PRACTICAL GUIDE
How to reduce image size without losing quality
You cannot remove every quality tradeoff when reducing an image, but you can avoid obvious damage by choosing only as much compression as needed and comparing the output.
Step-by-step
- Keep a copy of the original, then add the photo to compress.
- Start with a practical target such as 1MB or 500KB.
- Compare result and original for text, faces, color, and sharp edges.
Check before using the result
If quality is not good enough, restart from the original with a higher target. Recompressing a compressed result can compound quality loss.
Open the free tool →Frequently asked questions
Does changing PNG to JPG make files smaller?
It can reduce photo size, but PNG is needed when an image requires a transparent background.
Should I resize too?
If pixel dimensions are very large, resizing and compression together can work better.
About this guide
This guide is written for a practical workflow. Keep an original copy of important files and review downloaded output before sharing it with another person or service.
Do not make the target too small at once
Image compression cannot remove all loss. To avoid unnecessary loss, resize to the pixel dimensions you actually need first, then reduce file size gradually from a higher quality setting.
- For web use, pixel dimensions that match display size matter more than full camera resolution.
- Images with text or QR codes should always be checked while zoomed in.
- If the result is larger than the original, keeping the original is often better.