How to compress an image without losing quality

Large image files slow down websites, get rejected by upload forms, and clog email inboxes. But compressing images aggressively can make photos look blurry or pixelated. This guide explains how to reduce image file size significantly while keeping the image visually indistinguishable from the original.

Lossy vs lossless compression

There are two types of image compression:

• Lossless compression — reduces file size by optimising how the data is stored, without discarding any image information. PNG uses lossless compression. A compressed PNG is smaller but visually identical to the original.
• Lossy compression — reduces file size by discarding some image data that the eye is least likely to notice. JPG uses lossy compression. The higher the compression, the more data is discarded — and at some point, artifacts become visible.

The trick is to use lossy compression at a level where the quality loss is imperceptible. At 80–85% JPG quality, most people cannot distinguish the compressed image from the original, even side by side.

How much can you compress an image?

• A 5 MB JPG photograph can typically be compressed to 500 KB–1 MB at 85% quality — a 5–10× reduction.
• A 2 MB PNG screenshot can be compressed to 300–600 KB — a 3–6× reduction.
• WebP format offers an additional 25–35% reduction over equivalent JPG quality.

How to compress images for free

TurboConvert's image compressor supports JPG, PNG, and WebP — all processed in your browser:

1. Go to the Compress Image tool.
2. Drop your image file into the upload zone.
3. Download the compressed result.

TurboConvert optimises the compression level automatically to maximise size reduction while preserving visual quality.