Google's JPEG encoder reduces image size by 35%, could help you save mobile data in the future

Google’s new open source image compression algorithm is capable of reducing the size of JPEG files by 35 percent, without compromising image quality too much, and the results it produces are compatible with all web browsers and image editing software.

Called Guetzli, which is apparently Swiss German for cookie, the new JPEG encoder does its magic during the so-called quantization stage of image compression, which is when the encoder tries to strike a balance between removing detail to keep size down, without obliterating the source image.

Guetzli uses what Google’s calling a “psychovisual model” to reduce file size, which approximates color perception and “visual masking” more thoroughly than other encoders. This, however, comes at a cost, and in this case that’s time, as Guetzli is decidedly slower than other image compression methods out there.

Check out these examples to get a better idea of how Guetzli works: