RossB

Thanks a lot for your response, Kartik.

I do always change the featured image to the correct size – that is, 1024×568 – before I upload it to Media.

I thought the theme should create a thumbnail automatically, scaled to the size I’ve set in Media in the Settings: that is, 346×192. Isn’t this how it’s supposed to work?

Thanks for your link. I really didn’t think I should need to install a thumbnail resizing plugin, though. Surely, the theme should manage to create the correct-sized thumbnail without a plugin?

As a last resort I’ll try the plugin – but I’d really like to understand why the theme isn’t functioning as it should re thumbnail re-sizing, and to fix whatever’s wrong. If you or someone else could explain what I need to do to remedy the situation within the theme itself, would be most grateful!

Cheers
Ross

Thanks for your prompt response, Anton.

Would it be the index.php file of the child theme I’d need to overwrite? And if so, what should I look for to set the size at which thumbnails are loaded, please?

I realise these questions are probably going beyond your brief as Smush author – just thought it worth an ask, since you’re clearly far more knowledgable than I in these matters. My “coding” has always only consisted of asking a question on the WP Support forums and copying someone else’s code suggestion! 🙂

Anyway, if you can help, would be great. If not, no worries, of course.

Cheers
Ross
PS: I’ll have a look at the Twenty Nineteen theme (thanks for the alert), but I like the layout of the Twenty Fourteen I’m currently using, so am a bit loathe to start again with a new theme.

Hello guys and thanks for your responses. My understanding based on my research years ago when I first started using the Twenty Fourteen theme is that that theme uses 2 custom media sizes:
672x372px for post thumbnail image size and 1038x576px for ‘twentyfourteen-full-width’ custom image size. I altered my Twenty Fourteen child theme post width to 1024px. I was advised by helpful folk on here to re-size all images I wish to upload to 1024×576, and “let theme resize them.” I am not a technical person (obviously), but had had excellent advice from these folk before, so have followed it ever since.

My understanding based on advice received is that image sizes other than 1024×576 are re-sized by my Twenty Fourteen child theme via html/css properties. I was also under the impression that when testing the page speed on Pingdom etc, the page load speed is reduced by images that are not 1024×576, indicated by the message: “The following images are resized in HTML or CSS”.

I hope that clarifies my understanding (or misunderstanding) and my question. In the hope that it has, I ask my question again, re-phrased:
For images smaller than 1024×568, such as the 375×576 one I want to upload for the post I am currently writing, will this be resized via html/css properties and therefore take longer to load when someone opens the post?

If yes, to prevent this resizing taking place, should I do something like place the image inside a 1024×576 rectangle using Photoshop or whatever, so it is recognised as 1024×576 and therefore not resized? I’m just trying to optimise image load time on my posts – that’s the only objective and the reason behind my question.

Actually, also, I wonder if someone would mind checking my site and ascertaining whether that 1024×576 image size is the custom media size for my child theme. It has just struck me that I might have misinterpreted previous advice and have been using the wrong size all along! I know I should know how to do this stuff myself, but I retain very little of technicals and always seem to struggle to find answers when “researching” with Google.

Cheers
Ross

• This reply was modified 7 years, 4 months ago by RossB.

Thanks for your reply, monbauza, but to be honest it doesn’t give me much comfort. Who is going to type in a search query “site:www.boomtownrap.com/10624/loving-vincent-movie-review/”? To be realistic, a typical search query would be “Loving Vincent movie review”. This does not bring up the snippet as I’ve written in my meta description. AND, I do have the focus keyword in the description.

So, I’m no wiser as to practical steps I can take to ensure Google displays the snippet as per my meta description.

Thanks for the link on writing great meta descriptions. It’s helpful, but it doesn’t solve my current dilemma re Google not displaying my meta description as a snippet.

If anyone has any more tips that might help, would be much appreciated. I imagine there are many others with the problem I’ve described, also.

Cheers

Sorry, Nikhila KJ, I’ve changed to another social media plugin and can’t remember what I did with Sharify to get the FB count displaying. It was a simple matter of clicking on something in the settings, but I just can’t recall exactly what!

Just keep trying things and you’ll get it happening.

Cheers
Ross

??

As I wrote above, I’m using a child theme.

Ross

Thanks a lot jelly_bean, for your informative response.

I had seen that site you linked to, but ta.

Do you have any comment re my question 2, please?

Also, I have the sense that you would not be keen on the idea of changing font from Lato to Ariel. If this is the case, I’d be interested in your reasoning. Is it mainly aesthetics?

Cheers
Ross