JPEG quality guide — what quality setting should you use?
JPEG is a lossy format: every time you compress, some image data is permanently removed. The key is finding the quality level where file size savings are significant but the quality loss is invisible. Here's the standard reference used by web professionals:
| Quality % | Typical Size Reduction | Visual Quality | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90–100% | 10–30% | Excellent | Print, archival, professional photography |
| 75–85% | 40–60% | Very good — imperceptible at normal size | Web, social media, email, portals |
| 60–74% | 60–75% | Good — minor artifacts on close inspection | Thumbnails, previews, blog images |
| 40–59% | 75–85% | Acceptable — visible compression at 100% zoom | Low-bandwidth delivery, drafts |
| Below 40% | 85–95% | Noticeable quality loss | Maximum compression, tiny size targets |
For most uses — exam portals, job sites, social media, email — 80% quality is the default sweet spot and is pre-selected in the tool above. If you need to hit a specific file size (e.g., "under 100KB"), use the Target Size mode instead and the tool will automatically find the right quality level.
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How to compress a JPG file (3 steps)
Click Choose File or drag your JPG/JPEG into the tool. Also accepts PNG, WebP, and BMP — all output as JPEG.
Use the quality slider (default: 80%) for manual control, or switch to Target Size to hit a specific KB/MB limit automatically.
Click Compress, review the before/after, and Download your compressed JPEG.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does compressing a JPEG reduce quality permanently?
Yes — JPEG is a lossy format. Each compression removes some data that cannot be recovered. This is why you should always keep a backup of your original. In practice, at 80% quality, the difference is invisible at normal viewing sizes. Only when zooming in to 100–200% will minor compression artifacts be visible.
What's the difference between JPEG and JPG?
Nothing. JPEG and JPG are the same format — JPG is simply the 3-letter file extension used on older Windows systems (which couldn't handle 4-letter extensions). Both .jpg and .jpeg files are identical in format. This tool handles both.
When should I use PNG instead of JPEG?
Use PNG when your image has transparency (like a logo on a transparent background), contains text or sharp graphics, or when you need truly lossless compression. For photographs and portrait images, JPEG almost always gives better file size at equivalent quality. See our PNG compressor for PNG-specific guidance.
Can I compress a JPEG multiple times?
Technically yes, but each re-compression adds new artifacts on top of old ones. "Generation loss" accumulates. If you need to compress further, it's better to go back to the original and compress in one step with a lower quality setting.