One of Internet Explorer 5.5's main features is its support for a rich set of filters and transitions. Filters and transitions allow you to create visual effects that are very difficult to create otherwise. They also enhance and extend your arsenal for developing interactive Web pages. The difference between filters and transitions is that filters are static while transitions are dynamic.
Filters affect the way content is displayed.
They let you modify the original content in many different ways. You see only the final result, after the filter application. Mirroring an image is a simple example for a static filter. What you see on the Web page is the image after it has been mirrored. You can imagine what the original image is, but you don't see it explicitly on the page.