Why optimize digital images?

Because the default settings of a digital camera are intended for a printer, the need to optimize an image for a website and monitor is essential to reducing file size so images load faster when a visitor comes to a website. This does not mean the image will not look good on a computer monitor. The images that come out of most digital cameras are huge. In fact, the dimensions greatly exceed the size of most monitors.

How can I optimize an image?

The preferred method for optimizing images is by reducing image quality. And depending on the image format, there are a few different ways to do this. For jpeg images, this is done by directly reducing the quality. For other image formats such as gif, you can reduce quality by opting for a smaller color palette.

Which websites can help me optimize images?

Websites that offer image optimization tools that are most compatible with our eCommerce software are listed below.

• Dynamic Drive Optimizer
• Image Optimizer
• Web Resizer

What are the steps I should take?

Normally, the process to optimize an image is broken up into these simple steps.

1. Upload an image from your computer
2. Make advanced modifications (i.e. resize, crop, image format, level of optimization)
3. Optimize image
4. Compare the file size and quality settings
5. Save the optimized image
6. Upload images to the "content" tab in your store