lossy vs lossless

Lossless and lossy refer to how data is compressed when reducing file size. Lossless compression reduces a file without losing any information, so the original data can be perfectly reconstructed—used for text or high-quality images. Lossy compression removes some data to make the file smaller, which might slightly reduce quality but is often acceptable—common in JPEG images, MP3 music, and video files. Essentially, lossless preserves all details, while lossy sacrifices some detail for greater size reduction.