How to compress PNG and JPEG images

Choose a format, set the right quality, and reduce image size without spoiling how the picture looks.

Last updated 10 November 2026

Choose the right format

Use JPEG for photographs. Use PNG for graphics with flat colours or transparency. WebP is usually smaller than both and is supported by all current major browsers.

Quality and file size

For JPEG and WebP, a quality setting between about 70 and 85 gives small files that usually look the same as the original. Lower settings save more space but can show blocky patches and blurred edges.

Why PNG shrinks less

PNG is lossless, so the browser keeps every pixel and rarely saves much. Reducing the palette to 256 or 64 colours makes the file much smaller, but smooth gradients can show bands of colour.

Resize, then check

Reducing the width or height to the size the picture is shown at often saves more than any quality setting. Compare the result with the original before you replace it. Re-encoding also removes metadata, such as the location where a photo was taken.

Try it with the Image Compressor

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Open Image Compressor