Image Compression

What Does Image Compression Mean?

Image compression is the process of encoding or converting an image file in such a way that it consumes less space than the original file.

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It is a type of compression technique that reduces the size of an image file without affecting or degrading its quality to a greater extent.

Techopedia Explains Image Compression

Image compression is typically performed through an image/data compression algorithm or codec. Typically such codecs/algorithms apply different techniques to reduce the image size, such as by:

  • Specifying all similarly colored pixels by the color name, code and the number of pixels. This way one pixel can correspond to hundreds or thousands of pixels.
  • The image is created and represented using mathematical wavelets.
  • Splitting the image into several parts, each identifiable using a fractal.

Some of the common image compression techniques are:

  • Fractal
  • Wavelets
  • Chroma sub sampling
  • Transform coding
  • Run-length encoding
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Margaret Rouse

Margaret Rouse is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical, business audience. Over the past twenty years her explanations have appeared on TechTarget websites and she's been cited as an authority in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine and Discovery Magazine.Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages. If you have a suggestion for a new definition or how to improve a technical explanation, please email Margaret or contact her…