Fit a file

How to compress an image for an upload limit

To make an image fit an upload limit, check the required format and dimensions first, enter the maximum KB, then inspect the measured result. A smaller byte count is useful only if the image is still readable.

Reviewed

Start with the actual upload instructions

Write down the maximum bytes or KB, accepted formats, and any exact or maximum dimensions. A 200 KB limit and a 300 × 300 pixel requirement are separate constraints; one does not imply the other.

FileFit uses decimal units: 1 KB is 1,000 bytes and 1 MB is 1,000,000 bytes. Enter 200 KB for a maximum of 200,000 bytes. Some destinations count differently, so compare the downloaded file against the destination’s own requirements.

Choose the least destructive change that fits

  1. Open Compress Image or the 100, 200, or 500 KB preset matching your limit.
  2. Keep original dimensions when no dimension rule applies. JPG or WebP quality can be reduced before pixels are removed; PNG does not use a lossy quality setting.
  3. If the limit is still unreachable, reduce dimensions when allowed. For exact dimensions, use crop or padding deliberately rather than stretching.
  4. Read small text and inspect edges in the result. Do not submit a file just because its size indicator is green.

Understand what the quality percentage means

The percentage is an encoder setting, not a measured promise about visual fidelity. Different formats and browsers can behave differently at the same number. FileFit searches a bounded set of settings; it does not prove a globally optimal result.

JPG and the WebP output used here are lossy. PNG encoding is lossless, but resizing, cropping, and contrast adjustment still change the pixels. Re-encoding also removes metadata; an original returned unchanged retains its original metadata.

If the upload is still rejected

Check that the new file was selected rather than the original. Confirm format, actual bytes, width, height, orientation, and any naming rule. If the output is over the target, FileFit marks that explicitly.

For text scans or signatures, try cropping unnecessary margins before lowering quality further. If the exact dimensions and strict limit cannot coexist with legibility, obtain a better source or ask the receiving service which requirement can change.

Try the relevant tools

Sources and implementation

Tool behavior is documented in How FileFit works. Examples are instructional, not a promise about every file. Report a correction.