Automatic Image Optimisation
Since the release of our automatic image optimisation capability in 2019, Peakhour optimises more then 35 million images each month, on average reducing our clients page download time by 35%! Clients with automatic image optimisation, on average, reduce their image sizes by a staggering 91%.
Automatic image optimisation offers a number of benefits over manual optimisation:
- Image formats are dynamically chosen based on the content of image.
- Files are optimised based on client capabilities.
- Designer time is saved by offloading image optimisation.
- Automatically reduce page load times for an entire website.
What is Image Optimisation?
Image optimisation refers to delivering high visual quality images in the appropriate format and resolution for whatever device is viewing them. Ideally, file size is minimised without compromising image quality. This correlates to reduced page load times as images require less time to load in a visitor's browser. This contributes to increased website speed, reduced website traffic and higher page visits and conversions.
Why dynamically choose the image format?
Using a one size fits all optimisation process doesn't take into account the varying type of images that websites are typically built from.
Website images compose of:
- Photographs, such as product images, demonstration photos and title photos.
- Logos, which are typically text and can include animation.
- Illustrations that incorporate custom graphics to support the quick perception of information.
- 3D graphics from computer renders including buildings, interior and exterior designs and products.
- Combinations of the above!
Any optimisation process needs to take into account the end user device type, its supported file formats, resolution and content of the image. As an example, a photograph with text will require different optimisation parameters to ensure that the text remains crisp while images with large areas of colour will require different formats to ensure that colours are not washed with lossy compression.
Fine developer control
By leveraging the image optimisation API, your developers can enable reactive images by resizing images on the edge. Peakhour will serve and cache these optimisations reducing origin requests and traffic, saving money and increasing agility. No longer do you need to wait for your designer to resize, crop or re-orient your image for a page.
How does image optimisation effect web application performance
Large portions of a website are typically built from images. Large images loading over a 4G network in a train can delay image rendering resulting in a poor user experience. Layout shifts can occur as the browser attempts to render the page and the users perceived page load time will be effected.
There is an easy way to see how you can benefit from automatic image optimisation, our free tool will analyse any website, calculate its optimisation potential and even let you download the optimised images.
See how it can help in a real life example below
Benefits of Peakhour Automatic Image Optimisation
Peakhour image optimisation is seamlessly integrated into your website enabling you to take advantage of reduced traffic, faster page loads and designer workflow savings the feature provides.
- Transforming images on the Peakhour edge enables agility and offloads origin work.
- User experience is improved by enabling fast-loading pages, no need for a separate workflow for image optimisation.
- Seamlessly take advantage of new image formats, as supported by end users browsers, ensuring the best possible page load experience.
Summary
Peakhour image optimisation is fully integrated with our next generation CDN network. Images are optimised as they pass through the Peakhour network while caching optimised versions. Peakhour image optimisation is fully integrated with Origin Shield, with the original and transformed images cached appropriately. This reduces origin hits and bandwidth, while speeding up image delivery.