Writing

Notes on file formats, compression, and why we do the work on your device.

• 21 August 2026Most HEIC converters upload your photos. Here's why.Browsers can't decode HEIC natively, so nearly every converter sends your photo to a server. There is another option, and it matters more than it sounds.
• 21 August 2026How to make a PDF smaller (and why most tools barely help)PDF size is almost always caused by embedded images. Here is how to find out what is making yours large, and what actually reduces it.
• 21 August 2026How to merge PDFs without uploading them anywhereCombining PDFs is easy. Doing it without handing your contracts and tax documents to an unknown server takes one extra consideration.
• 21 August 2026Reading a JWT safely: what's inside, and what never to pasteA JSON Web Token is readable by anyone holding it. Here is what the three parts contain, and why no website should ever ask for your signing key.
• 21 August 2026WebP vs JPEG vs PNG: which one to actually useA practical guide to choosing an image format, including the two mistakes that make files far larger than they need to be.
• 21 August 2026The metadata your files carry without telling youPDFs, photos and documents all embed information you never typed. Here is what is in there and how to check before you send something.
• 21 August 2026Why online file tools upload your files, and why ours don'tMost web file tools send your document to a server. That is a choice about cost, not a technical necessity — and it has consequences.
• 21 August 2026Why your PDF won't merge, and how to fix itPassword protection, broken form fields and missing pages have specific causes. Here is how to tell which one you have hit.