A blog image can explain a complicated idea in seconds. It can also become the heaviest resource on the page.

Image optimization involves several decisions: choosing useful visuals, exporting suitable files, delivering the right resolution, and controlling when the browser loads them.

Here is a practical workflow for developers and bloggers who want sharper images without unnecessary downloads.

Disclosure: I run Shiva Lord Image, which publishes the two supplementary guides linked below.

1. Start with an image that helps the reader

Before compressing anything, ask what the image contributes.

A screenshot should show the interface relevant to the instructions. A diagram should explain a relationship that would take longer to describe in text.…