PNGTuber

Still image of fursuiter LunaLeopard's PNGTuber avatar

Andrew Dickman's PNGTuber (Cody) animation sequence

A PNGTuber is a streamer or content creator who streams online via a 2D virtual avatar depiction, created from Portable Network Graphics (PNG) images to represent them on social media and gaming platforms.

Overview

These avatars, a virtual phenomenon that emerged in 2020, has quickly become popular among streamers on Twitch and YouTube.

They move in response to the streamer’s voice through specialized software and can be set up to express different emotions, which lets the streamer develop a distinctive and fun character, separate from their real personality. It helps them feel more at ease and fully express themselves while streaming. The avatars used by streamers can be anything, ranging from robots to anime characters to furries.

Graphic design apps such as Adobe Photoshop, Procreate, and Photopea are used in creating the avatar, either with drawn and scanned images or via direct input with a graphic tablet.

Promotion is essential to keep a PNGTube's audience. Stream sites such as TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels are excellent for sharing stream highlights, while social sites Discord and Reddit are useful for discussion. These platforms are ideal for connecting with other PNGTubers, exchanging ideas, making friends, and expanding the PNGTuber's network.

PNGTuber Avatar

A PNGTuber avatar, user-created or bought via a third party, consists of two main parts: the base avatar and its expressions. The base avatar is a PNG image with a transparent background. The expressions are also PNG images, each showing the avatar with a different emotion.

At a minimum, a user needs two images for the avatar: one with the mouth open and another with it closed. Adding more pictures and expressions can make the character more lively (animation). Before creation, finding the appropriate size for the avatar images is recommended.

Tools

An internet user initially needs a computer to run the stream with a good to professional-quality microphone, as the user relies on voice input to bring the avatar(s) to life. Ideally, streaming from a PC with specs that run both the broadcasting software and the PNGTuber software is the best option.

Software

Avatar animation

• Veadotube - Veadotube mini is the most highly rated and popular of all the PNGTuber software currently available. It’s available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. Hotkeys can be set to activate different states that express different emotions. The software detects input from the user's voice and will open the mouth when talking. Static and animated images like Graphics Interchange Format media (GIF) are supported, which gives even more flexibility.
• PNGTuber Plus - PNGTuber Plus offers a lot more customization and features than some other software. By using sprite sheets, you can add animations to your characters, giving them an extra dimension. It’s free and is available for Windows and Mac.
• PNGTuber Maker - PNGTuber Maker is a popular, easy-to-use, free app on Steam, and it’s another very popular choice with PNGTubers.
• PRISM Live Studio - PRISM Live Studio is a PC and mobile PNGTubers app.

Streaming software

To broadcast via Twitch or YouTube, a user needs to use broadcasting software such as OBS Studio and Streamlabs are the most popular options, among others.

PNGTuber vs VTuber

Similar in appearance, VTubers use a lot more sophisticated technology compared to PNGTubers. The main differences between them can be summarized as follows:

• Models: VTubers' advanced motion capture technology and intricate 3D models vs PNGTuber simple 2D media.
• Animation: VTubers react in real-time to the streamer's movements. PNGTubers can be given premade animations but need to be triggered manually.
• Cost: VTubing's significantly higher cost (i.e. expensive 3D models, etc) than PNGTubing.
• Engagement: VTubers' intricate 3D model animation is a lot more engaging with the public.

PNGTuber and furry

As stated before, there are also furry PNGTubers in the furry fandom, used by such a diverse crowd as furry fans, furry artists, furry streamers, etc.

A great example of the use of furry PNGTubers during a stream is on professional animator and furry artist Andrew Dickman's (AWD!/TheMadCatter) Twitch account.

See also

• PNGTuber on Wikipedia
• PNGTuber on Wiktionary
• VTuber
• GIFTuber

External links

• PNGTuber on Hexeum
• PNGTuber search results in DeviantArt
• PNGTuber search results in Fur Affinity
• PNGTuber on the Urban Dictionary

This stub about a term could be expanded.