Image Compression

Above is an example of different qualites of image compression.

There are two types of image file compression algorithms:

Lossless compression algorithms reduce file size without losing image quality, though they are not compressed into as small a file as a lossy compression file. When image quality is valued above file size, lossless algorithms are typically chosen.

Lossy compression algorithms take advantage of the inherent limitations of the human eye and discard invisible information. Most lossy compression algorithms allow for variable quality levels (compression) and as these levels are increased, file size is reduced. At the highest compression levels, image deterioration becomes noticeable as "compression artifacting". The images below demonstrate the noticeable artifacting of lossy compression algorithms; select the thumbnail image to view the full size version.