An image compressor reduces the size of 2D digital images and can be standalone software or hardware. It offers options for compressing image data, batch processing, and fine-tuning compression. It can also edit metadata and add digital watermarks or DRM information.
A computer graphics image compressor is software or, much more rarely, hardware that takes a two-dimensional (2D) digital image and reduces the size of the image file on a storage device. Depending on the type of application, an image compressor can offer the user a variety of options for compressing image data, from different file formats to controlling different variables within a given compression algorithm. Some image compression programs are designed solely for converting, compressing and writing images, sometimes in large batches, while other times the compressor may be a built-in component of an image editing application. In some cases, especially when dealing with digital video editing, an image compressor might be built into a piece of hardware so that images can be compressed and decompressed in real time as needed.
As a standalone application, an image compressor may contain a number of functions related to increasing compression efficiency or automating the compression of a series of images. One feature that can be useful is a predictive compression display, where the estimated final file size for an image is displayed to show which compression algorithm would be most effective for a given file. This can be important because some images, such as flat illustrations, can achieve a higher compression rate with some algorithms, while a photograph will fare better with others.
Batch processing is another feature that is often seen in an image compressor. This is useful when many digital images are created in a format (raw, uncompressed, or otherwise) that cannot be immediately used for a particular purpose. Through the use of batch processing, entire directories of images can be easily converted and compressed without any further user input.
Whether an image compressor is part of a suite or a standalone application, it often offers options for fine-tuning the type of compression that will be used. This can affect the final image by allowing the user to choose image quality over file size or file size over color depth. Some file formats have multiple compression methods that can be used, and an image compressor can give the user the ability to choose which one to use.
It is also sometimes possible to use an image compressor to edit or add metadata within an image file. This can include information such as the author, the originating company or the creation date. It may also include digital watermarks or, in some cases, digital rights management (DRM) information.
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