A phone photo can weigh 5 MB or more, which is far too heavy for an email signature, a web page or an upload form. The good news is that you can usually cut a lot without anyone noticing.
How the image compressor works
Compress Image processes one image at a time and keeps its format: JPG stays JPG, PNG stays PNG and WebP stays WebP. You set a quality level from 10 to 100, with a default of 80.
- Upload your image (up to 50 MB).
- Choose a quality. Start at 80.
- Download the result and compare it with the original at full size.
If the result still looks good, try a lower number and repeat from your original. If you see blockiness or blur, go back up.
Resize first, then compress
Dimensions matter more than quality. A 4000-pixel-wide photo shown in a 800-pixel space carries five times more pixels than anyone can see. Use Resize Image to bring it down to the size you need, then compress. This combination usually saves far more than compression alone.
Choose the right format
| Use | Format |
|---|---|
| Photographs | JPG or WebP |
| Screenshots, logos, text | PNG |
| Web images where supported | WebP |
Change format with Convert Image if the current one is a poor fit, such as a photo saved as PNG.
Sensible settings
- Web and email: quality 70 to 80 and a width of 1200 to 1600 pixels or less
- Thumbnails: quality 60 to 70 at a small size
- Documents and sharing: quality 80 to 90
- Screenshots: keep PNG and expect smaller savings
Check before you use it
Zoom in on faces, text and fine lines, where compression shows first. Keep the original safely, since re-compressing an already compressed image lowers quality further.
When the images are going into a PDF
If you are putting photos into a document, JPG to PDF builds the PDF and Compress PDF reduces it afterwards. See how to compress a PDF for email for size targets.
Example: preparing photos for a website
Take a 4000 by 3000 pixel photo, resize it to 1600 pixels wide, then compress the JPG at quality 75. Compare the two at full size, and if faces and text still look clean, use it. Repeat the same settings for the rest of the set so the page looks consistent, and keep the originals in a separate folder.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will compression make the image blurry?
Not at moderate settings. Quality below about 60 starts to show artefacts.
Can I compress several images at once?
The tool handles one image per run.
Does it change the image dimensions?
No. Use Resize Image to change the size.
Which quality is best?
80 is a good default. Adjust after checking the result.