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Writer and web designer Gavin Anderegg says he has started using WebP after switching from Photoshop to Pixelmator Pro, which makes the format easier to work with. In recent examples, he found WebP images smaller than JPEG or PNG files at comparable visual quality, but says that may not hold in every case.
Web designer Gavin Anderegg says he has begun using WebP for images on his website after finding the format easier to handle in Pixelmator Pro than it was in his previous workflow. In a personal report published October 8, Anderegg said WebP files had been smaller than JPEG or PNG alternatives at comparable visual quality in two recent articles, a practical change after years of avoiding the format.
Anderegg’s report describes a shift in his own publishing practice, not a broad industry announcement or a controlled comparison of image formats. He said he had relied mainly on JPEG, PNG and SVG for more than 20 years, and previously found WebP inconvenient to create and edit. After leaving Photoshop for Pixelmator Pro, he found the format easier to work with and used WebP in his two recent articles about Apple’s Liquid Glass design.
In those examples, he said WebP images were smaller than JPEG or PNG files while maintaining the same visual quality. He also cautioned that this result will not apply in every situation, and his report does not provide a broad test across image types, settings or software. His experience suggests that editing tools can affect whether a format’s technical benefits are useful in everyday work.
Anderegg traced WebP’s slow arrival in his workflow to a combination of browser support and software limitations. Google announced the format in 2010; according to his timeline, Chrome added support in 2011, Edge in 2018, Firefox in 2019 and Safari in 2020. He said Photoshop did not add native WebP support until 2022, and that its “Save for Web” and “Export As” features still do not support the format.
When Image Tools Change the Choice
The report highlights a practical issue for people who publish images: a format can offer potential file-size savings, but those gains matter less if creating and editing the files adds friction. Anderegg’s change came after his software made WebP accessible in his existing workflow, rather than after a change to the format itself.
Smaller image files can reduce the amount of data a website needs to deliver, which may benefit site performance and visitors using limited connections. The extent of any benefit depends on the image, encoding settings and the comparison format; Anderegg’s examples do not establish a universal advantage. His account is a useful personal report of a workflow change, not evidence that every publisher should switch all images to WebP.
It also shows why format recommendations can be received differently when tooling and browser support are uneven. Anderegg recalled that Google’s Lighthouse tool would flag images that were not WebP, including cases where he felt the savings were minor. A recommendation to use a format is easier to follow when creators can produce it without extra steps and users can view it reliably.
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WebP’s Long Route Into Workflows
WebP was announced by Google in 2010, but browser support accumulated over several years. Anderegg said Chrome added it in 2011, followed by Edge in 2018, Firefox in 2019 and Safari in 2020. Before broader browser support, he said, content delivery networks used WebP selectively. He also noted that Opera supports the format, though his original report does not give a date for that support.
Software support formed a separate hurdle. Anderegg said Photoshop added native support in 2022 but still lacks WebP support in two named export features. His experience changed after he moved to Pixelmator Pro, although he did not detail the application’s specific features or compare its export process with Photoshop in a formal test.
Anderegg also mentioned AVIF and JPEG XL as formats he may want to use later. He described AVIF as promising and said it has broad browser support. He reported that Google had announced JPEG XL support a few days before his October 8 article, while expressing uncertainty about when it might become broadly supported. These are possible future options in his workflow, not formats he said he had already adopted.
“After using the same few image formats for 20+ years, I’m now on the WebP bandwagon.”
— Gavin Anderegg, in his October 8, 2026 report
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How Broad Are the File Savings?
Anderegg does not provide file sizes, image dimensions, compression settings or a repeatable test method for his two examples. It is therefore unclear how large the savings were or whether the same results would occur with other images and export settings. He explicitly says WebP will not always outperform JPEG or PNG.
The report also does not establish how Pixelmator Pro handles every WebP workflow or whether its support covers all export needs. Anderegg says the format is easier for him to use, but offers no feature-by-feature comparison. His comments about Lighthouse reflect his recollection of the tool’s recommendations, not a current audit of its behavior.
On newer formats, the report does not state when Pixelmator Pro might add JPEG XL or AVIF support. It also does not establish when JPEG XL support announced by Google would become available across browsers or other software. Those questions remain open based on the information in the report.
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Possible Moves Beyond WebP
For now, Anderegg’s next step is simply to continue using WebP where it suits his publishing work. He has not announced a full conversion of his image library or a rule that all future images will use the format. His account leaves room to choose a format according to the image and the results of an export.
He may also test AVIF or JPEG XL if Pixelmator Pro adds support that fits his workflow. The report gives no release date or commitment from the software maker, so adoption of either format is a possibility rather than a scheduled change. Wider browser and editing-tool support will shape whether those options become practical for him.
Readers considering a similar change can take the report as an example of one workflow, not a blanket recommendation. Comparing file size and visual quality on their own images, while checking that their publishing and editing tools support the chosen format, would provide more relevant evidence for their needs.
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Key Questions
Why has Gavin Anderegg started using WebP?
He says switching from Photoshop to Pixelmator Pro made WebP easier to work with. He used it in two recent articles after finding the files smaller than JPEG or PNG images at comparable visual quality.
Does WebP always create smaller image files?
No such universal conclusion is supported by the report. Anderegg says WebP was smaller in his recent examples, but adds that this will not always be the case. Results can depend on the image and export settings.
When did major browsers add WebP support?
According to Anderegg’s timeline, Chrome added support in 2011, Edge in 2018, Firefox in 2019 and Safari in 2020. He said Google announced the format in 2010.
Is Anderegg switching to AVIF or JPEG XL too?
Not yet, based on his report. He said AVIF looks promising and wondered when Pixelmator Pro might support AVIF and JPEG XL, but did not say he had adopted either format.
Source: hn
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