How to reduce an image's file size without it showing
A phone photo can weigh several megabytes. Here's how to reduce it without losing what matters.
Why images are so heavy
An image's file size depends on three things: its dimensions in pixels, the format and the quality it's saved with. A modern camera photo is thousands of pixels wide, far more than you need to view it on a screen or send it in a message.
Which format to choose
- JPG: the most compatible for photos. At 75% to 85% quality it usually looks good and weighs much less than the original.
- PNG: keeps sharp edges and supports transparency. Ideal for logos, screenshots and graphics, but heavy for photos.
- WebP: designed for the web. Usually lighter than JPG or PNG at similar quality, and current browsers open it.
- AVIF: compresses even more, although not every program accepts it.
Four steps to reduce the size
- Reduce the dimensions. If the image will be shown small, limit the longest side to 1920 or 1280 pixels. This saves the most.
- Lower the quality gradually. Start at 80% and compare. Below 60% blotches usually appear.
- Change format if it helps. A photo saved as PNG usually weighs much less as JPG or WebP.
- Set a maximum size if a platform requires it, for example 2 MB, and check the result.
How much it should weigh
As a reference, a photo for a website is usually fine between 100 and 300 KB, and an image to send by messaging can stay at 1 MB or less. Pages with light images load faster, something visitors notice and so do search engines.
iPhone photos in HEIC
Many iPhones save photos in HEIC, which takes little space but doesn't open everywhere. Convert them to JPG before uploading them to a website or sending them to someone who doesn't use Apple products.
Reduce file size and change format, even from HEIC.
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