Developer Terms Glossary

Alpha Channel

A component of images that defines transparency.

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AVIF

A newer image format offering superior compression and quality, based on the AV1 codec.

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Bit Depth

The number of bits used to represent the colour of a single pixel.

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Chroma Subsampling

A technique that reduces colour information to compress file size, typically used in JPEG.

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Compression Ratio

The ratio of the original file size to the compressed file size.

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Downsampling

Reducing the resolution of an image by lowering the pixel count.

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Exif Data

Metadata embedded in image files, often removed during compression.

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GIF

A lossless format that supports animation but with limited colour depth.

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Guetzli

A JPEG encoder developed by Google for higher quality and better compression.

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Image CDN

A content delivery network that automatically compresses and delivers optimised images.

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Image Minifier

A tool or algorithm that reduces the size of image files.

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Image Optimisation

The process of reducing file size without sacrificing quality.

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Image Quality

A measure of how close the compressed image is to the original.

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Image Sprite

Combining multiple images into one to reduce HTTP requests.

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ImageMagick

A popular tool for image manipulation and compression.

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JPEG

A commonly used lossy format ideal for photographs.

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Lazy Loading

Deferring image loading until they are needed to improve performance.

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Lossless Compression

Reduces file size without losing any image quality or data.

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Lossy Compression

A method that reduces file size by removing some image data, often imperceptible to the human eye.

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MozJPEG

An improved JPEG encoder developed by Mozilla to produce smaller JPEG files.

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PNG

A lossless format supporting transparency, often used for graphics and icons.

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Progressive JPEG

A type of JPEG that loads a low-quality version first, improving over time.

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Resizing

Changing the dimensions of an image, which can reduce file size.

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TIFF

A high-quality lossless format often used in printing and photography.

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TinyPNG

An online tool that uses smart lossy compression for PNG and JPEG images.

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