JPEG is the most common image format for photographs, accounting for the vast majority of images on the web. Learning to compress JPEG images properly can reduce file sizes by 80% while maintaining excellent visual quality.
JPEG quality is measured on a scale of 1-100. Higher = better quality = larger file.
| Quality | File Size | Best Use |
|---|---|---|
| 90-100 | Near original | Print, archival |
| 80-89 | 60-70% of original | Hero images, featured photos |
| 70-79 | 40-50% of original | Web content, blog posts |
| 60-69 | 25-35% of original | Thumbnails, previews |
| <60 | Very small | Visible artifacts, avoid |
| Photo Type | Original | Compressed (80%) | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product photo | 3.2 MB | 420 KB | 87% |
| Blog featured | 5.1 MB | 680 KB | 87% |
| Staff photo | 2.8 MB | 380 KB | 86% |
| Event snapshot | 4.5 MB | 590 KB | 87% |
Don't upload 4000px images to display at 800px. Resize to max display size first.
Recommended dimensions:
80% quality is the sweet spot - typically indistinguishable from 100% to the human eye.
Quality guidelines:
WebP at 80% quality is typically 25-35% smaller than JPEG at same visual quality.
Strip EXIF data (camera info, GPS, timestamps) for additional size reduction.
Savings: 10-100 KB per image
Progressive JPEGs load from blurry to sharp, improving perceived load time.
Q: Does JPEG compression lose quality?
A: Yes, JPEG uses lossy compression. However, at 80% quality, the loss is typically imperceptible. Multiple re-saves do accumulate quality loss.
Q: What's the best JPEG quality for web?
A: 70-85% is ideal for most web use. Hero images can use 80-85%, thumbnails 65-75%.
Q: Should I keep original photos?
A: Always! Keep your high-quality originals (TIFF or maximum-quality JPEG). Only compress copies for web use.
ICompressImg
This tool performs compression locally in your browser. Your images are not uploaded to any server.
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