How JPG compression works at this target
JPG uses lossy DCT compression tuned by a single quality parameter (0-100). A stock 3 MB smartphone JPG typically starts at quality 92. Reaching a small size target means dropping quality, and the relationship is non-linear: the first 40% size cut is nearly invisible (quality 92 → 80); the last 40% is where visible artefacts appear — mostly ringing near sharp edges (text, faces at close crop), colour banding in blue skies, and blockiness in flat backgrounds. Our compressor iterates quality downward until the size cap is met, so photos with lots of flat area hit the target at higher quality than detail-heavy ones.