Prepare blog images by deciding where each image will appear, exporting a suitable size and format, and inspecting the result in the actual page. Keep an editable source, preserve any needed transparency, and check the cover crop and small details before publishing.
Dimensions, compression, and cropping solve different problems. A lightweight file can still have unreadable labels or lose its main subject in a blog card. Give each image a purpose and acceptance checks before choosing its final export.
The proposed handoff below follows three assets for a hypothetical homewares article. It shows what to request and inspect, without presenting invented file sizes or compression tests as results.
Set the image's job and display size
Plan the placement and crop before choosing the export.
Name the placement first: cover, section illustration, instructional diagram, or another specific use. Record what readers need to see and whether the image will also appear in a listing or sharing preview.
Separate the image's pixel dimensions from its file size in bytes. The first describes its pixel grid; the second is the amount of stored data. Changing the file format doesn't establish that the image has suitable dimensions or composition for its placement.
Ask how the publishing template displays images. Does it show the full frame, crop to a fixed shape, or use different crops in different places? If the cover carries a headline, every letter needs to survive those crops alongside the important artwork.
MDN's responsive-image guide distinguishes supplying different resolutions from supplying different compositions for different layouts. Those are separate decisions. A smaller copy of the same wide scene may still make its main subject too small in a narrow view.
Prepare sizes and crops for the placements the site actually uses. Keep the original source separately so later changes can start from the source rather than an already reduced export. Include the image's role and required details in the content brief if someone else will prepare it.
Choose an export that preserves the useful detail
Inspect the details that matter, including edges, lettering, and transparency.
Check the publishing tool's accepted formats before making the final files. Browser support and an uploader's allowed formats are separate constraints.
MDN's image-format guide explains the tradeoffs: lossy compression discards information, while lossless compression preserves it. Photos can often tolerate lossy encoding; fine lines and lettering need closer attention. Use that distinction to choose candidates for inspection.
- Photographs and textured illustrations: Compare supported WebP or AVIF exports with the source. JPEG can be another option where appropriate. Inspect texture, gradients, and any lettering rather than choosing by extension alone.
- Diagrams and small labels: Assess a lossless export, such as PNG or lossless WebP. Keep an existing editable vector source when you have one, and confirm how the site can publish it.
- Transparent cutouts: Preserve the transparent background in a format such as PNG or WebP. JPEG has no alpha channel for transparency. Check the result against the backgrounds where it will appear.
There isn't a single quality-slider setting that establishes whether every image is ready. Compare candidates at their intended display size and inspect the details the image needs to communicate.
For a headline cover, read the entire title after export. For a diagram, read its smallest necessary label. For a cutout, look at its edge against the page background. File weight is useful information alongside those checks.
Write a useful handoff and check the published result
Record the source, export choice, and acceptance checks together.
Suppose a homewares retailer is preparing an article about choosing a table lamp. The following assets and requirements are hypothetical. They are a planning example, not actual product imagery, measurements, or completed export tests.
Proposed image handoff for the fictional article. Each candidate still needs inspection before publication.
| Asset | Detail to preserve | Export to assess | Acceptance check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Room-scene cover with the article title | Full headline and the lamp that anchors the scene | A supported WebP, AVIF, or JPEG candidate | Inspect the article cover, listing crop, and sharing preview; read every title word. |
| Shade-sizing diagram | Line edges and the labels needed to understand the illustration | PNG or lossless WebP; retain the editable source | Read the necessary labels in the intended display and narrow view; keep essential sizing instructions in the article text too. |
| Lamp cutout for a section | Transparent background and a clean object edge | PNG or WebP with transparency retained | Inspect against the intended page background and an alternate background that makes edge problems visible. |
The three rows need different decisions. A cover's crop, a diagram's labels, and a cutout's transparent edge can each fail independently of file size. The handoff makes those checks visible before someone starts adjusting compression.
If the diagram's labels become unreadable when reduced, change the presentation: use a closer crop, split the illustration, enlarge the relevant detail, or move the explanation into nearby text. Switching formats alone won't fix a composition that makes its information too small.
If the cutout acquires a solid background, review the source and export settings before continuing. If the cover loses part of its title in the listing, repair the layout or crop before accepting it.
Record the source file, candidate export, pixel dimensions, byte size, placement, and person responsible. Add the decision and reason when an export is accepted. These are proposed production checks, not claims of measured performance improvements.
Verify delivery and leave a maintenance record
Inspect the uploaded version as well as the local export. Open the article and relevant previews, confirm that the image loads, and check what the site actually displays. Recheck after any automatic resizing or conversion the publishing workflow performs.
Google's image SEO guidance recommends standard HTML image elements so crawlers can discover images, meaningful surrounding content, and short descriptive filenames where possible. Include a fallback image URL in src when responsive sources are used. Check delivery rather than assuming an upload has established discoverability.
Provide alt text according to the image's purpose. The guide to writing useful alt text for blog images covers that decision. Keep important explanations and tabular data available as page content; using tables in blog posts explains how to preserve those relationships.
Ask whoever maintains the template to check image dimensions and loading behavior. The web.dev responsive-image guide recommends width and height attributes so the browser can reserve the correct space. It also advises against lazy-loading an above-the-fold hero image. Images farther down the page can use a different loading approach.
Review these details in the published context, including the expected narrow layout. A working local file doesn't tell you which crop or version a visitor receives. Save any issue with its placement and the exact file involved so the correction is specific.
Keep the source and accepted export together with their notes. If the article's title, layout, or imagery changes, the next editor should be able to see which details the image was intended to preserve.
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