Sharna Young

D2: THE IMPACT THAT FILE FORMAT,

COMPRESSION TECHNIQUES, IMAGE
RESOLUTION AND COLOUR DEPTH
HAVE ON FILE SIZE AND IMAGE
QUALITY.
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this report is to discuss the impact that file formats, compression
techniques, image resolution and colour depth have on file size and the image quality.
For each section, I will try and show screenshots and give examples of the impact of each
of the following sections. The file formats that will be explored include BMP, GIFF, JPEG
and TIFF.

FILE FORMAT
The file formats ultimately effects file size and image quality

BMP
BMP is short for bitmap and is recognised on the majority of operating platforms and
systems. This format allows for the storage of colour data for each pixel in an image
without compression, hence the large file size. This method allows for high quality
graphics. BMP is mainly used for printable images as opposed to JPEG or GIF which can
be compressed and used for websites. Bitmap images are mainly made up of tiny
squares that build the image.
Impact on image quality and file size
The main disadvantage of BMP is that the larger the resolution of the image, the
larger the file size which in turn takes up more storage and increases the loading
time. In addition, the image quality becomes pixilated when enlarged.

GIFF
Gif abbreviated as Graphics interchange format is popular for it portability and support.
This format mainly supports animation which works by playing a sequence of images.
Although, there isnt a loss of quality, the overall quality of images doesnt compare to
other file formats. Gif is also good for the use of websites due to small file size.
Impact on image quality and file size
GIFF images generally have a small file size and works well for small images that
have large areas of a solid colour. The quality of images are generally poor

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especially when compared to other file formats. However, it does work well for
animation and logos.

JPEG
Jpeg Joint photographic expert group this file format is often supported by all major
operating systems. Jpeg works best for digital images as the edges and tones are
softened and smoothed, they are also then compressed. Jpeg is not well suited for
graphic design images and there is a lack of support for transparent images. The size
allows it to be perfect for websites as images can be uploaded quickly and is compatible
for almost all systems.
Impact on image quality and file size
JPEG supports different colour modes and so has strong image quality and does
not take up a large amount of space whilst still remaining good image quality. The
only disadvantage to JPEG is that when images are enlarged they can become
pixilated.

TIFF
Tiff is used for storing bitmap graphics and can work on a range of operating systems
due to its flexibility. It is often printers that prefer or require TIFF files over JPG images.
TIFF files dont require compression but can be if needed which is why TIFF is beneficial
for desktop publishing and print designs because they can store high quality and larger
images such as photos.
Impact on file format image quality and file size
TIFF file formats are supported on loads of software applications and therefore are
beneficial for the editing and viewing of images especially on Photoshop. TIFF
images also support different colour modes and have a bit depth of 8, 16 or 32
bits per channel. The file size is also adaptable and can be compressed depending
on the use.

EVIDENCE OF FILE FORMAT ON IMAGE QUALITY AND FILE SIZE

From the screenshot, the original file is compared against the different file
formats. From that it is clear there is a difference in file size and image quality.
From this information I would clearly choose JPEG as it has the quickest loading
time and takes up a small amount of storage space.
Original: 140K
JPEG: 4.484 K 2 sec @ 56.6 Kbps
GIF: 20.44K 5 sec @ 56.6 Kbps
PNG-24: 41.98K 8 sec @ 56.6 Kbps

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COMPRESSION
TECHNIQUES
There are two different types of
compression types that are used to
compress a file to make it smaller.
These two types include Lossy and
lossless which will be discussed
below on their impact on the
image.

LOSSY
Lossy is a compression technique/method that results in a loss of quality and data from
the original file format. Due to data being removed, it often results in less disk space
being taken up but can cause a pixilated image.

LOSSLESS
Lossless compression aims to reduce the file size, whilst having no impact on the quality
of the image. It recreates the data in an efficient way however, the image can become a
small percentage bigger than the original but is then of a better quality.

IMAGE RESOLUTION
The image resolution is reference to how many pixels are present in an image. The
quality of images links the resolution and resolution works alongside file size. The bigger
the file sizes often the better the quality and resolution of the image and vice versa. The
obvious disadvantage to have a better image resolution is the amount of space that it
takes up on the hard drive but does ultimately depend on the purpose of the image to
determine what kind of image resolution is needed.

COLOUR DEPTH
Colour depth is the term used to describe the amount of colour that is found in an image,
the more colour found in an image determines how much detail will be present and add
to the overall attraction of the image. Colour depth works alongside resolution meaning
that the final size of the image will increase. There are currently different types of colour
depths that will also be explored in the screenshots.2 bits (Monochrome) This is the most
basic form of colour depth and contains only 2 colours to create the image. The more bits

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per a pixel, the better the colour depth and therefore the image will consist of more
detailed colours.

32

64

128

16

256

As the colour depth of the images changed, the file size increased as the resolution of the
image also increased.

CONCLUSION THE EFFECTS EACH FILE FORMAT HAVE ON FILE SIZE AND
IMAGE QUALITY
To conclude, file formats have an effect on the file size and the quality of an image. Some
file formats are better than others but is dependent on the purpose of the image. All of
the file formats mentioned above have their own set of characteristics such as the file
size, compatibility and the quality. For some of the file formats such as TIFF, compression
techniques can be applied to make the file size smaller however some can affect the
quality. From the research carried out the resolution and color depth affect the overall file
size and the quality of the image. A higher resolution increases the image resolution but
also increases the file size and vice versa, this is similar to colour depth. Overall it is vital
to know the effect of file size and image quality when altering images but it mainly
dependent on the purpose of the image.

Sharna Young