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LGSEE Blog Knowledge Base

Image Management

Using properly formatted and optimized images ensures your articles load quickly and look professional. Here’s what you need to know about preparing images for our portal.

Optimal Image Ratio: 3:2

Section titled “Optimal Image Ratio: 3:2”

Recommended aspect ratio: 3:2 (e.g., 1800×1200px, 2400×1600px)

Why 3:2 works best:

  • WordPress automatically crops images to different ratios
  • 3:2 adapts well to 3:1 (desktop slider) and 1:1 (mobile thumbnails)
  • Provides flexibility without losing important content

Note: 3:1 ratio works but 3:2 gives you more versatility across different display contexts.

Critical: Central Composition

Section titled “Critical: Central Composition”

⚠️ MOST IMPORTANT: Always use central composition for your images.

What this means:

  • Place key subjects and focal points in the center of the image
  • Avoid important content near edges
  • Think about how your image will look when cropped to different ratios

Why: WordPress and other systems crop images automatically. Central composition ensures your main subject remains visible regardless of the crop.

[  EDGE  ] [  CENTER  ] [  EDGE  ]
  may be     ALWAYS      may be
  cropped    VISIBLE     cropped

Image Formats

Section titled “Image Formats”

JPG - For Photographs

Section titled “JPG - For Photographs”
  • Use for: Photos, complex images, backgrounds
  • File size: 100-300KB
  • Quality: Good compression with minimal quality loss

PNG - For Graphics

Section titled “PNG - For Graphics”
  • Use for: Logos, icons, diagrams, text-heavy images
  • File size: Usually larger than JPG
  • Advantage: Supports transparency, sharp edges

Quick rule: Photo? → JPG | Logo/Diagram? → PNG

Section titled “Recommended Dimensions”
Section titled “Featured Images”
  • Minimum: 1800×1200px (3:2 ratio)
  • Optimal: 2400×1600px (3:2 ratio)
  • File size: Under 300KB

In-Article Images

Section titled “In-Article Images”
  • Width: 1200-1600px
  • File size: Under 200KB
  • Orientation: Landscape preferred

Image Optimization Workflow

Section titled “Image Optimization Workflow”
  1. Choose image with central composition
  2. Crop to 3:2 ratio if possible
  3. Resize to recommended dimensions
  4. Compress to reduce file size
  5. Save with descriptive filename

Free Optimization Tools

Section titled “Free Optimization Tools”
  • TinyPNG/TinyJPG (tinypng.com) - Simple compression
  • Squoosh (squoosh.app) - Advanced compression options
  • Canva (canva.com) - Cropping and basic editing

File Naming

Section titled “File Naming”

Use descriptive names, Wordpress will add this to the image title and save the file with hyphens between words. This helps with SEO and organization. This makes it much easier to find ralevant photos later when you search for it in WP Media library.

❌ Bad: IMG_1234.jpg, photo1.png

✅ Good: “Ustavni sud zgrada.jpg”, “logo vrhovni sud.png”

Good practice is also to add description to the photo in Media library. Both, naming photos with descriptive names and adding description later in Media library adds to overall SEO.

Quality Checklist

Section titled “Quality Checklist”

Before uploading:

  • Subject is centered in frame
  • Image works in landscape orientation
  • File size under 300KB
  • Clear and professional quality
  • Appropriate format (JPG/PNG)
  • Descriptive filename
  • Descriptions or captions for all photos

Common Issues

Section titled “Common Issues”

Image Gets Cut Off

Section titled “Image Gets Cut Off”

Solution: Re-center your subject or choose an image with better central composition

File Size Too Large

Section titled “File Size Too Large”

Solution: Use TinyPNG or reduce dimensions before uploading

Blurry After Upload

Section titled “Blurry After Upload”

Solution: Start with higher resolution source (minimum 1800px wide)

Portrait Images

Section titled “Portrait Images”

Solution: Always use landscape orientation for featured images

Section titled “Copyright Considerations”

Safe sources:

  • Your own photography
  • Free stock sites (Unsplash, Pexels, Pixabay)
  • Licensed images with proper rights

Never use:

  • Random Google Image results
  • Images from other websites without permission
  • Watermarked images

Summary

Section titled “Summary”
  1. Use 3:2 ratio for maximum flexibility
  2. Center your subjects - edges may be cropped
  3. JPG for photos, PNG for graphics
  4. Optimize file size (under 300KB)
  5. Use descriptive filenames (add descriptions too)

Remember: Good images enhance your content. Take time to prepare them properly rather than rushing with poor quality visuals.