Compress and convert images
CompressX has two image modules. Image Compressor makes images smaller. Image Converter changes their format. Both run on all platforms, need no extra tools, and take many files at once.
Compress images
On the home screen, select Image Compressor.
Add images: click the drop box or drag files onto it.
The box lists the formats it accepts. Files of other types are skipped, and a message says how many.
Pick a preset, or set the options yourself (see below).
Select Compress at the bottom. The button shows the number of files, for example Compress 3 files.
Select a finished row to compare the original and the result side by side.
New files get _compressed added to their name and are saved next to the originals, or in the output folder you chose in Settings.
WARNING
If you turned off Keep original files in Settings, the image modules permanently delete each original after it is processed successfully.
Presets
| Preset | Quality | Longest side | Target size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Email (< 1 MB) | 80 | unchanged | 1 MB, as JPG |
| 75 | 1600 px | none | |
| 85 | 1080 px | none | |
| Website | 72 | 1920 px | none |
| Max compression | 40 | 1280 px | none |
| Best quality | 95 | unchanged | none |
Changing Quality, Max dimension or Target size (JPG) afterwards deselects the preset.
Options
- Quality (1–100). Used for JPG output: lower means a smaller file with more visible loss. It starts at the Default quality from Settings (80 unless you changed it).
- Format. Keep original saves in the same format, or choose JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP, TIFF or ICO.
- Max dimension. Original, 3840 px, 1920 px, 1280 px or 800 px. Larger images are scaled down so neither side is longer; smaller ones are not enlarged.
- Target size (JPG). None, 100 KB, 250 KB, 500 KB or 1 MB. CompressX finds the best JPG quality that fits under the size, and scales the image down if even the lowest quality is too big. The output is always JPG, and the Quality slider is turned off.
- Remove metadata (EXIF). Removes the hidden data a camera stores in a photo, such as the camera model, the date and sometimes the GPS location.
TIP
Remove EXIF data before you share photos publicly. It can contain the place where a photo was taken.
When a file does not get smaller
When you only re-encode an image (no resizing, no metadata removal) and the result is not smaller than the original, the compressor tries lower JPG quality (down to 40). If that still does not help, it keeps the original bytes, and the row says already optimized, original kept.
A file already under the chosen Target size (JPG) is left as it is.
PNG is lossless, so the Quality slider does not change a PNG. To shrink a PNG photo a lot, choose JPG as the format or use Max dimension.
Convert images
On the home screen, select Image Converter.
Add images.
Choose the output Format. It starts at JPG.
Select Convert, for example Convert 2 files.
Converted files get _converted added to their name. The converter has the same options as the compressor, but no presets. Unlike the compressor, the converter may produce a bigger file, which is normal when you convert to a lossless format such as PNG or BMP.
Formats
CompressX reads JPG, PNG, WEBP, GIF, BMP, TIFF, ICO, TGA, PSD and PNM files. It writes JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP, TIFF and ICO. It cannot write WEBP: with Keep original, a WEBP image is saved as JPG. HEIC photos are not accepted.
Manage the list
- Remove from list (the cross on a row) takes one file out of the list.
- Clear list (top right) empties the list.
- Selecting the button again processes only files that are not finished yet.
On Android, a finished row has a Share button instead of Copy output path.