WordPress Images: Difference between revisions

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==History==

WordPress Thumbnails. Errr, don't you mean 'Alternate Image Sizes'? Well, yes. But WordPress life started out referring to them as 'thumbnails'. A thumbnail being a downsized (as in dimensionally and quality) to a smaller size, which in turn usually represented a link to a larger, full sized image. That's how it began with WordPress. And sort of like Max Headroom, the name just sort of stuck, even though it doesn't refer to the same thing anymore.

== Image Management ==

I do not like the way Apple devices organize files. IE, the 'organization' is done by the software and the user is presented with files, etc. with a big abstraction layer in between. And yes, I know, even a very basic file system / structure from DOS and Linux, as presented to users via a Shell, has an abstraction layer in between the user and what's going on with where the files are on the disk drive. Yes, there's a bunch of abstraction layers. But I am of the opinion (because I have to fix stuff when it doesn't work correctly, or something has to be found, etc.) that there's still a need for a usable File and Directory / Folder structure available to an end user. No so with Apple products.

WordPress is almost like that. And I'm not trying to be dismissive about how they do it. Out of the box, Images are sorted by date, I never liked it, but hey it's better than Apple. The alternative, which is better, but not by much, is to have WordPress store everything in a flat structure. OK, that's fine, but unfortunately, WordPress, along with plugins, themes, etc., also generate additional 'Alternative Image Sizes' (Dimensional

== The Notes ==

=== Image Services ===

Watch out for Plugins that are only gateways to a subscription service for compressing images. Really, one's own server can't do that? Well, given the state of some WordPress servers, that's actually understandable, but not for someone who has their own web server (virtual or not). Example (one of many): Imagify.

=== WebP Files ===

For well managed JPEG / JPG Files there is an infinitesimally small gain in image size.

=== Regenerating 'Thumbnails' (AKA Alternate Image Sizes) ===

By far and away the one I've found to be the best is [https://devowl.io/wordpress-real-thumbnail-generator/ Real Thumbnail Generator].

=== Controlling the number of 'Thumbnails' (AKA Alternative Image Sizes) ===

There are lots of good plugins for managing this. 'Stop Generating Unnecessary Thumbnails' is right at the top. But be warned, weird things can happen. For example, if you see this freaky image size that doesn't seem to make any sense, and has an equally unhelpful name in terms of identifying its origin, watch out. For example, the Astra Theme has an odd image size it wants / needs to display a logo in it's header builder. If that alternate image size isn't created, you won't see anything in the Astra builder utility, just a blank spot. Why doesn't it just use the full size image and downsize / scale it to fit in the available space? I don't know, but it doesn't.

Oh and on another note, the 'Stop Generating Unnecessary Thumbnails' Plugin only 'prevents' unwanted sizes for the automatic WordPress generation of alternate image sizes when a new image is uploaded (and also for itself). It doesn't prevent other Thumbnail regeneration products from generating whatever they want to or are configured to purposely generate.

=== Cleanup of 'Thumbnails' (AKA Alternative Image Sizes) ===

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 ==History==
 WordPress Thumbnails.  Errr, don't you mean 'Alternate Image Sizes'?  Well, yes.  But WordPress life started out referring to them as 'thumbnails'.  A thumbnail being a downsized (as in dimensionally and quality) to a smaller size, which in turn usually represented a link to a larger, full sized image.  That's how it began with WordPress.  And sort of like Max Headroom, the name just sort of stuck, even though it doesn't refer to the same thing anymore.
+== Image Management ==
+I do not like the way Apple devices organize files.  IE, the 'organization' is done by the software and the user is presented with files, etc. with a big abstraction layer in between.  And yes, I know, even a very basic file system / structure from DOS and Linux, as presented to users via a Shell, has an abstraction layer in between the user and what's going on with where the files are on the disk drive.  Yes, there's a bunch of abstraction layers.  But I am of the opinion (because I have to fix stuff when it doesn't work correctly, or something has to be found, etc.) that there's still a need for a usable File and Directory / Folder structure available to an end user.  No so with Apple products.
+WordPress is almost like that.  And I'm not trying to be dismissive about how they do it.  Out of the box, Images are sorted by date, I never liked it, but hey it's better than Apple.  The alternative, which is better, but not by much, is to have WordPress store everything in a flat structure.  OK, that's fine, but unfortunately, WordPress, along with plugins, themes, etc., also generate additional 'Alternative Image Sizes' (Dimensional
+== The Notes ==
+=== Image Services ===
+Watch out for Plugins that are only gateways to a subscription service for compressing images.  Really, one's own server can't do that?  Well, given the state of some WordPress servers, that's actually understandable, but not for someone who has their own web server (virtual or not).  Example (one of many): Imagify.
+=== WebP Files ===
+For well managed JPEG / JPG Files there is an infinitesimally small gain in image size.
+=== Regenerating 'Thumbnails' (AKA Alternate Image Sizes) ===
+By far and away the one I've found to be the best is [https://devowl.io/wordpress-real-thumbnail-generator/ Real Thumbnail Generator].
+=== Controlling the number of 'Thumbnails' (AKA Alternative Image Sizes) ===
+There are lots of good plugins for managing this.  'Stop Generating Unnecessary Thumbnails' is right at the top.  But be warned, weird things can happen.  For example, if you see this freaky image size that doesn't seem to make any sense, and has an equally unhelpful name in terms of identifying its origin, watch out.  For example, the Astra Theme has an odd image size it wants / needs to display a logo in it's header builder.  If that alternate image size isn't created, you won't see anything in the Astra builder utility, just a blank spot.  Why doesn't it just use the full size image and downsize / scale it to fit in the available space?  I don't know, but it doesn't.
+Oh and on another note, the 'Stop Generating Unnecessary Thumbnails' Plugin only 'prevents' unwanted sizes for the automatic WordPress generation of alternate image sizes when a new image is uploaded (and also for itself).  It doesn't prevent other Thumbnail regeneration products from generating whatever they want to or are configured to purposely generate.
+=== Cleanup of 'Thumbnails' (AKA Alternative Image Sizes) ===
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