How to reduce image file size without losing quality
Every image balances three things: dimensions, format, and compression. Understanding which one to change — and when — gets you a smaller file without a blurry or artifact-heavy result.
Resize before you compress
Dimensions matter more than most people expect. A 4000×3000 photo has four times the pixels of a 2000×1500 one — cutting dimensions in half typically cuts file size far more than any compression setting alone. If an image is going on a web page or in an email, resize it to the size it'll actually display at first.
Pick the right format
JPG and WebP use lossy compression — they're built for photos with lots of color variation, and WebP is usually 25-35% smaller than JPG at the same visual quality. PNG is lossless and works via color-palette reduction instead of a quality setting — it's the right choice for screenshots, logos, and flat-color graphics, but it won't compress a photo nearly as small as JPG or WebP will.
Let the smart default do the work first
Pixo's one-click Compress button already picks a quality (JPG/WebP) or color palette (PNG) tuned to look right for almost every image — try it before reaching for manual settings. If a specific result still looks too large or the quality isn't quite right, open that image's Adjust panel and drag the Quality or Colors slider — you'll see the estimated size update as you go, so you can find the exact trade-off you want.
When compression alone isn't enough
If an image is still too large after compressing, it's almost always a dimensions problem, not a compression problem — go back to step one and resize it smaller before compressing again.