Final answer:
Compressing a file, specifically a JPEG image, reduces its size by discarding redundant colors. The extent of size reduction depends on the level of compression used; higher compression means more data discarded but this can degrade the image quality.
Step-by-step explanation:
When it comes to understanding how much does compressing a file reduce size, it's important to recognize that the level of compression can significantly vary. In the context of image files, such as JPEGs, compression is managed by evaluating the color of pixels and determining which colors are essential and which are redundant. Redundant colors are discarded, thereby reducing the file size. The more colors that are discarded, the more the file size is compressed. For example, reducing a photo's quality to 60% effectively compresses the file size by 40%.
However, there's a trade-off since increased compression tends to lower photo quality.Digital cameras have different methods of referring to compression, with terms like large, medium, and small, or high, medium, and low quality, to indicate the extent of compression. A large or high quality photo means less compression, preserving more of the original data, while a small or low quality indicates a highly compressed file.