Shrink heavy images inside a Figma file
On the Compression tab, set a maximum size per image and Optimizely scales down every larger image fill in your selection, or everywhere that image is used.
Goal
Make a slow Figma file lighter by reducing oversized photos and screenshots that were pasted in at full resolution.
Before you start
- Layers with image fills selected on the canvas (images inside frames and groups count too).
Steps
- Select the images Select the image layers, or frames that contain them, and open the Compression tab. Each image gets a card; one image used in several places shows how many.
- Set the maximum size Move Max Size to the largest size an image may have, from 0.01 to 2 MB (1.00 MB by default). Images already at or below it are left alone.
- Choose where the change applies Leave Compress Source Image off to replace the image only in the layers you selected. Turn it on to replace the image everywhere it is used in the file, on every page, including components and copies.
- Compress Click Compress & Optimize Images. A progress window shows Images Processed, Space Saved and Size Reduction, and for each image its Original, Compressed and Saved size. Click Done.
Tips
- Compress Source Image rewrites the image in the whole file. Undo (Ctrl/Cmd+Z) reverts it, so check the result right away.
- Compression changes the images in your Figma file; to make smaller files for the web, use the Export tab instead.
Result
Lighter image fills in your Figma file, so it opens, scrolls and saves faster.
If something goes wrong
- "Select layers with image fills to compress" The selection has no image fills. Select the layers that show the photos, or the frames around them.
- "Image already within size limit" That image is already smaller than Max Size. Lower Max Size if you want it smaller.
- A JPEG photo did not get much smaller. Compression reduces the image's pixel dimensions and saves it as PNG, which can be larger than a JPEG for photos. Try a lower Max Size, and check the result in the progress window.
Common questions
How does Optimizely compress an image?
It scales the image down in pixel size until it should fit under Max Size and saves it as PNG. There is no format or quality choice, and the result is not guaranteed to be under the target.
Does compression change my exported images?
Only in that later exports start from the smaller image. Exports from the Export tab have their own format and scale settings.
Can I undo a compression?
Yes, with Figma's Undo (Ctrl/Cmd+Z) straight after.