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Gavin Anderegg says he has started using WebP for web images after improved support in Pixelmator Pro made the format easier to work with. In two recent posts, he found WebP files smaller than JPEG or PNG at similar visual quality, while noting results can vary by image.
Writer Gavin Anderegg says he has begun using WebP for web images after finding the format easier to handle in Pixelmator Pro, a change that follows more than 20 years of relying mainly on JPEG, PNG and SVG. In two recent posts, he says WebP images were smaller than comparable JPEGs or PNGs at similar visual quality, though he cautions that this will not be true in every case.
Anderegg described the shift in a report published October 8, 2026. He said WebP had long been an unappealing option for his work, in part because image-editing support was limited and using it could require extra steps. He now uses Pixelmator Pro instead of Photoshop and says the newer workflow gives him more practical tools for working with WebP.
He said he used WebP in his two most recent posts about Apple’s Liquid Glass design. In those examples, he found the files smaller than JPEG or PNG versions at what he judged to be the same visual quality. Anderegg described that result as his experience so far, not a guarantee for every image or workflow. He pointed to Google’s published findings on lossy and lossless WebP as relevant technical information, but his report does not provide a file-by-file comparison or independent test results.
The change is about a tool becoming easier for one writer to use, rather than a new WebP launch or an industry-wide adoption announcement. Anderegg also raised the prospect of using AVIF or JPEG XL in the future if Pixelmator Pro adds convenient support. He said Google had announced JPEG XL support a few days before his report, but gave no further detail on availability or what that support would mean for his own workflow.
Easier Tools Change Image Choices
Anderegg’s report illustrates how editing software support can affect whether creators choose an image format. A format may offer useful compression, but if exporting or editing it is inconvenient, the savings may not be enough to justify changing an established workflow. For this writer, the practical barrier has eased, and WebP has become a usable option for selected web images.
Smaller image files can reduce the amount of data a page needs to deliver, but the report does not quantify download savings, page-speed effects or visitor impact. It also does not establish that WebP is always smaller or visually equivalent across all images. The immediate significance is personal and practical: Anderegg says he no longer has to go out of his way to use the format, and his recent examples worked well for him.
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From Browser Support to Editing Tools
Google announced WebP in 2010. Anderegg’s account traces browser support to Chrome in 2011, Edge in 2018, Firefox in 2019 and Safari in 2020. He says the long wait for broad browser support limited when he considered the format suitable for general use; before that, he saw it used selectively by content delivery networks.
He also points to the state of authoring tools. According to his report, Photoshop added native WebP support in 2022, while its “Save for Web” and “Export As” features still did not support the format at the time he wrote. He says Google’s Lighthouse tool sometimes flagged images that were not WebP, even when he believed the size savings were small or support was still immature. That history helps explain why he resisted adopting the format despite knowing it had technical advantages.
Anderegg’s normal web-image formats had been JPEG, PNG and SVG. He mentioned GIF as a format he once used more regularly, but said animated GIFs are now often replaced with smaller videos. His account is a first-person report about changing personal practice, not a survey of designers or a measurement of how widely WebP is used.
“I guess I’m using WebP now?”
— Gavin Anderegg, in his October 8, 2026 report
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How Broad the WebP Gains Are
Anderegg does not publish the original images, encoded file sizes, quality settings or a formal test method for the examples in his report. It is consequently unclear how large the savings were or whether other image types and settings would produce the same outcome. He explicitly says WebP will not always come out ahead.
The report also does not establish whether Pixelmator Pro has added or will add support for AVIF or JPEG XL, or when any such support might arrive. Anderegg calls AVIF promising and says it has baseline browser support; he describes Google’s recent JPEG XL announcement as a possible step toward broader support, not proof of a particular adoption timeline. His comments do not establish current use across the web or a wider shift by publishers.
image compression tools for web images
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Other Formats Remain on His List
For now, Anderegg says he expects to keep using WebP when it suits the image and his workflow. His next question is whether Pixelmator Pro will make AVIF and JPEG XL similarly straightforward to use. He expresses interest in both formats but does not announce a planned switch or give a date.
The practical next step for readers considering WebP is to compare the output for their own images and tools rather than assume one format will always produce the smallest file. Anderegg’s report offers a personal account of adoption; whether he expands his use, and whether other formats become easier for him to work with, remains open.
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Key Questions
Why has Gavin Anderegg started using WebP?
He says Pixelmator Pro gives him a more convenient way to work with WebP than his previous workflow. He also found smaller files at similar visual quality in two recent examples.
Does WebP always make images smaller than JPEG or PNG?
No. Anderegg says the advantage will not always apply. His report describes results from his own recent work and does not provide a universal comparison.
When did major browsers add WebP support?
In the timeline cited by Anderegg, Chrome added support in 2011, Edge in 2018, Firefox in 2019 and Safari in 2020.
Is Anderegg switching to AVIF or JPEG XL next?
He has not said that he is switching. He calls AVIF promising and is interested in both formats, but says he is waiting to see whether Pixelmator Pro makes them easy to use.
Source: hn
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