March 8, 2025
How to Compress Images Without Losing Quality
Practical tips to compress images without losing noticeable quality: tools, settings, and when to use lossy vs lossless.
Compressing images reduces file size so they load faster and use less storage. Lossless compression (e.g., PNG, WebP lossless) keeps every pixel the same; lossy compression (e.g., JPEG, WebP lossy) removes some data and can slightly reduce quality.
For photos, use JPEG or WebP with a quality setting around 80–85 to get a good balance. For graphics with text or sharp edges, prefer PNG or lossless WebP. Resizing to the maximum display size you need also cuts file size without changing quality settings.
Many online tools and image hosts accept uploads and store them as-is. Keeping originals in a service like Image Store lets you re-download and re-export at different sizes or formats when needed.