Image Compression Component for Programmers
GIF Compression Components
Graphic Image Format or "GIF" is the most common compression method
for graphics on the Web. It works only on indexed color images of 256 colors
or less. GIF compression works best on images with relatively large areas
of solid colors. The latest GIF format, GIF 89A allows one color to be specified
as transparent. By using this format, GIFs can appear not only as rectangular
images, but as irregular shapes. GIF
Components for programmers.
JPEG Compression Components
For web viewing, JPEG compression is the best method for compressing photographs
and other images with complex blends of color. It's compression is based on
the human eye's ability to detect detail in complex scenes. Essentially, the
compression algorithm compromises detail where it thinks you will least notice
the loss. Because detail is irretrievably lost during compression, JPEG is
called a "lossy" compression. JPEG
Compression Components.
JPEG2000 (J2K, JP2) Compression Components
This new state-of-the-art compression standard provides a flexible solution
for high-quality, wavelet-based compression. Wavelet compression uses mathematical
expressions to encode the image in a continuous stream. Depending on the amount
of compression the user applies, the result can be completely lossless (no
artifacts) and yet produce extremely small files. There are developer
SDKs currently available that support JPEG2000.
