How to Compress Images on Mac — The Complete Guide

Learn how to compress JPEG, PNG, WebP, HEIC, and AVIF images on Mac without losing quality. Step-by-step guide using Zipic, the best Mac image compression tool.

Large image files slow down websites, fill up hard drives, and make sharing a pain. If you’re on a Mac, Zipic makes image compression effortless — supporting JPEG, PNG, WebP, HEIC, AVIF, TIFF, ICNS, PDF, and JPEG-XL in one native app.

Zipic main window on macOS showing compression history and results

Here’s everything you need to get started.

Choose Your Compression Preset

Before compressing, pick a preset that matches your goal. Zipic’s preset system lets you save different configurations for different workflows — web optimization, email sharing, archival quality, and more.

Zipic compression preset selection window with compression level and format options

Level 1 — Minimal compression, virtually no quality loss. Best for archival.
Level 2-3 — Recommended for most users. Great balance of size and quality.
Level 4-5 — Aggressive compression for maximum space savings.

Tip: Start with the default preset. You can always fine-tune later.

For the full guide on presets and compression options, see the Basic Image Compression documentation.

Compression Methods

Zipic fits into your macOS workflow with multiple compression triggers. Here are the key methods with live demos.

Drag and Drop

The simplest way — drag images or entire folders from Finder straight into the Zipic window.

Notch Drop (Pro)

Zipic’s signature feature. Drag files toward the top of your screen and a drop zone appears — release to compress instantly, without even opening the main window.

Zipic Notch Drop settings — enable drag to notch for compression

Right-click any image in Finder, select Open With → Zipic, and it compresses with your current preset.

More Methods

Zipic also supports:

Raycast Extension — Compress from the Raycast command palette without switching apps. See the Raycast Extension guide.
Paste Compression (Pro) — Copy an image, press ⌘+V in Zipic, done.
URL Scheme & Shortcuts — Automate compression via macOS Shortcuts or terminal commands. See Integrating Zipic into your workflow.

Choose the Right Format

Zipic can convert between formats during compression. Pick the right output format for your use case:

Zipic format conversion options — JPEG, WebP, PNG, AVIF, HEIC, JPEG-XL

Format	Best For	Transparency	Typical Savings
JPEG	Photos, web images	No	60-80%
PNG	Screenshots, graphics	Yes	10-30% (lossless)
WebP	Web-optimized images	Yes	25-35% vs JPEG
AVIF	Next-gen web	Yes	30-50% vs JPEG
HEIC	Apple ecosystem	Yes	Similar to AVIF
JPEG-XL	Future-proof archival	Yes	Best overall

For web use, WebP and AVIF offer the best compression-to-quality ratio. For Apple ecosystem sharing, HEIC is the native choice.

Here’s a quick demo of batch format conversion:

For detailed format comparison and recommendations, see the Image Compression Formats documentation.

Batch Compression and Folder Monitoring

Don’t process files one by one — drag entire folders into Zipic to compress everything inside. Mix formats freely; Zipic handles JPEG, PNG, WebP, and more in a single batch.

For ongoing workflows, set up folder monitoring — Zipic watches a directory and automatically compresses any new images added to it.

Learn how to set up automated folder monitoring in the Directory Monitoring guide.

Resize While Compressing

Need thumbnails or web-sized images? Zipic can resize during compression — set a target width or height, and the aspect ratio is preserved automatically.

Zipic resize options — set target width and height while maintaining aspect ratio

See the full Resizing Images documentation for all options.

Save Options

Control where compressed files go:

Replace original — Overwrite the source file
Subfolder — Save to a subfolder next to the original
Custom folder — Pick any destination directory
Add suffix — Keep the original, save a copy with a suffix like _compressed

Details on all save modes: Configuring Save Options.

Get Started

Zipic is free to download and works on macOS out of the box.

Download Zipic
Drag it to Applications
Drop your first image in and see the results

Upgrade to Zipic Pro for Notch Drop, paste compression, folder monitoring, unlimited presets, and the side-by-side comparison preview.

For the full feature documentation, visit docs.zipic.app.