Why is it worth using WebP for Drupal?
Using Webp solves the "Serve images in next-gen formats" issue in Google Pagespeed Insights.
In short, WebP compresses the file better, all other things being equal, than older formats (png and jpeg) - which means it takes up less space on the hosting and loads faster in the browser when viewing the page.
The implementation of WebP is actively promoted by Google - they provide such statistics:
- WebP compresses images losslessly 26% better than PNG.
- WebP compresses lossy images better than JPEG by 25-34% with the same structural similarity index (SSIM)
- WebP supports lossless transparency (known as alpha) with a size increase of only 22%.
If the visitor’s browser does not support WebP, then the CDN will return the old format (png / jpeg), but compressed (optimized for the Web)
What is image compression
Image optimization is special processing of a graphic file in order to minimize its size without loss of visual quality.
To carry out this procedure, there are a large number of fairly complex algorithms. However, they are all based on the same basis - all the service data there (for example, the name of the program that stores the file, etc.) must be removed from the graphic file, and also, using special programs, merge / smooth similar colors.
As a result, we get the same image, which visually has not changed. However, the volume (weight) of this file in bytes will be much less than the original. If this processing is carried out correctly, the image file can be reduced to 98% without losing image quality.
This means that the pictures on the pages of the site will be loaded many times faster after the optimization.
What will optimize images for your site
- Save disk space.
- Speed up page loading.
- Minimum server load.
- Increase conversion.
- Better site ranking for search results.
It has been proven that website acceleration can improve behavioral factors, as well as increase website conversion (increase sales). The longer the page of the site loads, the fewer customers will be able to perform certain target actions there. If your site on the Internet will not work fast enough, you have every chance to miss your potential income. Acceleration of the online resource will provide an opportunity to improve the conversion and due to this significantly increase revenue and attract more customers.
OptiPic Benefits
- There are no monthly payments.
- Full Automation.
- Free connection assistance.
- To connect and use the service, you do not need to have special skills in programming or administration.
- There are no restrictions on image size in the system.
- Friendly technical support.
How can optimizing images for Drupal speed up a site?
A page of any site most often consists of:
- images;
- html-code (text content, layout, markup);
- video;
- javascript scripts with logic running from the browser;
- css files with page styles.
Such an item as an image occupies most of the entire volume on the site’s pages and is the “heaviest” part of the pages.
Reduction (optimization) of images will undoubtedly significantly make it faster to download any online resource.
Accordingly, if you change (down) the size of the images, all pages of the site will start loading much faster.
Compressing the images on the site will make it possible to reduce their volume to 75-98%, without losing their visual quality.
As technology advances, users are encountering the WebP format more frequently when downloading images to their computers. Developed by Google, this format enables webmasters to upload high-quality, compact images to their sites, which can be viewed on laptops, smartphones, and not just in a browser.
Images can significantly slow down the loading of a website and increase hosting costs, which is why site owners must strike a balance between quality and capacity. While classic JPEG images may not always achieve the desired result, PNG provides high-quality images but at a much heavier file size.
Fortunately, Google's WebP format provides an excellent combination of file size and quality, making it a highly recommended option for site owners looking to speed up their site loading. However, like any new format, compatibility issues may arise when using less common browsers. This can be solved by ensuring that pictures are displayed in the usual heavy formats in such cases or by using special plugins that allow for easy conversion.
Converting old PNG/JPEG formats to WebP is easy with the help of various utilities, but converting all images of an already-created site can be a daunting task. This is where OptiPic CDN comes in, as it automates the compression of Drupal images, allowing for quick and easy conversion. The service also offers additional caching and optimization to further speed up site loading.
To use OptiPic CDN, users simply need to download and install the plugin for Drupal on their website using the video instructions provided on the main page of the service. The plugin converts and delivers WebP files to users if their browser supports this format, returns a compressed version of an image in the old format if the user's browser does not support WebP, and adapts images to narrow phone screens if necessary.
Overall, the WebP format is an excellent option for site owners looking to improve site loading times and reduce hosting costs. With the help of OptiPic CDN, converting images to this format is quick and easy, making it a highly recommended solution for Drupal users.
WebP, a cutting-edge image format developed by Google, offers a host of benefits that make it a game-changer for web designers and developers alike. Here's what you need to know:
- Smaller file size: WebP images are up to 34% smaller than their JPEG and PNG counterparts of the same quality. This translates to faster load times and reduced bandwidth usage.
- Superior image quality: Thanks to advanced compression techniques, WebP preserves image quality while significantly reducing file size. This means that images look better than JPEG or PNG images of the same size.
- Transparency support: WebP supports both lossy and lossless transparency, making it a versatile format for images with transparent backgrounds.
- Broad browser support: WebP is supported by most modern browsers, including Google Chrome, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge. It can also be easily converted to other image formats for compatibility with older browsers.
By releasing WebP as open source, Google aimed to provide a more efficient and faster image format for the web. WebP uses advanced compression techniques to reduce the file size of images without compromising on quality, resulting in faster loading times and a better user experience. Additionally, by making WebP open source, Google encourages developers to contribute to the project and improve the format over time.
Yes, WebP supports both progressive and interlaced display. Progressive display loads the image in multiple passes, allowing a low-resolution version of the image to be displayed quickly while the higher resolution version loads in the background. Interlaced display loads the image in a series of horizontal lines, allowing a rough version of the image to be displayed quickly while the finer details load in the background.
Lossless vs. Lossy WebP
Lossless WebP is a type of image format that uses WebP technology to compress images without losing any data or quality. This makes it a more efficient format for storing and sharing images on the web, particularly for images that require high levels of detail, such as photographs or graphics with text. Lossless WebP is compatible with most web browsers and can be easily integrated into existing websites and applications.
Lossy WebP, on the other hand, uses lossy compression techniques to reduce the size of an image file. While this can result in a reduction in image quality, the resulting file size is smaller, making it easier and faster to load on the web. Lossy WebP is often used for images that don't require high levels of detail or clarity, such as thumbnails or background images.
WebP outperforms JPEG thanks to its use of prediction coding, block adaptive quantization, filtering, and Boolean arithmetic encoding. The latter provides a 5%-10% improvement in compression compared to Huffman encoding.
The purchased package does not burn out at the end of the month - it is advantageous to purchase it several months in advance