0.0 to 1.0. Dithering helps smooth color transitions.

```bash
# Disable dithering completely (creates -or8.png suffix)
pngquant --nofs image.png
```

```bash
# Partial dithering (50%)
pngquant --floyd=0.5 image.png
```

```bash
# Full dithering (default)
pngquant --floyd=1.0 image.png
```

--------------------------------

### Batch Convert PNG Files

Source: https://github.com/kornelski/pngquant/blob/main/README.md

Use this command for batch conversion of multiple PNG files in a directory. It's a straightforward way to process many images at once.

```bash
pngquant *.png
```

--------------------------------

### pngquant Exit Codes Reference

Source: https://context7.com/kornelski/pngquant/llms.txt

Reference for pngquant's exit codes, explaining their meanings for scripting and automation. Includes common codes for success, errors, and specific conditions like file size or quality thresholds.

```bash
# Exit code meanings:
# 0   - SUCCESS: Image converted successfully
# 1   - MISSING_ARGUMENT: No input files specified
# 2   - READ_ERROR: Cannot read input file
# 4   - INVALID_ARGUMENT: Invalid option or value
# 15  - NOT_OVERWRITING_ERROR: Output file exists (use --force)
# 25  - WRONG_ARCHITECTURE: CPU doesn't support required instructions
# 98  - TOO_LARGE_FILE: Result larger than original (--skip-if-larger)
# 99  - TOO_LOW_QUALITY: Quality below minimum threshold (--quality)

# Check result in scripts
pngquant --quality=80-95 image.png
case $? in
    0)  echo "Success" ;;
    98) echo "Skipped: result larger" ;;
    99) echo "Skipped: quality too low" ;;
    *)  echo "Error: $?" ;;
esac
```

--------------------------------

### Stdin/Stdout Pipeline

Source: https://context7.com/kornelski/pngquant/llms.txt

Process images through standard input and output using '-' for stdin/stdout. This enables integration with other command-line tools and pipelines.

```bash
# Read from stdin, write to stdout
cat input.png | pngquant - > output.png
```

```bash
# Pipe with curl download
curl -s https://example.com/image.png | pngquant - > compressed.png
```

```bash
# Combine with other tools
pngquant --quality=70-90 image.png && oxipng image-fs8.png
```

--------------------------------

### Map Colors from Reference Image

Source: https://context7.com/kornelski/pngquant/llms.txt

Use --map with a reference image to create a consistent color palette across multiple images. This is useful for creating consistent sprites.

```bash
pngquant --map palette.png image.png
```

```bash
pngquant --map base_sprite.png sprite1.png sprite2.png sprite3.png
```

--------------------------------

### Metadata Handling (--strip)

Source: https://context7.com/kornelski/pngquant/llms.txt

Remove optional PNG metadata chunks, such as EXIF data and ICC profiles, using the '--strip' option to further reduce file size. This can be combined with other compression settings.

```bash
# Strip all metadata
pngquant --strip image.png
```

```bash
# Combine with quality settings
pngquant --strip --quality=70-90 *.png
```

--------------------------------

### Set Quality Range

Source: https://github.com/kornelski/pngquant/blob/main/README.md

Specify the minimum and maximum quality levels for compression, ranging from 0 (worst) to 100 (perfect). pngquant uses the fewest colors to meet or exceed the max quality.

```bash
pngquant --quality=65-80 image.png
```

--------------------------------

### Basic Image Compression

Source: https://context7.com/kornelski/pngquant/llms.txt

Compress a single PNG image using default settings. The output file will have an '-fs8.png' suffix. This is useful for general image size reduction.

```bash
# Compress a single image (creates image-fs8.png)
pngquant image.png
```

--------------------------------

### Adjust Speed/Quality Trade-off

Source: https://github.com/kornelski/pngquant/blob/main/README.md

Control the balance between compression speed and quality. Lower numbers mean slower processing but higher quality and smaller files. The default is 4.

```bash
pngquant --speed N
```

--------------------------------

### Control Dithering Level

Source: https://github.com/kornelski/pngquant/blob/main/README.md

Adjust the intensity of dithering, where 0 is no dithering and 1 is full dithering. The equals sign is required.

```bash
pngquant --floyd=0.5
```

--------------------------------

### Skip If Larger (--skip-if-larger)

Source: https://context7.com/kornelski/pngquant/llms.txt

Prevent saving the converted file if it is larger than the original. This option returns exit code 98 if the file is skipped.

```bash
# Only save if compression actually reduces size
pngquant --skip-if-larger image.png
```

```bash
# Combine with quality control for optimal results
pngquant --quality=70-95 --skip-if-larger *.png
```

--------------------------------

### Overwrite Input Files

Source: https://github.com/kornelski/pngquant/blob/main/README.md

Force pngquant to overwrite input files in place. This option should be used with extreme caution as it will modify original files.

```bash
pngquant --ext=.png --force
```

--------------------------------

### Posterize Palette Precision

Source: https://github.com/kornelski/pngquant/blob/main/README.md

Reduce the precision of the palette by specifying the number of bits. Useful for displaying images on low-depth screens or for compressed textures.

```bash
pngquant --posterize bits
```

--------------------------------

### Specify Output File

Source: https://github.com/kornelski/pngquant/blob/main/README.md

Write the converted file to a specific path. This option restricts the command to processing only a single input file.

```bash
pngquant -o out.png
```

```bash
pngquant --output out.png
```

--------------------------------

### Force Overwrite Output Files

Source: https://context7.com/kornelski/pngquant/llms.txt

Use the --force option to overwrite existing output files without prompting. This is useful for re-processing and replacing files, or in batch operations.

```bash
pngquant --force image.png
```

```bash
pngquant --ext .png --force image.png
```

```bash
pngquant --force *.png
```

--------------------------------

### Posterize Image Colors

Source: https://context7.com/kornelski/pngquant/llms.txt

Reduces color precision for specific display targets like 16-bit screens or compressed textures. Use --posterize with a bit value.

```bash
pngquant --posterize 4 image.png
```

```bash
pngquant --posterize 2 texture.png
```

--------------------------------

### Skip Conversion if File Larger

Source: https://github.com/kornelski/pngquant/blob/main/README.md

This option prevents pngquant from writing converted files if the resulting file is larger than the original. It ensures that compression is always beneficial.

```bash
pngquant --skip-if-larger
```

--------------------------------

### Color Count Limit

Source: https://context7.com/kornelski/pngquant/llms.txt

Limit the maximum number of colors in the palette (2-256) to reduce file size. Lower color counts result in smaller files but may decrease image quality. This can be specified directly or with the '--colors' option.

```bash
# Reduce to 64 colors
pngquant 64 image.png
```

```bash
# Alternative syntax
pngquant --colors 64 image.png
```

```bash
# Extreme compression with 16 colors
pngquant 16 image.png
```

--------------------------------

### Strip Optional PNG Chunks

Source: https://github.com/kornelski/pngquant/blob/main/README.md

Remove optional PNG chunks from the output file. This can further reduce file size by removing metadata. Note that metadata is always removed on Mac.

```bash
pngquant --strip
```

--------------------------------

### Disable Floyd-Steinberg Dithering

Source: https://github.com/kornelski/pngquant/blob/main/README.md

This option disables the Floyd-Steinberg dithering algorithm. Dithering can help reduce banding in images but may introduce subtle noise.

```bash
pngquant --nofs
```

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