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What is the best way to shrink a large PNG screenshot that is mostly text?

Compress it to WebP, in most cases. On a text-heavy screenshot, JPEG saves little at a quality that keeps letters crisp and starts smearing their edges when you go lower, while WebP at around 80 cuts the file far more. If the text has to stay pixel-identical to the original, keep the PNG.

Published · 3 min read

Why a screenshot is not like a photo

JPEG was designed for photographs, where colors blend smoothly and the eye forgives small errors. A screenshot is all hard edges: black letters on white, buttons in flat colors. Around those edges JPEG leaves faint grey specks and smudges, and small text is exactly where you notice them first. So a screenshot needs a high JPEG quality to stay clean, and a high quality means a small saving.

Also note that the Image compressor does not save PNG. Any PNG you drop in comes out as JPEG or WebP, both of which give up some detail.

Numbers from a real test

Worked example

A test image laid out like a phone screenshot, 1170×2532, with lines of order text and a SAR total, weighing 635.2 KB as PNG. Results in Chrome:

JPEG at quality 95: 611.2 KB, only 3.8% smaller.

JPEG at quality 85: 431.1 KB, 32.1% smaller.

WebP at quality 90: 275.6 KB, 56.6% smaller.

WebP at quality 80: 222 KB, 65% smaller.

The gap is wide: WebP at 90 beats JPEG at 85 by a clear margin. That is the opposite of what you may see on an ordinary product photo, where the two sometimes land very close together.

How to check it properly

  1. Drop the screenshot into the tool, choose WebP and start at quality 80.
  2. Open the preview and zoom into the smallest text, such as tiny numbers or dates.
  3. If you see haze around the letters, raise the quality to 85 or 90.
  4. Switch to JPEG and compare both sizes in the table, so you see the result on your own screenshot.
  5. If the recipient cannot open WebP, use JPEG at 85 or higher and accept that the saving will be smaller.

When to keep the PNG

If the screenshot is evidence where every character must read exactly, like a transfer confirmation or an order number, or if it contains a QR code, do not gamble. Keep the original PNG, or crop to the part that matters to cut the size without touching the text. Compression suits screenshots you share for viewing, not ones that act as documents.

Common questions

Can the JPEG come out larger than the PNG?

Yes. A simple screenshot with few colors can already be a small PNG, and JPEG at high quality can come close to it or exceed it. The tool shows you that plainly.

Why did the transparent parts of my screenshot turn white?

JPEG cannot store transparency, so those areas are filled with the background color you choose. Pick WebP if transparency matters.

I want a smaller PNG with no loss at all. Can this tool do it?

No. This tool outputs only JPEG or WebP. To change formats for other purposes, use the Image format converter.