Image Optimisation
Uploading a picture onto the web on a 543 Designs site is as simple as dragging, dropping and letting it upload....however, there are a few little tips you should remember before you upload that picture.
- Image or Gallery? Both options have their benefits. A gallery is very easy to create, and you can upload a number of photos quickly. They will automatically resize to the same size and it is nice and tidy. However, you won't be able to put text under each picture, and when it comes to mobile optimization, the pictures will be alot smaller. In mobile view an "Image" is considered one element across the screen, and so is a "Gallery". This means a gallery view on mobile will have multiple pictures across the screen (possibly very small). If you can, we recommend taking the time to upload individual images and make your own gallery.
- Picture Shape. If you are uploading as an "Image" - be sure to figure out the shape your image is going to take in its final form. If you have a number of images, you want them uniform. So think about their size and shape before uploading them. We recommend using GIMP - free software that is very similar to Photoshop. It takes a little while to figure out how to use, but is a powerful free tool.
- Picture Size. The smaller the image the faster it loads! So don't upload a gigantic 5000 x 5000 pixel image for a 200 x 200 slot! Remember you want a high quality, small file size image. To change the dimensions of an image use a service such as PicResize. On top of that, reduce the file size using something like TinyPNG. This great website lets you upload a photo and compress it down to a fraction of the size without losing any quality. See the photo below of this page compressed and the 79% reduction in size!
