Image compressors help you make the most out of the images you use for your content. Let us understand how! We all acknowledge that Images play a significant role in adding aesthetic value to our content, in attracting and retaining the target audiences. There are many image formats available for use, the most popular ones being SVG, JPG, and PNG formats.
However, it is essential to understand that these need to meet the standard criteria of size and resolution. Otherwise, chances are, your site can take an annoyingly long time to load, thus driving away from the potential traffic, no matter how enriching your content is.
Here is exactly where image compressors come into play. Compressed images enhance your site by letting you upload images at a higher speed, reducing the load time of your site, and lowering its bounce rate. It also ensures the minimal usage of your storage space.
What Are Image Compressors?
An image compressor is a tool that encodes or converts an image file ensuring that it consumes less space than the original image. It also aids in lowering the cost of storing and transmitting digital images. It uses an algorithm to identify and eliminate data that is unnecessary for the image’s interpretation and integrates the rest in a compressed format.
Different Types Of Image Formats
Before delving into the details of image compression, it would be beneficial to brush up on the basics of different image formats.
Here are the four most popular image formats!
- JPG is the image type developed by the Joint Photographic Experts Group, popularly known as JPEG. It is more compressible than other image formats and contains minute image details. The use of this format is most prevalent among PC and mobile users.
- PNG (Portable Network Graphic) is similar to JPG formats. However, it just reflects a lowered use of colors. Also, PNG supports transparency. Therefore, a logo with a translucent backdrop can be readily embedded onto a website when it belongs to this format.
- SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) is an XML-based vector image format that can be animated. It is highly leveraged for two-dimensional designs. Although it allows interactivity and animation, one of the considerable drawbacks of this type is that it can display only 256 colors.
- GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) is the type that facilitates static as well as animated images. It is lossless by nature.
Types Of Image Compression
The two main types of image compression are lossy image compression and lossless image compression. Here is an overview you would like.
Lossy Image Compression
Lossy image compression decreases the size of your image by eliminating some of the data from it. It is essential to know that such elimination cannot be undone, and the deleted data cannot be retrieved. A few examples of lossy compression algorithms are discrete wavelet transform, fractal compression, and transform encryption.
Most Important:- What Are The Benefits Of Using Image Converters?
However, even though it can significantly decrease the file size, it has a downside. You are left with a low-quality image after all that compression. Although several tools promise to compress your image without hampering its quality, we would recommend maintaining a backup file before the drill. The JPEG format files are best suited for lossy compression.
Lossless Image Compression
If you are looking to compress the size without compromising the quality, head your way to lossless compression. It wards off the unnecessary data that is added by the device, by default, while capturing the photo. This is why the lossless method shrinks the file size without hurting its quality. But, you may not notice much of a slash in size or a considerably saved storage space either.
It is, therefore, suitable for images with a huge chunk of text or has a translucent background. Huffman coding and run-length encoding are some examples of lossless compression algorithms. RAW, BMP, GIF, and. PNG format files work great with lossless image compression.
A Glance At The Image Compression Tools
Editing or compressing the images with the help of Adobe Photoshop can let you yield the most efficient results. It is preferred the most to be professional or experienced photographers and designers. It can be a little overwhelming for newbies since there are ranges of features, a little hard to catch in one go.
However, compressing images with Adobe Photoshop is just a matter of a few easy-peasy steps. Just open the image, open the menu, click on image size, and add the essential details to get the image you want.
However, using Photoshop can be a costly affair for those who do not intend to explore and utilize the bundle of features that it offers. If that sounds like you, explore some of the most popular free tools for compressing images, such as JPEG Optimizer, ImageRecycle, Optimizilla, Optimole, CompressNow, and Online Image Optimizer.
Final Word:
You should not have necessarily downloaded an application or image compressors tools for editing the images either. You might simply visit the respective website and work on the imagery online. It saves you from the hassle of downloading applications one by one and learning about a dozen features to use just one!
As images continue to take over our lives, it is critical to ensure that they are in good shape, quality, and size. It will help you ensure that the purpose of embedding the image onto your website or any other digital channel satisfy well enough.
1 Comment
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