Spare Bytes
Spare Bytes are images of their size after compression, which are predicted and placed on them before the compression process.
Most of the images we encounter in the digital world undergo compression for the purpose of storage and transfer optimization. The size of a complex image is highly unpredictable before actual compression takes place. It is also unlikely that one can modify an existing image without altering its size. This is why Spare Bytes are unique images.
To create images in this distinctive state, a special program was developed by the artist. The program generated a combination of a color palette and a background image, and then started creating images with different numbers until one of them had the same number and file size.
No alterations were made to the file structure of the image to achieve the desired file size. Only changes to the visible components of the image were applied. Rather than inflating the image size with unnecessary data, the images were compressed using a compression algorithm after each visual modification until the desired outcome was reached. This process occurred tens or even hundreds of times.
A total of 320 images were generated in a single run of the final version of the program.
The project was conceived with the idea of creating uniquely rare images, not relying on human perception for their uniqueness. While these images can be generated using common image manipulation tools, the criteria for rarity could only be achieved after an unknown number of attempts.
NFT
Spare Bytes are available for purchase as NFTs for Ξ0.03 on this website.
Technical Notes
PNG images of size 1331 × 1920 pixels with transparency. Only the original files are valid, as both the file size and the number on the image must match. Any image manipulation, such as resizing or changing the format, will result in a change in image size, leading to a mismatch with the number on the image.