Chronext automated background removal, streamlined its image processing, and cut image response time by 80%.
This partnership allowed Chronext to enhance the visual experience for customers and reinforce its reputation as a trusted platform for high-end watches.
the cHALLENGE
Before working with Imgix, Chronext faced significant challenges with image processing. Removing and replacing the background of product photos, which is essential for luxury e-commerce, was a tedious process. The internal photography and design team spent considerable time on cropping and photo editing, straining resources and slowing down operations.
With 70% of its traffic coming from mobile, Chronext was also concerned with balancing image quality and loading speed. It needed the images to have high enough resolution for customers to zoom in and see the intricate details, while keeping the file sizes small enough to load quickly. Finally, the team wanted to avoid solutions with complicated and unpredictable pricing.
the solution
To create a cohesive product gallery, each image needs to be uniformly centered, cropped, and set on a white background. As one of the first customers to use Imgix’s background removal and replacement feature, Emanuel conducted extensive testing and now applies it across almost all product photos. In addition to background removal, the team also used the following parameters in the Imgix rendering API:
- auto=format,compress applies best-effort compression and image-format conversion. With auto=format, images will be served in the AVIF format whenever possible.
- trim=color removes the extra space around each watch.
- fit=fill then adds an equal amount of space to the left and right of the watch, with the same color defined in the background color parameter, resulting in a square image defined by ar=1:1.
the results
Chronext found its perfect fit with Imgix, a platform that delivers robust image transformation, proactive problem-solving, and fair pricing.
With Imgix, Chronext is able to simplify its workload drastically and enhance the visual experience. Not only does Imgix automate the tedious background removal process, but it also reduces Chronext’s average image response time to just 57 milliseconds. Image file sizes decreased by 80% on average with auto=format,compress without impacting the quality, further optimizing loading speeds and performance.
By offloading image processing and focusing on its core workloads, the Chronext team delivers on its commitment to both its buyers and sellers, reinforcing its reputation as a trusted marketplace for high-end watches.
