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Why Does Canva Reduce Image Quality?

Last updated on December 3, 2022 @ 6:49 am

When you upload an image to Canva, it automatically reduces the file size by compressing it. This compression comes at a cost: some detail is lost and the image’s overall quality decreases.

The amount of detail lost and the level of quality reduction depends on the degree of compression applied to the image.

In order to reduce file size, Canva applies what’s called “lossy” compression to images. This type of compression uses algorithms that selectively discard data in order to achieve a smaller file size.

The trade-off is that some data is lost in the process, which results in a lower quality image.

The degree of compression applied to an image is known as its “compression ratio.” A low compression ratio means that less data is discarded, resulting in a higher quality image with a larger file size. A high compression ratio means that more data is discarded, resulting in a lower quality image with a smaller file size.

Canva’s default settings apply a moderate amount of compression to images, with a compression ratio of around 60%. This results in some loss of detail and a noticeable decrease in quality, but the file size is reduced by about 70%.

PRO TIP: If you are using Canva to create images for your website or blog, be aware that Canva may reduce the quality of your images. This is because Canva uses a lossy compression algorithm, which means that some of the information in your image will be lost when it is compressed. This can lead to lower quality images, and if you are not careful, you may end up with images that are pixelated or blurry.

If you need to further reduce the file size of your image without compromising too much on quality, you can choose to apply a higher degree of compression. This will result in a more noticeable loss of detail and further reduction in quality, but the file size will be even smaller.

Why Does Canva Reduce Image Quality?

As mentioned earlier, Canva reduces image quality because it uses lossy compression algorithms which selectively discard data in order to achieve a smaller file size.

The degree of compression applied to an image is known as its “compression ratio.” A low compression ratio means that less data is discarded, resulting in a higher quality image with a larger file size.

Morgan Bash

Morgan Bash

Technology enthusiast and Co-Founder of Women Coders SF.