Image optimization is a way to reduce image sizes. Images take less space on server space or hard drive. Small sized images also load quickly on browser.

Popular raster images that are used in graphic and web designs are GIF, PNG, JPEG, BMP etc. If you have idea about using these image formats, you will notice that use of BMP image is very less compared to other image formats. Why? Bitmap image of a picture take more size than the same picture in JPEG format. PNG image format comes with more development on GIF images and have image optimization feature. If you convert GIF images to PNG format, the size of image will automatically reduce.

How image quality gets affected by image optimization?

Images can be compressed and can be shortened in size. But the quality of image change with image optimization. More you optimize your image, less quality the image will have. Consider working with images in Adobe Photoshop. When you are using Save or Save As to save image in JPEG format you can compress the image. You have to reduce the image quality for that (maximum quality is 12). You can set high, medium and low option as per image quality. For saving the image for web, you can optimize the image also. The standard for web graphics can be set between 60-80% (maximum 100% for Adobe Photoshop).

While optimizing to different image qualities, find the right compression ratio in which your optimized image looks best. This ratio is very important as your image will be compressed and yet retain its quality.

Compressing GIF images is not easy, but GIF images compress themselves automatically when loaded on smaller space on browser. And GIF images adjust themselves as per available web color standards.

For optimizing images color concept also matters. There is a simple rule for applying colors in image compression. If you use fewer colors, your image will take less size. If a GIF image is used to fit less number of colors, the image will be automatically resized. Don’t optimize your image to less than 16-color bit.

The obvious benefit of image compression allows you to design and load more images on your disk and server. Quick load time of images allows the webpage for easy loading on browser. Image optimization can indirectly help for quick navigation of web pages. Make sure you have the software for optimizing images. And you should have colour sense and design basics. If you have them both, start experimenting with image compression and generate small sized good quality images.

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