Compress images without making important text unreadable
Compare real file sizes, text edges and gradients instead of guessing from quality percentages, especially for screenshots and product labels.
An explanatory example, not a watermark-removal result or performance benchmark.
| Quality | Inspect | Choose by |
|---|---|---|
| 50% | Small lettering and fine lines | Readability and actual size |
| 75% | Textures and gradients | Comparison with 50% and 90% |
| 90% | Whether detail justifies extra bytes | Actual output, not the percentage |
Define an acceptable result first
Record the destination's size limit and the dimensions at which the image will appear. A product photo with prices or specifications needs readable labels, not just a recognizable outline. Reducing 2 MB to 300 KB describes a size change; it does not establish suitability. Check legibility, smooth backgrounds and accepted formats alongside file size.
Compare three candidates at the same scale
Choose JPEG or WebP and generate the 50%, 75% and 90% candidates. These are encoder quality settings, not promised reduction percentages. Compare actual bytes, then inspect the same small text or texture in each downloaded candidate. Use matching zoom levels in an image viewer rather than comparing a thumbnail with an enlarged original.
Look around sharp edges
Lossy encoding can create halos around dark letters, break thin lines or introduce visible bands in a gradient. A small change in a photograph may be acceptable while the same change makes instructions or a QR code unusable. If even the higher-quality output fails your checks, keep the source or its original PNG version. Necessary information matters more than a smaller download.
If every candidate is too large
The tool keeps source dimensions by default, with optional downscaling and custom quality. It does not guarantee a 200 KB result. You can crop unnecessary background first, but only when losing that composition is acceptable. To preserve the whole frame while reducing pixels, select a smaller longest edge before comparing encodings here. Avoid repeatedly encoding an already lossy output.
Checklist
- Record both the byte limit and essential readable details
- Compare original and candidates at the same scale
- Keep the original when smaller outputs fail your checks
Try it with your own image
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