Guides

The background behind the tools — why limits exist, what compression costs you, and what your files are carrying that you cannot see.

Why upload forms reject your photo A megabyte means two different numbers, which is why a file your computer calls 2 MB fails a 2 MB limit. What the limits you meet in the wild actually are, and how to land under one without wrecking the picture. Start here
Getting a photo through an application portal Job, visa and government forms check four things independently, and the error message usually names only the first one you failed. The order to satisfy them in. Practical
Dimensions and file size are not the same thing "Maximum 600 × 600 pixels" and "maximum 200 KB" are unrelated limits. An image can pass one and fail the other, and DPI has nothing to do with either. Explainer
Making an image smaller without wrecking it You cannot shrink a photograph with zero loss, but most of the size comes off before anything is visible. Where the free savings are, and the order things break in when you push past them. Explainer
Which image format should you actually use? JPG, PNG, WebP, AVIF, HEIC and GIF each fail at something. A decision guide organised by what you are doing and who has to open the file. Reference
Why your phone photos are so large Twelve megapixels, HDR gain maps, depth data and Live Photo video. What is actually in that 5 MB, and which camera settings change it at the source. Explainer
Preparing images for a website that loads fast Images are most of a page's weight. Which format, what dimensions, and the two HTML attributes that matter more than the quality slider. For site owners
What compressing an image actually destroys Lossy compression throws detail away permanently and stacks the damage every time you re-save. Why sharp edges suffer most, and why converting to PNG does not undo it. Explainer
Your photos carry your location Phone photos store GPS coordinates accurate to a few metres, plus timestamps and device details, invisibly. Who can read it, how to check, and why re-encoding removes it. Privacy