Module 2 of 6
Training / WordPress basics / Lesson 6 of 7
Photos straight from a phone or camera are far bigger than a website needs. Big files make pages slow, and slow pages lose visitors. Two minutes of preparation fixes that.
You'll learn
How to get a photo to the right size, format and name before you upload it
Takes
About 5 minutes
You'll need
A photo on your computer
Watch: “Image optimization”, an official video from WordPress. It shows the same job on their own demo site, so your screen may look a little different. The written steps below are the ones to follow.
1
Wide photos suit banners and backgrounds. Square or upright photos suit team pictures. Choose one that matches the space it’s going into.
2
A width of 1,600 pixels is plenty for a large image, and 800 pixels for a small one. On a Mac, open the photo in Preview and choose Tools, then Adjust Size. On Windows, open it in Photos, click the three dots and choose Resize image.
3
Use JPG for photographs. Use PNG for logos and anything with a see-through background.
4
Aim for under 300 KB for a photo. If it’s still large after resizing, save it again at a lower quality setting, around 80%.
5
Rename the file with plain words and hyphens that describe it, such as loft-conversion-formby.jpg. Avoid names like IMG_4821.
It was made too small. Start again from the original and resize it to 1,600 pixels wide.
One or more images are too big. Check the file sizes in the Media Library.
No. Most are owned by someone and using them can lead to a bill. Use your own photos or properly licensed stock images.
Tell us which page it’s on and what you’re trying to do. We can talk you through it or make the change for you.
