Why So Many Levels
Image compression is a lossy operation — the more detail you drop, the smaller the file and the worse the quality. The real question is "how much loss is acceptable?" — sharing on social media and printing photos demand very different standards. Image Converter provides nine presets from 10 to 90, plus a free slider from 1 to 99, covering everything from extreme compression to archival quality.
How the Nine Presets Actually Perform
10–30: Extreme Compression
- File size: 5–15% of the original.
- Quality: Clearly visible loss to the naked eye. Best for pure-text screenshots and flat-color images.
- Typical scenarios: WeChat stickers, long text-only screenshots, temporary sharing.
For example, a 5 MB photo compressed at level 10 may end up only 200–400 KB. But facial features and landscape detail will blur away.
40–60: Everyday Sharing
- File size: 15–30% of the original.
- Quality: Visible if you look closely; unnoticeable in normal browsing.
- Typical scenarios: WeChat Moments, Weibo, chat sharing.
60 is the sweet spot for most scenarios — quality loss is nearly invisible and file size drops dramatically.
70–80: The Universal Recommendation
- File size: 30–50% of the original.
- Quality: The naked eye can barely tell it apart from the original.
- Typical scenarios: Sharing where good quality needs to be preserved while keeping size in check.
Level 70 fits professional sharing. Level 80 is right for pre-archiving important photos.
90: Near-Lossless
- File size: 60–80% of the original.
- Quality: Almost identical to the original.
- Typical scenarios: Archival material, pre-press preparation.
Going higher than 90 rarely helps. A JPG at 100 is larger than one at 90 with no perceivable quality gain.
What the 1–99 Free Slider Is For
The nine presets cover about 90% of scenarios, but sometimes finer control is needed:
- 65: A touch better than 60, a touch smaller than 70.
- 75: A touch better than 70, a touch smaller than 80.
- 85: A touch better than 80 but still under control.
- 50 / 55: Find a better balance between 40 and 60.
Compare in Real Time to Pick the Right Level
As soon as you select an image, the app immediately compresses it at the current quality and shows:
- Original size vs compressed size (KB).
- Compression ratio (percentage).
- Real-time refresh — drag the slider and see the new result instantly.
Don't guess the level. Use your eyes to compare and pick the right one.
Recommended Levels by Content Type
| Content type | Recommended level | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Pure-text screenshots | 30–50 | Text edges need to stay sharp, but backgrounds are simple. |
| Ordinary photos | 60–75 | Balance between quality and size. |
| Portrait close-ups | 75–85 | Skin texture cannot survive low-quality compression. |
| Landscape photos | 60–80 | Lots of color gradations; below 60 shows banding. |
| Logos / design files | Use PNG instead | Vector art and flat colors don't belong in JPG. |
| Screen-recording stills | 40–60 | Heavy text and icons; low quality blurs them. |