Image Compressor
Shrink images without losing quality.
The Image Compressor shrinks the file size of your photos so they load faster on websites, attach cleanly to emails, and take up less space on your device. You pick an image, set a JPEG quality level, and choose a maximum width in pixels. The tool re-encodes the picture and, if it is wider than your chosen limit, scales it down while keeping the original proportions so nothing looks stretched or squashed.
Everything runs right in your browser using the built-in canvas feature, so your files never leave your device and nothing is uploaded to a server. After processing, you can compare the original and compressed sizes side by side, check the new dimensions, preview the result, and download it with one click. It is a fast, private way to make oversized images practical to share.
Result
Choose an image to compress
How to use the image compressor
- Click the file button and choose an image from your device, such as a JPEG or PNG photo.
- Set the quality slider between 10 and 100 percent; lower values make smaller files but reduce detail.
- Enter a maximum width in pixels, and the tool will scale the image down to that width while preserving the aspect ratio.
- Let the tool re-encode the image to JPEG, then compare the original and compressed file sizes and dimensions.
- Check the preview to confirm the image still looks good at the settings you chose.
- Click the download link to save the compressed image, then adjust the settings and repeat if you want a different balance.
Worked example
Suppose you have a 4000-pixel-wide photo straight from a phone camera that weighs about 6 MB, which is far too large to email or post. You set the quality slider to 75 percent and the maximum width to 1600 pixels. The tool scales the image down to 1600 pixels wide, keeps the same proportions so it is not distorted, and re-encodes it as a JPEG. The result might come out around 300 KB, roughly a twentieth of the original size, while still looking sharp on a screen. You preview it, confirm it looks good, and download the smaller file to share.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Setting the quality too low, such as 10 or 20 percent, which can leave the image blurry and full of blocky artifacts.
- Choosing a maximum width larger than the original, which cannot add detail and will not make the file meaningfully smaller.
- Compressing an image that is already optimized and expecting big savings; the tool warns when little is gained, and you should keep the original in that case.
- Running a PNG with sharp text or a transparent background through JPEG compression, which drops transparency and can blur fine edges.
- Deleting your original file before checking the compressed version, leaving you no way to redo it at higher quality.
Frequently asked questions
Are my images uploaded to a server?
No. Compression runs entirely in your browser, so your images stay private on your device.
What is the difference between the quality slider and the maximum width?
The quality slider controls how much JPEG compression is applied at the same pixel size, trading fine detail for a smaller file. The maximum width changes the actual pixel dimensions by scaling the image down. Lowering both usually gives the largest reduction, but width often has the biggest impact on very large photos.
Why did my file barely get smaller, or even grow slightly?
Some images are already optimized, so re-encoding them offers little to remove and may even add a small amount of data. When that happens the tool warns you and suggests keeping the original file instead of the compressed one, since you gain nothing by replacing it.
Does compressing an image change its colors?
Compression can cause minor shifts, especially in smooth gradients or areas of solid color where JPEG artifacts appear at low quality settings. For most photos the change is hard to notice at 70 percent or higher. If you want to plan or match colors precisely, try the <a href="/tools/color-palette-generator/">Color Palette Generator</a>.