The first thing you should consider is if the desired impact can actually be achieved without an image. A good design is straightforward and always produces the best results. The greatest optimization method is always to avoid using an image resource, which frequently uses a significant amount of bytes in comparison to HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and other assets on the page. However, a well-placed image can convey more information than a thousand words, so finding the right balance is up to you.
Then you should think about whether there is a substitute technology that could produce the desired results but in a more effective way:
Choose best image format
If you are certain that an image is the best choice, you need carefully choose the kind of image that will work best for the task.
- Lines, points, and polygons are used in vector graphics to represent a picture.
- Raster graphics encode the unique values of each pixel within a rectangular grid to produce a picture.
Each format offers a unique mix of benefits and drawbacks. Images made up of basic geometric shapes, such as logos, text, or icons, work best in vector formats. They are the perfect format for high-quality screens and assets that need to be displayed in many sizes since they produce sharp results at every resolution and zoom level.
Types of Image File Format
There are a few common file types that are frequently used for posting images on the web: JPEG, GIF, WebP and PNG.
- JPEG: JPEG (or.jpg) files are a very old file type for photographs. The Internet’s de facto image standard is now JPEG. JPEG photos can be significantly compressed, producing high-quality images with tiny file sizes. The JPEG format allows for reasonable quality at a little file size like the image above.
- GIF: GIF (.gif) images are used for simpler images like icons and ornamental images and are of lesser quality than JPEG images. As I’m sure you are aware, GIFs may also be animated.
GIFs are excellent for those plain, simple images on a webpage in terms of image optimization (which include just a few colors). GIFs are not always as appealing, though, as intricate graphics and photographs. This is true for huge photos in particular.
- PNG: As an alternative to GIFs, PNG images are growing in popularity. Compared to GIFs, PNGs enable a lot more colors, and unlike JPEGs, they don’t lose quality over time with repeated saves. PNG files can still be substantially larger than JPEG images, despite the fact that they are beginning to be used more frequently.
Observe how the PNG-24 image has a file size that is more than three times that of the PNG-8 image. Because of this, PNGs require extreme caution.
- TIFF: TIFF files are the best in terms of quality. They are uncompressed and hence enormously larger, so it comes at the expense of size.
- WebP: A cutting-edge image format called WebP offers greater lossless and lossy compression for pictures on the internet. Webmasters and web developers can produce smaller, richer graphics with WebP that speed up the web. When compared to PNGs, WebP lossless images are 26% less in size.
- AVIF: The Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia), in partnership with Google, Cisco, and Xiph.org, developed the still image format known as AVIF from an extraction of the keyframes from the video format AV1. Netflix has already stated that the AVIF picture format is considerably superior to the JPEG, PNG, and even the more recent WebP image formats for its image quality to compressed file size ratio. This new technology is receiving a lot of praise. It is definitely time for a fresh, cutting-edge alternative to the JPEG, making the AVIF a highly interesting development with the potential to be widely embraced.
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