Optimizing images is one of those things that’s not all that fun to do, but it’s really important to do. In the video above I walk you thru how I optimize images using Adobe Photoshop. Photoshop does cost money and it can be a giant and unwieldy program because there are so many things that it can do. The one tool it in that I find to be incredibly valuable and surprisingly easy to use is the Save for web function. Check out the video and I’ll walk you thru how to use it.
What does optimizing your images mean and why do I need to do it?
The process of optimizing your images is basically making the image file size, download size, the absolute smallest possible while still having a good looking image. You want your images to be as small as possible because on most peoples websites then number one factor is page load time is the images that they have on their page.
Having your webpages load quickly is good for your viewers they aren’t waiting around. It’s also a metric used in determining your search ranking.
The main factors in image optimization are the actual dimensions of your images width and hight and then the type of compression used.
The general rule of thumb is to use JPEG compression for photos and then PNG for graphics. If you want your images to have a transparent element or background you will have to use PNG-24 and select transparency and an option.
Check out the video above and I’ll walk you thru how to optimize your images using photoshop.
Hello,
have you used a service like imagify? They say they can reduce image file sizes even better than Photoshop. Or their plug-in for WordPress?
I haven’t tried that. I probably should…. Most of those services just seem so expensive. If you are doing multiple posts a week with lots of images I think that they make sense. If you post less frequently it seems like a lot of money to spend just to compress a couple of images.