2015 International Conference on Computer Communication and Informatics (ICCCI -2015), Jan.

08 10, 2015, Coimbatore, INDIA

COMPARISON OF IMAGE COMPRESSION

TECHNIQUES USING HUFFMAN CODING,
DWT AND FRACTAL ALGORITHM
1

R.Praisline Jasmi

Department of ECE
Kalasalingam University
Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu, India
praise.jas@gmail.com

Mr.B.Perumal

Keywords: Image Compression, Huffman Coding, Fractal

algorithm, DWT, Compression ratio, PSNR, BPP, MSE.

INTRODUCTION

An image usually consists of enormous amount of data and

requires large number of space in the memory. If more number
of data is required for transmission then it takes much time to
deliver the data to the receiver. Thus by using image
compression techniques the time consumption can be greatly
reduced. In this method, the elimination of redundant data in
an image can be possible. Compressed image occupies less
number of spaces in memory and it requires less time to
transmit the information from transmitter to receiver.
Compression means to make file size smaller by reorganizing
the data in the file. Compressing imagery is different than
zipping files. The main function of image compression is that
it will rearrange the data and may degrade it to accomplish
preferred compression level, depending on the compression
ratio. If there is better compression ratio, the smaller the file
size here more data is packed into smaller space, but lower the
quality of the compressed product. A digital image which can
be obtained by sampling and quantizing a continuous tone
picture requires large number of storage area. For example, if
we want to send an image with 512512 pixels it will occupy
1GB storage on a particular disk and also if we want to add
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978-1-4799-6805-3/15/$31.00 2015 IEEE

Dr.M.Pallikonda Rajasekaran
Head of the Department of ECE
Kalasalingam University
Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu, India
mpraja80@gmail.com

Department of ECE
Kalasalingam University
Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu, India
palanimet@gmail.com

Abstract Image compression is one of the advantageous

techniques in different types of multi-media services. Image
Compression technique have been emerged as one of the most
important and successful applications in image analysis. In this
paper the proposal of image compression using simple coding
techniques called Huffman; Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT)
coding and fractal algorithm is done. These techniques are simple
in implementation and utilize less memory. Huffman coding
technique involves in reducing the redundant data in input
images. DWT can be able to improve the quality of compressed
image. Fractal algorithm involves encoding process and gives
better compression ratio. By using the above algorithms the
calculation of Peak signal to noise ratio(PSNR), Mean Square
error(MSE) and compression ratio(CR) and Bits per pixel(BPP)
of the compressed image by giving 512512 input images and also
the comparison of performance analysis of the parameters with
that above algorithms is done. The result clearly explains that
Fractal algorithm provides better Compression ratio (CR) and
Peak Signal to noise ratio (PSNR).

I.

two or more images of same size in that same disk it will not
be able to fit in a single disk. Thus, in order to transmit such
an image over 32.8 Kbps modem would almost take 6-10
minutes. The main purpose for this image compression is to
reduce the quantity of data that is essential for representing the
sampled digital images and hence reduce the cost for storage
space and communication. [1]
Input
Image

Forward
Transform

Quantization

Entropy
Encoding

Compressed Image
Fig 1. General Block Diagram of Image Compression

Figure 1 explains the block diagram of Image Compression.

First we need transform the input Image using Forward
Transform and again we quantizing the input Image using
Quantization and then following the Entropy encoding and
finally we are getting the Compressed Image. Now we can
store or transmit the compressed Image. These are the steps
followed in Compression Techniques. Here, the Image
Compression Techniques is divided into two types namely
Lossy and Lossless Techniques. In lossy, some amount of
information in the given image is lost during compression of
Image whereas in lossless compression no information in the
given particular image is lost during Image Compression.
Fractal algorithm comes under Lossy Compression. Discrete
Wavelet Transform (DWT) and Huffman Coding comes under
Lossless Image Compression.
The remaining part of the paper is organized as follows:
Section II involves the detailed description three different
types of compression techniques that includes Huffman
coding, Fractal and DWT algorithm. Section III involves the
works related to the detailed description of above three
techniques. Section IV involves the performance analysis of
different parameters and the results obtained using
compression algorithms. Section V involves comparison of the
all the three algorithms by providing graph for Compression
Ratio (CR) and Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR). The paper
is concluded in Section VI.

2015 International Conference on Computer Communication and Informatics (ICCCI -2015), Jan. 08 10, 2015, Coimbatore, INDIA

II.

ALGORITHMS USED

A) Huffman Coding
Huffman coding is an entropy encoding algorithm used for
lossless image compression. Huffman coding is efficient
technique for image compression to some extent. [1] The last
two decades has seen considerable improvements in image
and video compression techniques. Variable length coding,
such as Huffman code, is widely used to increase coding
efficiency. It uses the Huffman source-coding algorithm to
generate the uniquely decipherable Huffman code with a
minimum expected codeword length when the probability
distribution of a data source is known to the encoder. [2]
Entropy can be defined as a measure of information content; it
will be able to represent the amount of bits used in the data in
particular given image. Huffman coding uses a specific
method for choosing the representation for particular images
which results in a prefix code. The Compression of Images
and data is both possible using Huffman Coding Algorithm.
By using this Huffman algorithm we can be able to design the
most efficient compression method. Huffman Coding comes
under lossless technique here in lossless compression no
information is lost during Image Compression.
B) Fractal Algorithm
Fractal image compression comes under the type of lossy
compression among the two types in Image Compression
methods. The main idea in this algorithm is to divide the
image into segments by using standard image processing
techniques such as color partition, edging, and spectrum and
quality analysis. Then each segment in the given image is
looked up in a library of fractals. [6] Image compression
methods can also be divided as two different types namely,
symmetrical and asymmetrical. Fractal image compression is
the common example of asymmetrical methods. Image
Compression using this Algorithm takes less execution time to
compress the given 512512 images than Huffman Coding.
Fractal algorithm can be used to deal with both encoding and
decoding methods and here Fractal encoding is mainly used to
convert bitmap images to fractal codes. Two important
benefits are immediately observed by converting conventional
bitmap images to fractal data. The first is the ability to modify
the division of fractal images. The second benefit is that there
will be particular size of the data for each and every image and
this size of data in a given input image will be used to store
the fractal codes which are smaller than the size of original
data in an image. Then the process of matching fractal is done
with the fractal codes. This process will not look for exact
matches, but it will look for best fit matches based on the
compression parameters. Fractal compression algorithm is
entirely different from other lossy compression algorithms.
C) Discrete Wavelet Transform(DWT)
DWT plays an important role to compress the given image
without the loss of any information in that particular image.
DWT comes under lossless type of image compression. Here,
DWT can be mainly used in the transformation of a discrete
time signal to Discrete Wavelet Representation. DWT usually
based on time-scale representation, which can be able to
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978-1-4799-6805-3/15/$31.00 2015 IEEE

provide multi-resolution. Wavelets have more advantages over

compressing signals. The wavelet transform is considered as
the most advantageous and useful computational tools for a
mutiplicity of signal and image processing applications.
Wavelet transforms are maily usefd for images to reduce
unwanted noise and blurring. [14] Wavelet transform has
emerged as most powerful tool for both data and image
compression. Wavelet transform performs multi resolution
image analysis. The DWT has successfully been used in many
image processing applications including noise reduction, edge
detection, and compression. Indeed, the DWT is an efficient
decomposition of signals into lower resolution and details.
From the deterministic image processing point of view, DWT
may be viewed as successive low-pass and high-pass filtering
of the discrete time-domain signal. [13] In 2D image, the
images are generally considered to be matrices with N rows
and M columns. In wavelet transform, the decomposition of a
particular image consists of two parts, one is lower frequency
or approximation of an image (scaling function) and an other
is higher frequency or detailed part of an image (wavelet
function). Figure 2 explains Wavelet Filter decomposition of
an image where four different sub-images are obtained; the
approximation (LL), the vertical detail (LH), the horizontal
detail (HL) and the diagonal detail (HH).
LL3

LH3

HL3

HH3

HL2

HL1

LH2
LH1
HH2

HH1

Fig 2. Wavelet Filter Decomposition

III.

RELATED WORK

Huffman Coding is based on an integer version of a

discrete cosine transform and a novel, low complexity yet
efficient, entropy encoder making use of an adaptive Golomb
Rice algorithm instead of Huffman tables. [3] Quantization, as
a core module of wavelet-transform based lossy image codec,
effectively reduces the visual redundancy and is the only
operation that introduces distortion. Hence, it is essential to
remote sensing image compression. [4] For the compression of
an RGB image, it is first transformed into YCuCv color space
using an RCT. After the color transformation, the luminance
channel Y is compressed by a conventional lossless image
coder. Pixels in chrominance channels are predicted by the
hierarchical decomposition and directional prediction. [5]
Fractal Image Compression is one of the most advantageous
techniques in Image Compression which comes under lossy
Image compression. The two major advantages of changing
images to fractal data are: 1) the memory size required to store
fractal codes is extremely smaller than the memory required to
store the original bitmap information 2) the image can be
scaled up or down a size (zooming) easily without disrupting

2015 International Conference on Computer Communication and Informatics (ICCCI -2015), Jan. 08 10, 2015, Coimbatore, INDIA

the image. [7] An Adaptive Fractal Image Compression

(AFIC) algorithm is proposed to reduce the long time of the
Fractal Image Compression (FIC). AFIC worked on
minimizing the complexity and the number of matching
operations by reducing both of the range and domain blocks
needed in the matching process, for this purpose Zero Mean
Intensity Level Fractal Image Compression based on Quad
tree partitioning, Variance Factor Range Exclusion, Variance
Factor Domain Selection and Domain Pool Reduction
techniques is used. [8] A data set containing 1000 x-ray
angiograms is used to study the performance of the algorithm.
A minimum compression ratio of 30 with a peak signal to
noise ratio (PSNR) of 36 dB and percent diameter steno sis
deviation of (<0.2%) was achieved. [9] Fractal image
compression offers interesting features like resolutionindependent and fast decoding, and good image quality at low
bit-rates which makes it an interesting candidate for offline
applications.(e.g. video-on-demand (VOD), photo or video
CD-ROMs, etc.). Fractal image compression exploits
similarities within images. [10] Fractal image compression
also takes advantage of redundancy in scale, but its operating
principles are very different from those of transform coders.
Images are not stored as a set of quantized transform
coefficients, but instead as fixed points of maps on the plane.
The scheme will encode an image as a collection of transforms
that are very similar to the copy machine metaphor. [11] The
Image Compression using algorithms increase the PSNR up to
3.34 dB and decrease the MPE up to 50.43% as compared
with the set partitioning in hierarchical trees (SPIHT)
algorithm. DWT algorithm gives better Compression ratio and
PSNR to get the good quality of input images. [12] DWT is
usually computed through convolution and sub sampling with
a couple of filters to produce an approximation low-pass filter
result and a detail signal high-pass filter result. The multi
resolution decomposition is obtained by iterating the
convolution and sub sampling of these two filters over the
approximation components. For two-dimension (2D) signals,
there exist separable wavelets for which the computation can
decompose into horizontal processing (on the rows) followed
by vertical processing (on the columns), using the same onedimension (1D) filter. [15]
IV.

where f(x, y) is the original input image, f'(x, y) is compressed

image and M, N are the dimensions of the images.
B) Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR)
It is ratio between sizes of the input image to the square
of Mean Square Error (MSE). If PSNR is high then the
quality of compressed image is also increased.
[
PSNR=10
Where, MN is the size of an input image.
C) Compression Ratio
Compression ratio is a useful parameter in Image
Compression. This CR can be defined as the ratio between the
uncompressed image size and compressed image size.
CR =

UNCOMPRESSED IMAGE SIZE

COMPRESSED IMAGE SIZE

D) Bits Per Pixel (BPP)

Bits per pixel ratio (BPP) gives the number of bits that
can be able to store in one pixel of the given input image.
BPP=
V.

RESULT AND DISCUSSIONS

The simulation results for images are shown below and the
comparison tables are also included. The images with better
compression performance with the better CR and high PSNR
are included in the following figures.

PERFORMANCE PARAMETERS

The quality of compressed image can be measured by

many numbers of image quality parameters. The most
commonly used image quality parameters are Mean Square
error (MSE), Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR),
Compression Ratio (CR) and Bits Per Pixel (BPP). The PSNR
value used to measure the difference between a compressed
image and its original image.Normally, the larger PSNR value,
will give the better quality of compressed image.

Fig3. Input Images

Fig4. Compression of Input Images using Huffman Coding

A) Mean Square Error (MSE)

Mean square error is one of the parameter to evaluate the
quality of compressed image. If the value of MSE is less, then
the quality of compressed image will increase. The equation
for MSE can be given as,
2

,
,
MSE=
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978-1-4799-6805-3/15/$31.00 2015 IEEE

Fig5. Compression of Input Images using Fractal algorithm

2015 International Conference on Computer Communication and Informatics (ICCCI -2015), Jan. 08 10, 2015, Coimbatore, INDIA

Table 1. Different Parameters depicted for Huffman algorithm

Fig6. Compression of Input Images using Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT)

The above figures (Fig. 3 to 6) shows that the

original and compressed images by using Huffman, Fractal
and DWT. All the input images given here are 512512 image
size.
50

C
R
V
a
l
u
e
s

Compression Ratio

45

CR

PSNR

MSE

BPP

Man

43.91

28.83

2.09

1.23

Lena

27.94

26.13

2.85

1.28

Bear

22.29

24.04

1.96

1.39

Apple

31.69

24.52

15.20

1.51

Grass

13.46

14.06

15.72

1.55

Penguin

29.21

22.30

19.62

0.95

35
30

Table 2. Different Parameters depicted for DWT Algorithm

25

Huffman

20

DWT

15

Fractal

10
5

Man

Lena

Bear

Apple

Grass

Fig7 .Comparison of Compression Ratio for different Input images

The above figure (Fig7) shows the comparison of

Compression Ratio for different input images. This shows that
Compression Ratio for Huffman algorithm is very high
compared to other two techniques. Thus from the graph we
can conclude that Fractal algorithm gives better Compression
Ratio.
90

Algorithm
Parameters

CR

PSNR

DWT
MSE

BPP

Man

4.03

34.63

2.41

1.98

Lena

6.92

52.91

0.03

1.15

Bear

11.95

45.87

0.19

0.66

Apple

1.73

29.70

0.05

16.73

Grass

2.03

30.50

2.90

4.29

Penguin

1.54

32.94

2.62

8.36

Penguin

Input Images

PSNR

80
70
60
50

V
a
l
u
e
s

Huffman

40

P
S
N
R

Algorithm
Parameters

40

Huffman

30

DWT

20

Fractal

Table 3. Different Parameters depicted for Fractal Coding

Algorithm
Parameters

Fractal
CR

PSNR

MSE

BPP

Man

0.65

84.30

0.26

1.49

Lena

2.76

62.79

0.23

1.58

Bear

3.86

55.32

1.73

1.67

Apple

0.47

36.14

0.03

1.89

Grass

1.80

43.01

0.14

1.85

Penguin

1.31

36.44

0.81

1.64

10
0
Man

Lena

Bear

Apple

Grass

Penguin

Input Images

Fig8 .Comparison of PSNR Values for different Input Image

The above figure (Fig8) shows the comparison of PSNR

for different input images. This shows that PSNR for Huffman
algorithm is very low compared to other two techniques. Thus
from the graph we can conclude that Fractal algorithm gives
better PSNR values.

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978-1-4799-6805-3/15/$31.00 2015 IEEE

CONCLUSION
In this paper we discussed about the comparison of
image compression techniques based on Huffman coding,
DWT and Fractal coding. Compressed images for different
input images are obtained by these three algorithms.
Parameters calculation is also done for the compressed image
and comparison chart is provided for Compression Ratio (CR)
and Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR). By comparing the
performance parameters of compressed image for these three
algorithms, we conclude that Fractal coding is efficient
technique for image compression. In this paper we evaluate

2015 International Conference on Computer Communication and Informatics (ICCCI -2015), Jan. 08 10, 2015, Coimbatore, INDIA

and discuss about the three different types of algorithms which

can be used for Image Compression. We also review and
discuss about these three algorithms for compressing images
for both lossless and lossy Techniques. As on future work
image compression techniques can be done by other methods
such as Neural Networks and Fuzzy logic.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
We thank the Department of Electronics and Communication
Engineering of Kalasalingam University, (Kalasalingam
Academy of Research and Education), Tamil Nadu, India for
permitting to use the computational facilities available in
Centre for Research in Signal Processing and VLSI Design
which was setup with the support of the Department of
Science and Technology (DST), New Delhi under FIST
Program in 2013.
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978-1-4799-6805-3/15/$31.00 2015 IEEE

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