As anyone who’s ever attempted to upload a photo to the internet knows, file sizes can be large. This is especially true when it comes to high-quality images, which can be several megabytes in size. So, when you’re creating a website or blog with Squarespace, how can you ensure that your images will load quickly without sacrificing quality?
The answer is simple: Squarespace automatically downscales and compresses images to help speed up loading times. However, there are a few things to keep in mind when it comes to using images on your Squarespace site.
First, it’s important to understand that not all images are created equal. When it comes to quality, there are two main types of image files: lossy and lossless.
Lossy files, such as JPEGs, are compressed by reducing the amount of detail in the image. This means that they take up less space on your computer or server, but they also look slightly worse than lossless files.
Lossless files, such as PNGs, are compressed without losing any detail. This means that they take up more space on your computer or server, but they look exactly the same as the original image.
So, which type of file should you use on your Squarespace site?
For photos and other images with lots of colors, JPEGs are usually the best choice. They offer a good balance of file size and quality, and they load quickly even on slower internet connections.
PNGs are better for images with fewer colors, such as logos or illustrations. They don’t lose any detail when they’re compressed, so they look exactly the same as the original image. However, they can be much larger than JPEGs, so they may not load as quickly on slower internet connections.
Squarespace automatically downscales JPEGs and PNGs to a maximum width of 2272 pixels and a maximum height of 1704 pixels. This ensures that your images will look sharp on all screen sizes, from small phone screens to large desktop monitors.
In addition to downscaling images, Squarespace also compresses them to reduce their file size. For JPEGs, this means reducing the quality slightly so that the file takes up less space on your computer or server. For PNGs, this means compressing the file without losing any detail.
Both of these methods help reduce loading times for your pages and ensure that visitors can see your images even if they have a slow internet connection.
Conclusion
Yes, Squarespace does downsize images however there is no need to worry as this is done automatically by the platform in order to reduce loading times for users with slower internet connections
