Four ways to reduce a file
| Method | What changes | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Reduce resolution | Pixel dimensions | The source is much larger than display size |
| Lower quality | Information retained during lossy encoding | Creating JPG/WebP delivery copies |
| Change format | Storage and compression method | The current format does not match the image |
| Remove metadata | Camera, time and location fields | Preparing a sharing copy |
Resolution is the number of pixels
A 4,000×3,000 photo contains about 12 million pixels. If it appears about 800 pixels wide on a page, delivering every source pixel is often unnecessary.
Halving width and height leaves one quarter as many pixels. Keep the original separately if you may print, crop or edit it later.
Quality controls lossy storage
Resolution describes pixel count; quality controls how faithfully a lossy encoder records those pixels. The same 1,200×800 JPG or WebP can have different sizes and artifacts at different quality settings.
Inspect faces, fine text, thin lines and smooth skies at actual size while lowering quality gradually.
Format should match the picture
A photo saved as PNG may carry a large size cost without a useful benefit. A transparent logo or text-heavy capture may fit PNG or WebP better than JPG.
Check transparency, editing compatibility and the measured output rather than assuming a format name guarantees a result.
What to adjust for each destination
| Destination | Adjust first | Preserve |
|---|---|---|
| Resolution and JPG/WebP quality | A useful viewing size | |
| Blog | Resolution near rendered width | Readable page detail |
| Website | Resolution, format and quality | Layout and dense displays |
| Social | Excess resolution and metadata | Faces and text |
| Archive | Usually nothing | Full resolution and needed metadata |
Excess compression appears in small details
Strong compression can create halos around letters, merge hair and skin texture, and produce bands in smooth gradients.
A damaged delivery copy cannot be enlarged or re-saved back to the original. Inspect the important region, not only the target byte count.
Keep the master and create purpose-built copies
Only My Kit separates resize, JPG/PNG/WebP conversion and JPG/WebP quality compression. GPS/EXIF removal is on by default and the original file is not overwritten.
Changing one control at a time makes it easier to identify which choice affected clarity.
FAQ
- Should I reduce resolution or quality first?
- If the source is much larger than its display size, set useful dimensions first and then tune quality.
- Can PNG use the quality slider?
- Only My Kit currently treats PNG output as lossless. Consider JPG or WebP for photographic compression.
- How much does metadata removal save?
- Metadata varies by file, so there is no fixed saving. Its main value is privacy and removing unneeded fields.