In digital imaging, compression is a process that reduces the amount of data in an image file to decrease its size. The main advantage of compression is that images take up less storage space and can be transmitted more quickly, such as via email or online sharing. There are two primary types of compression: lossy, which permanently discards some image detail to achieve smaller file sizes (commonly used in JPEG files), and lossless, which preserves all original data for full image quality. Adjusting compression levels allows photographers and digital artists to balance file size with image fidelity, making it an essential tool for efficient digital photography, online publishing, and archiving.