Image guides
28 articles on the image problems people run into most, and how to solve them.
Troubleshooting8
- TroubleshootingWebP to JPG
3 ways to fix a WebP file that will not open
Why a WebP image you downloaded refuses to open, and how to fix it. Convert to JPG, open it in a browser, or install the codec — pick whichever suits your situation.
Read more → - TroubleshootingHEIC to JPG
How to open iPhone HEIC photos on Windows
What to do when photos copied from an iPhone (HEIC) will not open on Windows. Covers converting to JPG and changing your iPhone's camera setting.
Read more → - TroubleshootingImage compressor
Why photos lose quality when you send them in a messaging app
Why KakaoTalk, WhatsApp, LINE and similar apps degrade the photos you send, how to send at original quality, and the file size and privacy trade-offs that come with it.
Read more → - TroubleshootingAll-in-one converter
If your transparent background keeps disappearing
Why saving a transparent PNG turns the background white or black, and how to convert formats while keeping the transparency intact.
Read more → - TroubleshootingAll-in-one converter
Renaming the extension is not converting
Why changing .webp to .jpg in the file name leaves you with a file that still will not open. The difference between renaming an extension and converting a format.
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How to copy text from an image without retyping it
Why can't you select the words in a photo? How to extract text (OCR) from photos, screenshots and scans in your browser, plus tips for better accuracy.
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Why your photos keep showing up sideways
You shot it upright, but it uploads lying on its side. The culprit is the EXIF orientation tag. Why programs disagree about which way is up, and how to fix it for good.
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How to join several photos into one image
Stitching split screenshots, front and back product shots, or before-and-after pairs into a single image — including how to keep it sharp when the photos are different sizes.
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Format comparison4
- Format comparisonAll-in-one converter
WebP vs JPG vs PNG vs AVIF: which format should you use?
The differences between JPG, PNG, WebP and AVIF, and how to choose between them. Find the right format for photos, logos, web uploads and long-term storage.
Read more → - Format comparisonGIF to WebP
Why converting GIF to WebP is worth it
GIF dates from 1987, and its 256-colour limit and large file sizes show it. Here is what you gain by converting to WebP, and what to watch out for.
Read more → - Format comparisonAVIF converter
AVIF explained: the next-generation image format
The strengths and weaknesses of AVIF, how browser support looks today, how it compares with WebP, and what to do when an AVIF file will not open.
Read more → - Format comparisonAll-in-one converter
Working with the TIFF files your scanner produces
What makes scanner and fax TIFF files different, and how to convert those large files into the JPG and PNG formats that are easier to work with.
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Reducing file size5
- Reducing file sizeImage compressor
How to reduce photo file size without wrecking quality
Three ways to shrink a photo when you hit an email attachment or upload limit. Adjust resolution, then format, then quality, and you keep quality loss to a minimum.
Read more → - Reducing file sizeImage compressor
Managing the size of your phone photos
Why a single phone photo now runs to 5-10MB, and practical ways to keep that under control for storage and sharing.
Read more → - Reducing file sizeImage resizer
Resizing photos without losing quality
What actually happens to quality when you shrink an image versus when you enlarge it, and how to keep the loss to a minimum when resizing.
Read more → - Reducing file sizeImage compressor
How to get a photo under 2MB
When the form says “2MB maximum”. Instead of nudging a quality slider over and over, type the size you need and let the tool find the quality.
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Compress a PDF without losing the text
When a scanned document is too big to upload. How to shrink it by re-encoding only the photos inside, so the text stays copyable and searchable.
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Web optimization2
- Web optimizationAll-in-one converter
A guide to optimizing blog and website images
How image optimization improves your site's loading speed and search ranking. Recommended dimensions, format choices and file size targets.
Read more → - Web optimizationJPG to WebP
Convert your WordPress images to WebP and the site gets faster
Images are the most common reason a WordPress site is slow. Here is the practical way to convert them to WebP before uploading and lift your speed scores.
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Size guides5
- Size guidesImage resizer
Social media image sizes, all in one place
The image sizes you actually need — Instagram feed and stories, YouTube thumbnails, blog featured images — and the fastest way to match them.
Read more → - Size guidesImage resizer
Product photos for online stores: sizes and file sizes
Recommended product image sizes for online marketplaces, and how to optimize your images so the product page does not crawl.
Read more → - Size guidesImage resizer
Profile picture sizes, all in one place
Recommended profile picture sizes for the major services, and how to make one that still looks right after it is cropped into a circle.
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Favicon sizes: which files you need, and at what px
The little icon in the browser tab needs more than one file. Which sizes to prepare (ICO, PNG, Apple touch icon), how to design the source image, and how to add them to your HTML.
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How to make an ID photo at home
A 3×4cm ID photo is not the same as a 3.5×4.5cm passport photo. Here is how to get the size right, what to watch when shooting at home, and how to print several from one 4×6.
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Privacy4
- PrivacyMetadata remover
Strip the location data from your photos before you post
Phone photos record where and when they were taken. Here is the risk that creates when you sell items online or post to social media, and how to remove the metadata.
Read more → - Privacy
How to hide faces and plates in a photo
Hiding the address in a marketplace photo, a bystander's face, a licence plate. The more sensitive the photo, the less it should be uploaded to somebody else's server.
Read more → - Privacy
How to watermark photos so they are harder to steal
Cutting down on your photos showing up in other people's listings: where to put a watermark, how strong to make it, and what it cannot do for you.
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Merging PDFs without uploading them
When paperwork has to arrive as one file. How to combine contracts and bank statements in your browser instead of on someone else's server — and how to pull out just the pages you need.
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