Image compression works by removing data that the human eye doesn't easily detect. For JPEG images, quality settings of 80–90% reduce file size by 40–70% while remaining visually indistinguishable from the original. WebP compression achieves 25–35% smaller files than JPEG at the same visual quality.
💡 Best settings by use case Web pages: 80–85% quality WebP or JPEG | Email: 75–80% JPEG | Social media: 85–90% JPEG | Print: PNG lossless or 95%+ JPEG
Is PNG compression lossless?
Yes. PNG uses lossless compression — the quality slider has no effect on PNG output because no image data is discarded. PNG files are compressed using the DEFLATE algorithm which is fully reversible. The trade-off is that PNG files are larger than JPEG for photographs.
What is WebP and should I use it?
WebP is Google's modern image format that achieves 25–34% smaller files than JPEG at equivalent quality. It's supported by all modern browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge). For web use, WebP is almost always the right choice. For maximum compatibility with older apps or email clients, stick with JPEG.