Job forms, visa portals, marketplace listings and school platforms still ask for “maximum 100 KB”. Guessing quality numbers is slow. Target size tries qualities until the file fits, then keeps the largest result that is under the line.
A 4000-pixel photograph sometimes cannot reach 100 KB without looking ruined. Set a max width — 1200 pixels is plenty for an ID-style upload — and run the target again. The note on the result tells you if the encoder could not get under the limit.
How to land near 100 KB
Leave the target at 100 KB
This page selects it for you. Change it if the form asks for 200 KB or 1 MB instead. Custom kilobytes cover odd limits.
Add a max width if needed
Size in kilobytes and size in pixels are different problems. A huge image at low quality looks worse than a sensibly sized image at quality 70.
Read the result line
You will see the before and after weights. If it says the closest size was used, the limit was tighter than the picture allowed.
Limits people actually hit
Application portals
A 100 KB ceiling is still common on government and university forms. A local tool avoids uploading your passport scan to a random compressor first.
Listings and chat
Marketplaces and messengers compress again on their side. Arriving already near the limit keeps you from a second, uglier pass.
100 KB is a budget, not a quality
The same 100 KB looks fine on a simple logo and harsh on a night photo. Use the comparison slider. If faces break up, raise the target or reduce dimensions rather than accepting the first file that slips under the number.
Targets this page understands
| Target | Typical use |
|---|---|
| 100 KB | Strict forms and thumbnails |
| 200 KB | A normal web photo |
| 500 KB | A sharper hero image |
| 1 MB | A detailed photo that still has to travel |
Target-size questions
How do I compress an image to 100 KB exactly?
Use the 100 KB target. The search keeps a file under the limit when it can. It will not pad a smaller file up to 100 KB, because smaller is still acceptable to those forms.
What if the file stays above 100 KB?
Lower the max width and run it again. A photograph with millions of pixels may not have a tolerable encode at 100 KB until the pixel count drops.
Does target size upload the photo while it searches?
No. Every trial encode stays in the browser. That is why a batch of large AVIF files can take a moment.
Can I set 80 KB or 2 MB?
Yes. Choose Custom and type the kilobytes. You can also pick 200, 500 or 1000 from the menu.