From web design to social media content creation, image conversion is arguably amongst the most crucial components of a graphic designer’s or e-Commerce professional’s digital workflow. Despite the available tools and software, many individuals struggle with errors when converting images, which can lead to frustrating outcomes. Mistakes can occur, whether changing file formats, resizing images, or altering their quality, and these errors can affect the end result. We’ll dive deeper into the most common image conversion errors as well as how to avoid them for a more efficient image conversion process.
Choosing an Incorrect File Type
For a multitude of reasons, choosing an incorrect file format is one of the most prevalent errors people make while converting images. Every image format has strengths and weaknesses. For example, JPG is best for photos while a logo would be better off saved in a PNG file because of its transparency and sharp edges. Overall, poor image quality, superfluous gaps in transparency, and larger than requisite files all stem from choosing incompatible image formats.
How to Avoid It: This oversight can be avoided if you assess your requirements first. You must choose PNG if you need transparency. JPEG and JPG are excellent for photographs or detailed images. Simple animations are best served by GIF, while SVG is ideal for vector images. Always check the properties of each format for your case to make the best choice.
Exaggerating Compression
For webpages and mobile applications, image compression is vital in minimizing file size. Unfortunately, to save space, many people over-compress images. This is the quickest way to lose image quality. It may become less sharp, colors could turn to gray, or important details may disappear.
How to Avoid It: Aim for a middle ground of acceptable image quality and size rather than overly compressing it. Using WebP compression is a great example, as it allows for high compression and quality preservation. Always check the quality for varying degrees of compression to ensure the image does not lose sharpness. Formats like WebP or PNG are preferable if images are high-quality and lightly compressed.
Image Quality Drop While Converting
Some image conversion processes directly involve changing the resolution or resizing an image to fit a certain frame. These steps can be quite misleading as they can lead to pixelating and blurring. Most issues come from setting images to smaller frames or setting to higher DPI which leads to lower clarity.
How to Avoid It: Always make sure to check the original ratio of dimensions against the resolution before proceeding to image conversion. Ensure to maintain qualities of the image throughout the steps. When stepping up a size, one is advised to utilize the specialized advanced tools out there with algorithms seeking to boost the quality of the picture rather than stretch it. If lowering the picture size, make sure that the picture still possesses enough detail for its intended aim or function. It is also recommended to keep the original image in higher resolution as a backup.
Neglecting Technical Aspects
Ignoring the aspect ratio defines failure in maintaining the original look of an image when it is resized or copied into a different template.
Some steps involve getting rid of already set dimensions, which can trigger compatibility issues that are set against designs meant for certain display slots or templates. This could make the template get overfilled or underbilled and thus stretch or compress to meet set boundaries.
How to Avoid It: Most image converters and editing software have options that allow you to lock the aspect ratio when resizing an image. Always enable the aspect ratio lock, especially if the image is for professional use. This guarantees that the image is proportionately scaled without distortion.
Not Optimizing for Web Use
Web images need to be optimized in order to load faster. Neglecting to optimize large images can severely hinder page load speeds, damaging user experience and SEO rankings. One of the most overlooked aspects is file size, which often becomes an issue after converting the image due to a lack of optimization.
How to Avoid It: Think about compressing images prior to converting them for web use, as long as quality is maintained. Put images in the correct format for web use. JPG and PNG are preferred for most websites, although WebP gives smaller file sizes while retaining image quality. Take advantage of tools that automatically optimize image size for web traversal.
Color Profile Ignored While Converting
When images are converted from one format to another, the color profile is often not transferred appropriately, which results in the original and converted images having different colors. This is highly inconvenient for designers working on print projects since color consistency is imperative.
How to Avoid It: Always verify the color profile before and after the conversion. Some image conversion programs enable the embedding of color profiles in the output file. If your project requires the color profile, make sure that the tool you are using retains the profile throughout the conversion. If in doubt, perform a test conversion to assess any potential color shifting.
Lack Of Conversion Tools
The image conversion tools globally available are not created equally. These free online converters offer low-quality outputs, rendering the images below standard. These may cause the introduction of additional artifacts or degrade image quality beyond acceptable limits.
How to Avoid It: Strive to use only high-quality and professional-grade tools relevant to changing image formats. For instance, you can convert WebP to PNG with online software that provides great convenience for swift and dependable conversions of WebP to PNG format. Their image processing accuracy helps avoid quality loss during batch conversions versus single ones, simplifying the task without compromising precision and details.
Forgetting to Secure the Original Files
Typically, it is natural to disregard the necessity of an untouched image version prior to the conversion process. After the conversion step, any form of editing or compression done makes recovery impossible.
How to Avoid It: In case something goes wrong in the edit and change process, it is important to have the original image stored in a digital safe with a backup of the modified files. This tip may seem trivial but when dealing with delicate documents or images needing meticulous changes, having a failsafe is critical. Retaining a copy allows users to repeat the process using distinct parameters, increasing versatility.
Conclusion
Changing the format of a photograph is often straightforward, but it can lead to problems when performed carelessly. Every image conversion comes with potential issues like picking the wrong file type, over-compressing images, and ignoring resolution. Following the advice provided above will allow you to achieve the best imagery for any professional or personal task.
