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A new favorite tool I’ve been using religiously for the past few months is called ImageOptim. It’s free. And it can help reduce the file size of images you’re preparing to upload to your website by (I’ve seen) as much as 35 percent.

7 Reasons Why I Love ImageOptim

1. It’s so easy to use—drag-and-drop and you’re done
2. It helps web pages load faster
3. It’s free and open-source
4. It works on the web image file formats I use most: JPG, GIF and PNG
5. Close the ImageOptim window and you close the application—no fuss no muss
6. It helps save disk space
7. It doesn’t compromise image quality one iota

For best results, be sure to first perform your normal routine for optimizing images. I typically use the Save for Web & Devices feature in Photoshop CS5 and then manage the various settings in a 2-Up window with magnification set at 200 to 300 percent to make sure I’m not too significantly degrading the visual quality of the image.

If you’re on a Mac, give ImageOptim a try! Sorry Windows peeps. No soup for you.


Mary Maru