I’m working on building an HTML website and using Figma designs as reference. When I download assets from Figma at 1x resolution (PNG format), the images look blurry and pixelated. To get crisp, clear images I need to export at 2x or 3x scale, but this makes the file sizes much larger.
I understand I can resize the images with CSS, but having these huge image files is really slowing down my site’s loading speed. Is there a way to get high-quality exports from Figma without the massive file size increase? Any tips or workarounds would be great.
Had this exact problem rebuilding our design system last year. Manual optimization was killing me - hours every week down the drain.
You need automated image processing. I built a workflow that grabs high-res Figma exports and converts them to optimized formats automatically.
It pulls your 2x/3x exports, creates WebP versions for modern browsers, plus compressed PNG fallbacks. Also generates different sizes for responsive breakpoints without you touching anything.
Crisp images, zero manual work. The automation runs when you update designs, so everything stays synced.
Been using this for months - cut optimization time by 90%. No more picking between quality and file size.
Try Figma’s export API instead of downloading manually. I switched after hitting the same problems and it’s night and day. The API gives you way more control over parameters and quality settings that you can’t even access in the regular export menu. You can batch process tons of assets with the same compression settings, plus set up different exports depending on what type of asset it is. For graphics with lots of text or screenshots, export as JPG at 85-90% quality instead of PNG - you’ll cut file sizes massively with barely any quality loss. Also check your Figma file setup - sometimes the canvas DPI is set to something weird which screws up export quality no matter what scale you use.
just use figma’s built-in optimization when u export. most people miss this - click the gear icon next to format and turn on “optimize for web”. it cuts file sizes down without losing quality. also try exporting at 1.5x instead of jumping to 2x. works great on most screens!
Skip CSS scaling and use responsive images with srcset instead. Export your Figma assets at 1x, 1.5x, and 2x - let the browser pick the right version based on screen density and viewport size. High-DPI screens won’t download massive files, but you’ll still get crisp images on retina displays. Pair this with lazy loading and your page performance will thank you. Watch out for Figma effects like drop shadows and blurs - they bloat PNG files like crazy. I often recreate these effects in CSS instead of baking them into images. You’ll get smaller files and way more flexibility for responsive design.
Try WebP instead of PNG - way better compression with the same quality, and most browsers support it now. Export your Figma stuff at 2x, convert to WebP, then add PNG fallbacks for old browsers. Also double-check you’re exporting the right artboard sizes from Figma. Half the time it’s not the export settings - it’s because the original design dimensions are way too big. I usually optimize the source design first, then export at 1.5x instead of jumping to 2x or 3x. Hits that sweet spot between quality and file size. You can use CSS media queries to serve different resolutions based on pixel density if you need to.
Been there. Switch to SVGs whenever you can - icons, logos, simple graphics. They’re vector-based so they stay sharp at any size without bloating your files. For complex PNGs, export at 2x then run them through TinyPNG or ImageOptim. Usually cuts file size 60-70% with no visible quality loss. Check if you actually need transparency - JPGs work great for photos and are way smaller. And don’t forget to set proper width/height in CSS. I’ve seen people export 3x images but skip the dimension constraints, which totally defeats the point.