Does Flickr recompress JPEGs you upload?
Asked 5/26/2011
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If I upload a JPEG to Flickr, does Flickr recompress or otherwise alter the original file? I know TIFF uploads are converted to JPEG, but I’m trying to understand whether it’s better for image quality to upload a high-quality JPEG or upload a TIFF and let Flickr create the JPEG. I’m also curious whether resized viewing versions are treated differently from the original.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
15y ago
2 Answers
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If you upload a JPEG, Flickr does not modify the Original-size image in any way, apart from changing the filename.
I tested it out by uploading a full-size, 100% quality JPEG to Flickr then re-downloading the Original size image and comparing it with the original (using a comparison tool called Beyond Compare). The two files are identical, byte for byte. That means not only has the image not been compressed but all the original metadata (Exif etc.) is also intact.
I also tested a TIFF and the Original image on Flickr is a JPEG. So in the case of TIFFs, they are compressed. (All JPEGs are compressed so some extent, even if you choose 100% quality - hence the size difference between JPEG and an equivalent TIFF.)
Originally by user3644. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user3644
15y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Flickr appears to keep an uploaded JPEG’s original-size file unchanged, aside from possibly renaming it. One user tested this by uploading a full-size JPEG, downloading the Original version, and finding it identical byte-for-byte, with metadata intact.
However, Flickr does generate resized versions for display, and those are processed as web-friendly JPEGs. So while the Original JPEG can remain untouched, the smaller viewing sizes are recompressed/resized.
If you upload a TIFF, Flickr converts it to JPEG for the Original-size version on Flickr, so that file is compressed as part of the conversion.
Practical takeaway: if your goal is preserving the exact file you made, upload a high-quality JPEG. Uploading a TIFF won’t avoid JPEG compression on Flickr, because Flickr will convert it anyway. TIFF may still be useful as an upload format if you want an offsite backup, but not for getting a higher-quality Flickr JPEG than you’d make yourself.
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