Understanding Image Formats: Lossy vs. Lossless Compression
When converting and optimizing images for websites, digital media, or archiving, choosing the right file extension and compression level decides both file size and what the image survives. Formats fall into two categories:
Lossless Compression (PNG, SVG)
Lossless compression preserves every bit of original image data exactly. Retains perfect clarity with no pixelation, making it standard for screenshots, logos, icon graphics, and designs with text. However, file sizes remain large.
Lossy Compression (JPG, WebP, AVIF)
Lossy compression discards detail the eye is least sensitive to. WebP and AVIF add better prediction filters and chroma subsampling on top of that, which is why a photograph can land well under half the size of the equivalent PNG. On flat colour, text and hard edges the same techniques produce visible haloes, so the saving is real for photographs and a mistake for screenshots.
How Modern Browsers Handle Offline Image Encoding
DuckConvert bypasses backend servers entirely by compiling native compression libraries (like Rust-based OxiPNG or C-based libwebp) into WebAssembly (WASM). This allows your browser to run heavy graphic processing algorithms at near-native speeds. For basic formats, we use the HTML5 Canvas 2D API to render, scale, crop, and output high-quality image blobs dynamically.