Do you know the saying “a picture is worth a thousand words?” A good image is the number one reason your product will sell online, or the best way you can share your experience of a beautiful sunset on your blog. Uploading photos to WordPress is typically simple. All you need to do is upload from a website or your computer via the Media Uploader. You can choose files already in your media library, or add new ones.
Although this process is usually problem-free, one of the most common questions we get from clients is why images on their sites don’t load. Why do they come out looking fuzzy or blurry? There are various reasons why you may be getting an error message or a photo that is not clear. Large image, for instance, when not sized properly may appear indistinguishable and can slow down your website as visitors start to view the pictures.
Read below for some helpful tips about uploading the best quality images to WordPress.
#1 – Error
The best words of advice that we can offer when it comes to uploading photos on WordPress are “try” and then “try again.” Sometimes an error message has nothing to do with your image, but a simple online glitch. Before doing anything else, save your work and close WordPress. Open it again, login, and then try to load your image again. Chances are, it will load with no issues.
#2 – File Uploading
Remember to prepare and edit image files ahead of time before uploading to WordPress. This can be done using Apple Image Preview to make sure the size is right. Preview makes it easy to view and edit Portable Document Files (PDFs) and popular image files like JPEG and PNG. Another option for online image editing is Pixlr which enables you to fix, adjust, and filter images in a browser. Of course, the industry standard is Adobe Photoshop. Keep in mind that all images for the web use a resolution of 72 pixels per inch.
#3 – File Size
Not uploading a file image in the right size is one problem that our clients encounter while using WordPress. There are instances when you are attempting to upload a giant photo of a product you’re selling, but you actually want it to show up as a small thumbnail. You have a potential problem in this case. Or, if you have a small screenshot of a photo that you are trying to show off, your image may end up being blurry. The first thing you want to do to troubleshoot is to check your WordPress settings. Usually WordPress themes allow you to specify the size for the single product image.
Blogmistress recommends checking the settings. In your Dashboard go to Settings, Media and look in the Uploading Files section, the Store uploads in this folder. WordPress tells you that the default is wp-content/uploads and if you have something different to this, change it.” If you follow the recommended file sizes, your images should look correct.
Large image size can be trimmed down in order to optimize it. A webpage usually has a content area of at least 960px and thus sizing large images to around 960px wide should be sufficient for a normal website, says OM4.
#4 – File Type
WordPress has a list of image file types that you are allowed to upload. WordPress Codex, the online manual for WordPress, lists the accepted files as follows:
- .jpg
- .jpeg
- .png
- .gif
Make sure that you are using one of these file names as part of the name of your image. Also, please remember that if you are finding images online, you need to have the owner’s permission before you can use it on your WordPress site. If you can’t buy the rights and don’t have permission, do not use that image.
The team at Behla Design is dedicated to creating visual experiences that effectively tell our clients’ stories while engaging, exciting, and enticing their customers. Our firm consists of the top web design and development, WordPress, search engine optimization (SEO), and copy writing professionals. Our founder, Andrew Behla, has worked in the graphic, print and web design industry for over twenty years.
If you’d like to discuss the best image options for your website, contact Behla Design.
"*" indicates required fields
Comments are closed.