How to Compress Photos on Mac to Reduce File Size
Reduce photo file size on Mac by resizing dimensions, choosing WebP/JPEG/AVIF, and setting sensible quality - without turning product images into mush.
To compress photos on a Mac, first resize to the largest size you actually need, then export with a modern format and a quality setting that still looks sharp. Compression alone helps, but combining smaller dimensions with smart encoding usually cuts file size far more.
Two levers: pixels and encoding
- Dimensions: a 6000px phone photo does not need to be 6000px on a product page.
- Encoding: JPEG quality, WebP, or AVIF control how much detail is discarded.
Practical steps
- Decide the max display width (for example 1200-2000px for web).
- Resize with aspect ratio locked.
- Export as WebP or JPEG; try AVIF when your stack supports it.
- Start near quality 75-85 and compare side by side.
- Strip GPS if you are publishing publicly and do not need location data.
How much compression is too much?
If you see banding in skies, muddy text on packaging, or blocky edges on logos, raise quality or switch formats. Logos and UI often need PNG or lossless WebP. Photos tolerate lossy compression better.
Batch compression
For folders of images, apply one preset across the set so every export hits the same size and quality targets. That is faster and more consistent than compressing files one at a time in Preview.
Why Freshly Squeezed
Freshly Squeezed is a Mac-native batch image app built for real ecommerce and design workflows. Resize, crop, convert, and optimize in one place, save presets (including crop placement), and automate with Drop Folders that process images from the menu bar.
It supports JPEG, PNG, PNG-8, HEIC, WebP, and AVIF. Images stay on your Mac. Pricing is a one-time US$6.99 purchase with a 7-day free trial - no subscription.
Download for Mac