Why Image Compression Matters
Images account for over 60% of the average webpage's total weight. When you compress images effectively, you dramatically improve your website's loading speed, reduce bandwidth costs, and provide a better user experience.
Lossy vs Lossless Compression
**Lossy compression** permanently removes some image data to achieve smaller file sizes. JPEG format uses this method — you can control the quality level (1–100) to balance size and quality. At quality 80, most images look identical to the original but are 60–80% smaller.
**Lossless compression** reduces file size without removing any data. PNG files benefit from lossless compression — every pixel is preserved exactly. Tools like OptiPNG or Sharp's PNG optimization apply clever encoding to make files smaller without any quality loss.