The quality slider is the most important compression setting. Understanding it helps you find the perfect balance between file size and quality.
What is Quality Setting?
Quality (0-100%) controls how aggressively the image is compressed:
- 100%: Minimal compression, near-original
- 80%: Good balance for most uses
- 50%: Aggressive compression, visible loss
- 20%: Maximum compression, significant loss
Quality vs File Size
| Quality | Typical File Size | Visual Quality |
|---|---|---|
| 100% | Large (~500 KB) | Perfect |
| 85% | Medium (~200 KB) | Excellent |
| 70% | Small (~100 KB) | Good |
| 50% | Very Small (~50 KB) | Acceptable |
| 30% | Tiny (~25 KB) | Visible artifacts |
Sizes vary by image content
How Quality Affects Images
High Quality (85-100%)
- Minimal visible difference from original
- Larger files
- Safe for any use
Medium Quality (60-80%)
- Slight softening
- Much smaller files
- Good for web and social
Low Quality (30-50%)
- Visible compression artifacts
- Very small files
- Only for thumbnails or previews
Recommended Settings
| Use Case | Quality |
|---|---|
| Archival/Professional | 90-100% |
| General web | 75-85% |
| Social media | 70-80% |
| Thumbnails | 60-70% |
| Email attachments | 70-80% |
Finding Your Sweet Spot
- Start at 80%.
- Check the result.
- If file size is okay, increase to 85%.
- If size needs to be smaller, try 70%.
- Iterate until satisfied.
Using Quality in Rune
- Upload image to Rune's Image Compressor.
- Adjust quality slider.
- View before/after comparison.
- Check file size reduction.
- Download when satisfied.
Conclusion
Quality settings control the size/quality tradeoff. Rune's Image Compressor gives you precise control with real-time feedback.