Image compression is not something that every user out there is required to deal with. However, when we’re talking about huge numbers of photos, a good image compressor can prove to be a life saver.
Curtail is a nicely designed and efficient image compressor for Linux that gets the job done flawlessly. Previously dubbed ImCompressor, Curtail is an app mainly designed for GNOME (but should work without issues on all Linux distributions) inspired by various similar apps such as Trimage and Image Optimizer.
Effortlessly compress scores of images on Linux
Curtail supports PNG, JPEG, and WEBP files, and is capable of performing both lossless and lossy compression. It also allows you to keep or delete the medata of images, save compressed images into new files, and add prefixes.
One of the best features of Curtail is the fact that it provides very good control over the compression process. For instance, you can choose the lossy compression levels for PNGs, JPGs, and WEBPs anywhere from 0 to 100.
The app has other advanced features as well. For example, you can choose both the PNG and WEBP Lossless Compression levels, however, do keep in mind that the higher the number the longer the overall compression process is. From the Advanced tab (in the Settings section), you can also enable or disable the Progressive Encode JPG feature.
Usage and installation
Since curtail is an open-source app, you can build it from source from the project’s main GitHub page. If you want a more convenient procedure, you can also install it from Flathub.
Using Curtail is pretty much a walk in the park. You can either drag and drop images directly onto the app’s interface, or use the app’s built-in “Browse your files” feature. The main section of the app also allows you to quickly toggle between the two compression modes (Lossless and Lossy).
Verdict
Curtail may not seem like a very advanced image compressor, but the reality is that it delivers a lot of features.
In short, this little app is more than meets the eye boasting a fast and efficient compression engine, a sleek GUI (with Dark Mode included), and enough customization options to help you find that perfect balance of compression for your photos.
