Line25 is reader supported. At no cost to you a commission from sponsors may be earned when a purchase is made via links on the site. Learn more
Choose the Right Image Format
In designing a website, high-quality images are especially indispensable as they play an important role in conveying visual messages and, at the same time, improving user experience. However, employing high-quality images can likely cause a drawback in designing a functional and effective website. Why? It is because high-quality images translate to higher resolution images which means larger file sizes, and all of this will lead to the inevitable end; slower loading times. Hence, high-quality images are often the leading cause of poor site performance. Failing to optimize images is one of the main reasons why some sites have lower search engine rankings.
Optimizing images for the web is crucial for improving website performance and enhancing user experience. In this guide, we will walk you through the essential steps to properly optimize images for web:
Load fast or lose visitors — image optimization is key.
When creating images, you are often given the choice to export the image file using your preferred image format. The most common image formats you will notice include JPEG/JPG, PNG, and GIF. Now, each of these image formats serve a different purpose. Here’s what you need to understand for each of these formats before you proceed with optimizing images for your site:
- JPEG/JPG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) – JPEGs are the most common image format. They are often used best for images that have a spectrum of complex colors. They offer a good balance of quality and file size; meaning, they provide a decent image quality with a smaller file size. This format is widely supported so it will likely work for most of the images you use in your site. Though, be reminded that some JPEGs cannot maintain the quality of the image if the file size is significantly reduced.
Moreover, JPEGs will not work with images with transparent backgrounds, simply because this image format does not support transparency. If you plan to use images with transparent backgrounds, you may do so by using the next file format.
2. PNG (Portable Network Graphics) – If you do not have complex colors in your images, it would be best to export them as PNG. This file format is preferred for graphics that need to remain sharp like logos, icons, or other simple illustrations. As mentioned, this format is also best for images that require transparency. A PNG works best in retaining the quality of an image while also making room for reduction in file size. Though, you should use this format sparingly with images that have complex colors since PNGs generally have larger file sizes compared to other image formats.
3. GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) – A GIF is an animated image format primarily used for animated graphics with fewer colors. Though GIFs are supported by most web browsers, they only support a limited color palette with 256 colors so you might have to use them selectively. Nevertheless, this image format supports both animation and transparency which can be compressed to reduce the file size.
4. SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) – A SVG is a vector-based image format, perfect for scalable graphics. SVGs can be scaled at any size and will not lose their sharp quality, making them ideal to respond across various screen sizes. While SVGs generally have smaller file sizes, they may still result in larger file sizes if highly detailed and complex images are used.
In selecting the appropriate image format, there is a need to assess the image type and the need for transparency or animation in order to determine the level of compression needed to achieve the perfect balance of quality and performance.
Every KB counts — optimize your images, boost performance.
Resize Images
Unnecessary use of oversized images leads to larger file sizes which will then contribute to slower loading times. One of the ways to optimize your images without exerting too much effort is to resize them before uploading them to the site. Most images have dimensions that are often much larger than you need. Thus, using these images without cropping or resizing them will unnecessarily contribute to larger file sizes which translate to a decreased site speed. Hence, it is important to resize images to match the exact dimensions needed on your website. You can use image editing tools like Adobe Photoshop or GIMP for resizing. Though, you may also use simpler online editing tools like Canva or Squoosh if you prefer to do so.
Faster load times start with smarter images.
Compress Images
There is another step you could do to optimize your images without a noticeable loss of quality which is to compress them. There are two types of compression which are the following:
- Lossy Compression. This compression type significantly reduces the file size by discarding some data or elements from the image. Since some data is removed, it may affect the quality of the image but it is often not noticeable. This is ideal for JPEG (JPG) images.
2. Lossless Compression. This compression type preserves the original quality or data of the image but it may result in a larger file size which can affect the speed of your website. This is ideal for PNG or GIF formats.
If you want to compress your images, there are online tools available that you can use like TinyPNG, Image Optimizer, and Squoosh to compress images efficiently.
Your site deserves visuals that don’t slow it down.
Implement “Lazy Loading”
Lazy loading is a technique that delays the loading of images until they are needed. When users open a site, they may often take some time scrolling down provided they start at the top of the page. Implementing lazy loading will give the impression that the site appears to have faster loading images since it instructs the browser to only load an image when it comes to the view of the user as they scroll through the page.
The primary way to implement lazy loading is through a HTML attribute. Basically, you add the loading=”lazy” attribute in <img> (image) tags.
Other complex implementations of lazy loading may be done using JavaScript or CSS.
Let’s make your website beautiful and lightning fast.
Use Image Optimization Plugins
When attempting image optimization for websites, there are times you might be required to perform coding. However, some platforms like WordPress or Shopify have image optimization plugins that can automate the process. Though, the accessibility of these plugins will still largely depend on the platform that you will use. Regardless, these plugins will do the optimization work for you like compressing images, converting file formats, changing file sizes, etc. Some popular plugins include Smush, Imagify, and TinyIMG.
While image optimization plugins will do the hard work for you, some plugins may also give you the option to manually modify the images to your preference.
Your images shouldn’t be slowing down your success.
To Sum Things Up
By following these steps, there is no doubt that your website’s performance and SEO rankings will significantly boost in no time. Remember to regularly optimize images for web using the latest tools or techniques to maintain the site’s efficiency and functionality. When optimizing images for the web, there is no need to sacrifice the quality of the images; you certainly can closely maintain the original quality of the images with the right optimization tools. “Quality images” and a “better site performance”; that picture is certainly the best ending for your website!
Common Questions about How to Optimize Images for Web: A Step-by-Step Guide
Optimise for web.
Open your file and click File > Save for Web. To optimise for a specific file size, click Optimise to File Size. Enter your file size or select your file type. You can also use the current settings image to optimise to your current file.
TL;DR: To optimize images for the web, make sure to leverage tactics like proper file naming, adding alt text for accessibility, selecting next-gen formats, applying image compression, utilizing CDNs for faster delivery, and more.
Photos should use a JPG file format whereas logos and simple illustrations should use PNG or SVG files. Keep in mind, JPG and PNGs can also have the same quality and smaller file size with the lesser-known format, WebP.
- Choose the Right Image Format. …
- Compress Images. …
- Specify Image Dimensions. …
- Use Responsive Images with <picture> and srcset. …
- Lazy Loading Images. …
- Use Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) …
- Optimize Image Resolution. …
- Implement Image Caching.
- Optimize images. …
- Limit the number of HTTP requests. …
- Use browser HTTP caching. …
- Remove unnecessary render-blocking JavaScript. …
- Limit the use of external scripts. …
- Limit redirect usage.
- Minify CSS and JavaScript files. …
- Use effective third-party services for important website functions.
