Graphics

Internet Image Degradation

Do things grow old in cyberspace? The answer is "yes"...

When pictures are constantly copied from website to website, and recompressed and rescaled every time, an interesting loss of quality occurs gradually over time. This page tries to simulate and display this gradual devolution. The first picture is the original.

First someone resized the image to 480 pixels and compressed the image at 39% jpeg quality.

Someone else resized the image to 417 pixels and compressed the image at 29% jpeg quality.

Someone resized the image to 522 pixels and compressed the image at 65% jpeg quality.

After that, they resized the image to 348 pixels and compressed the image at 38% jpeg quality.

Then they resized the image to 363 pixels and compressed the image at 70% jpeg quality.

Someone else resized the image to 543 pixels and compressed the image at 42% jpeg quality.

After that, they resized the image to 429 pixels and compressed the image at 31% jpeg quality.

After that, they resized the image to 356 pixels and compressed the image at 16% jpeg quality.

Then they resized the image to 481 pixels and compressed the image at 28% jpeg quality.

Then someone reduced to a 18 color gif.

Then someone resized the image to 339 pixels and compressed the image at 19% jpeg quality.

Someone else reduced to a 41 color gif and someone else resized the image to 445 pixels and compressed the image at 12% jpeg quality.

Someone else resized the image to 544 pixels and compressed the image at 12% jpeg quality and then they reduced to a 44 color gif.

After that, they reduced to a 25 color gif and someone else resized the image to 358 pixels and compressed the image at 17% jpeg quality.

Then they reduced to a 10 color gif and after that, they added a bit of contrast, resized the image to 541 pixels and compressed the image at 29% jpeg quality.

Then someone reduced to a 15 color gif and someone else added a bit of contrast, resized the image to 302 pixels and compressed the image at 22% jpeg quality.

Then someone reduced to a 11 color gif and then someone reduced to a 47 color gif.

After that, they added a bit of contrast, resized the image to 373 pixels, compressed the image at 17% jpeg quality and then they resized the image to 554 pixels and compressed the image at 23% jpeg quality.

Someone resized the image to 480 pixels, compressed the image at 34% jpeg quality and then they added a bit of contrast, resized the image to 562 pixels and compressed the image at 12% jpeg quality.

Someone else added a bit of contrast, resized the image to 572 pixels, compressed the image at 18% jpeg quality and then someone resized the image to 501 pixels and compressed the image at 32% jpeg quality.

Finally someone resized the image to 410 pixels and compressed the image at 18% jpeg quality.

Oh my, that got pretty bad.

Website by Joachim Michaelis