Images are often the biggest files on a page, which makes them one of the clearest opportunities to improve the experience.
Speed is a design detail
When an image arrives sooner, the whole page feels more intentional. The headline settles faster, the layout shifts less, and people can start reading while the rest of the page catches up.
That is why compression is not just an infrastructure concern. It is part of the interface.
Start with the original
The best export depends on the source: a photograph, a transparent illustration, and a screenshot each have different needs. Keep the original safe, then choose a format and quality level for the job in front of you.
Small files are useful when they still look like the image you meant to share.
A practical rule
Resize images to the largest size they will actually be displayed, remove metadata that should not travel with the file, and compare the result before downloading it.
For a quick before-and-after check, use the online image compressor or start with the resize and compress tool when the original dimensions are larger than the layout needs.
