@mole-inc/nuxt-optimized-images

# Usage

You can import or require your images directly in your Vue components:

<template>
  <img src="~/assets/image.png">
</template>

or

<template>
  <img :src="require('~/assets/image.png')">
</template>

WARNING

Please be aware that images only get optimized in production by default to reduce the build time in your development environment.

If the file is below the limit for inlining images, the require(...) will return a base64 data-uri (data:image/jpeg;base64,...).

# Query params

There are additional options you can specify as query params when you import the images.

  • ?include: Include the raw file directly (useful for SVG icons)
  • ?webp: Convert a JPEG/PNG image to WebP on the fly
  • ?inline: Force inlining an image (data-uri)
  • ?url: Force an URL for a small image (instead of data-uri)
  • ?original: Use the original image and do not optimize it
  • ?lqip: Generate a low-quality image placeholder
  • ?sqip: Generate a low-quality svg-image placeholder
  • ?resize: Resize an image

TIP

There are some cases where you don't want to reference a file or get a base64 data-uri but you actually want to include the raw file directly into your HTML. Especially for SVGs because you can't style them with CSS if they are in an src attribute on an image.

# ?include

The image will directly be included in your HTML without a data-uri or a reference to your file.

As described above, this is useful for SVGs so you can style them with CSS.

<template>
  <div v-html="require('~/assets/my-icon.svg?include')">
</template>

<!-- 
 Results in:

 <div>
   <svg width="16" height="16" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
     <path d="M8 0C3.589 0 0 3.589 0 8s3.589 ..." style="filled-opacity:1" fill-rule="evenodd">
     </path>
   </svg>
 </div>
-->

The image will still get optimized, even if it is directly included in your content (but by default only in production).

# ?webp

WARNING

Requires the optional optimization package webp-loader

WebP is an even better and smaller image format but it is still not that common.

If this ?webp query parameter is specified, @mole-inc/nuxt-optimized-images automatically converts a JPEG/PNG image to the new WebP format.

For browsers that don't yet support WebP, you can also provide a fallback using the <picture> tag:

<template>
  <picture>
    <source :srcSet="require('~/assets/my-image.jpg?webp')" type="image/webp" />
    <source :srcSet="require('~/assets/my-image.jpg')" type="image/jpeg" />
    <img :src="require('~/assets/my-image.jpg')" />
  </picture>
</template>

<!-- 
 Results in:

<picture>
  <source srcSet="/_nuxt/images/d6816ecc.webp" type="image/webp" />
  <source srcSet="/_nuxt/images/5216de42.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
  <img src="/_nuxt/images/5216de42.jpg" />
</picture>
-->

# ?inline

You can specify a limit for inlining images which will include it as a data-uri directly in your content instead of referencing a file if the file size is below that limit.

You usually don't want to specify a too high limit but there may be cases where you still want to inline larger images.

In this case, you don't have to set the global limit to a higher value but you can add an exception for a single image using the ?inline query options.

<template>
  <img :src="require('~/assets/my-image.jpg?inline')">
</template>

<!-- 
 Results in:

 <img src="data:image/png;base64,..." />
-->

The inlining will only get applied to exactly this import, so if you import the image a second time without the ?inline option, it will then get normally referenced as a file if it is above your limit.

# ?url

When you have an image smaller than your defined limit for inlining, it normally gets inlined automatically. If you don't want a specific small file to get inlined, you can use the ?url query param to always get back an image URL, regardless of the inline limit.

TIP

If you are using this option a lot, it could also make sense to disable the inlining completely and use the ?inline param for single files.

<template>
  <img :src="require('~/assets/my-image.jpg?url')">
</template>

<!-- 
 Results in:

 <img src="/_nuxt/assets/5216de.jpg" />
-->

The inlining will only get disabled for exactly this import, so if you import the image a second time without the ?url option, it will then get inlined again if it is below your limit.

# ?original

The image won't get optimized and it will be used as it is. It makes sense to use this query param if you know an image already got optimized so it doesn't get optimized again a second time.

<template>
  <img :src="require('~/assets/my-image.jpg?original')">
</template>

This can also be combined with the ?url or ?inline resource query (e.g. ?original&inline).

# ?lqip

WARNING

Requires the optional package @mole-inc/lqip-loader

When using this resource query, a very small (about 10x7 pixels) image gets created. You can then display this image as a placeholder until the real (big) image has loaded.

You will normally stretch this tiny image to the same size as the real image is, like medium.com does. To make the stretched image look better in chrome, check out this solution and add a blur filter to your image.

<template>
  <img :src="require('~/assets/my-image.jpg?lqip')">
</template>

<!-- 
 Replaces the src with a tiny image in base64.
-->

or using vue-lazyload (a Vue.js plugin for lazyloading your images):

<template>
  <div v-lazy-container="{ selector: 'img' }">
    <img 
      :data-src="require('~/assets/my-image.jpg')" 
      :data-loading="require('~/assets/my-image.jpg?lqip')" 
    />
  </div>
</template>

<style scoped>
img[lazy='loading'] {
  filter: blur(15px);
}
</style>

# ?sqip

WARNING

Requires the optional package sqip-loader

Another way to generate placeholders is using sqip-loader. When using this resource query, a very small SVG image gets created.

<template>
  <img :src="require('~/assets/my-image.jpg?sqip')">
</template>

<!-- 
 Replaces the src with a tiny svg-image.
-->

# ?resize

WARNING

Requires the optional package responsive-loader and either jimp (node implementation, slower) or sharp (binary, faster)

After the ?resize resource query, you can add any other query of the responsive-loader which allows you to resize images and create whole source sets.

<template>
  <div>
    <!-- single image -->
    <img :src="oneSize.src" />

    <!-- source set with multiple sizes -->
    <img :srcSet="multipleSizes.srcSet" :src="multipleSizes.src" />
  </div>
</template>

<script>
const oneSize = require('~/assets/my-image.jpg?resize&size=300');
const multipleSizes = require('~/assets/my-image.jpg?resize&sizes[]=300&sizes[]=600&sizes[]=1000');

export default {
  data() {
    return { oneSize, multipleSizes }
  }
}
</script>

TIP

If only the size or sizes param is used, the ?resize param can also be omitted (e.g. my-image.jpg?size=300). But it is required for all other parameters of responsive-loader.

You can also set global configs in the responsive property (in the nuxt.config.js file) and define, for example, default sizes which will get generated when you don't specify one for an image (e.g. only my-image.jpg?resize).