JPEG is the internet's workhorse for photos. It's everywhere: product images, hero banners, profile pictures. But unoptimized JPEGs can bloat your pages and kill your Core Web Vitals.

The fix is simple: compress them. A well‑optimized JPEG usually looks the same to a normal human while taking up a lot less space. Here’s how to do it without turning faces into watercolor.

TL;DR

  • Use TinyUtils Image Compressor for free JPEG compression.
  • 80-85% quality is a good starting point for most photos.
  • Resize images to their display size — don't serve 4000px images at 800px.
  • For even smaller files, convert to WebP.

Why compress JPEGs?

Every KB counts on the web. Large images:

  • Slow down page loads (especially on mobile)
  • Hurt your Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) score
  • Increase hosting bandwidth costs
  • Frustrate users on slow connections

A 2 MB hero image that could be 200 KB is leaving performance on the table.

How to compress JPEG online (step-by-step)

  1. Open TinyUtils Image Compressor.
  2. Drag and drop your JPEG files (batch works too).
  3. Keep format as JPEG (or switch to WebP for even smaller files).
  4. Set quality to 80-85% for photos.
  5. Optional: set max width to resize large images.
  6. Download the compressed files.

Finding the right quality setting

JPEG quality is a tradeoff: lower quality = smaller files = more artifacts.

  • 90-100% — Near-original quality, minimal savings
  • 80-90% — Sweet spot for most photos (recommended)
  • 70-80% — Noticeable softness, but acceptable for thumbnails
  • Below 60% — Visible blocky artifacts, avoid for important images

The trick: start at 80%, look at the result, adjust up if faces look weird.

Resize before compressing

This is the secret weapon. A 5000×3000 photo will be huge no matter the quality setting. If it's displayed at 1200px wide, resize to 2400px (2x for retina displays).

Resizing often saves more than quality reduction and has zero visual impact.

Don’t JPEG the wrong things

JPEG is great for photos. It’s often a terrible choice for:

  • Screenshots (text gets crunchy fast)
  • Logos and icons (sharp edges turn fuzzy)
  • Images with transparency (JPEG can’t do it)

For those, PNG or WebP is usually the better move. If you’re optimizing UI screenshots, start with PNG compression or convert to WebP.

Strip metadata (EXIF)

Camera JPEGs include metadata: GPS coordinates, camera model, timestamps. In many browser‑based conversions, that metadata doesn’t survive the export — which can be good for privacy. If you actually need the metadata (date/location), keep the original file as your “source of truth.”

Batch compression

Got 100 product photos? Don't compress them one by one. Drop the whole folder into TinyUtils, set quality once, and download a ZIP.

Should you switch to WebP instead?

WebP produces smaller files than JPEG at the same quality. If your users are on modern browsers (2020+), WebP is the better choice. You can convert JPEG → WebP in the same tool.

What to expect

  • Resizing usually beats “more compression” for big wins.
  • Quality 80–85% is a solid starting point for most photos.
  • Very detailed photos (foliage, noise, grain) show artifacts sooner than simple images.

Why not use Photoshop/GIMP?

You can! But for quick batch compression:

  • No software to install
  • Works on any device (including phones)
  • Faster for simple "compress and go" workflows

For heavy editing, use your image editor. For compression, use a compressor.

FAQ

Does compressing a JPEG multiple times reduce quality?

Yes. Each re-compression introduces more artifacts. Always start from the original when possible.

What's the smallest I can make a JPEG?

Depends on the image. A complex photo compresses less than a simple graphic. Resize + 80% quality is usually the practical minimum before visible degradation.

Can I compress JPEGs without losing quality?

There are “lossless-ish” JPEG optimizations, but the savings are usually modest. For meaningful size reduction you typically need lossy compression — ideally paired with resizing — and then you pick a quality level that still looks good for your use case.

Next steps

Time to shrink those JPEGs. Open TinyUtils Image Compressor, drop your photos, and aim for "looks the same, half the size."

If you’re doing this for a website, spot-check the result in the browser: make sure it still looks sharp at the size you actually display it. No one wins awards for “technically smaller, visibly worse.”