Why my logo appeared pixelated after Smush converted images to WebP and the srcset/regeneration workflow that brought back retina clarity

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Few things are as frustrating as carefully designing a crisp, high-resolution logo—only to see it appear blurry or pixelated on your website later. That exact issue happened to me after using Smush, a popular image optimization plugin for WordPress, to convert images to WebP format. What initially seemed like a performance win quickly turned into an aesthetic downgrade. But after some exploration into retina display requirements, image regeneration, and proper use of srcset, I was able to restore my logo’s clarity.

TL;DR

Using Smush to convert images to WebP improved site speed, but my sharp logo turned blurry on retina devices. The problem wasn’t WebP itself, but a missing high-resolution version of the image and an improperly generated srcset. By regenerating thumbnails and ensuring multiple resolution versions were available, my logo returned to pixel-perfect form. The key is in optimizing for both performance and image clarity using the right workflow.

Why Did My Logo Look Pixelated After Smush?

After installing Smush and switching my site’s images to WebP format for better performance, everything seemed to load faster—but my logo looked downright awful on high-resolution (retina) screens like MacBooks, iPhones, and iPads.

The root of the problem came down to a mismatch in the image resolution and what retina displays actually expect. Retina and other high-DPI screens require an image that has roughly 2x the pixel density of standard screens. That’s why sites often use two versions of an image—a standard version and a 2x version, which is served only to retina displays via srcset.

Unfortunately, Smush’s WebP conversion replaced my high-resolution PNG logo with a single, lower-res WebP file. Since the original high-DPI version was missing, there was no way for the browser to serve a sharper alternative.

Understanding Retina Displays and srcset

Retina or high-DPI displays pack more pixels into the same physical space, making low-resolution images appear soft or blurry. To serve these screens properly, web developers typically use srcset, a HTML attribute that allows browsers to pick the most appropriate image version based on screen resolution.

Let’s consider a simple example:

<img 
  src="logo.webp" 
  srcset="logo@2x.webp 2x, logo.webp 1x" 
  alt="My Logo" 
/>

Here, logo.webp is served to standard displays, and logo@2x.webp is served to retina devices. The browser chooses which to use based on the pixel density of the screen.

However, if Smush overwrites the original logo with only the WebP version (and eliminates its high-resolution counterpart), you lose the ability to serve sharper versions through srcset. Even worse, if the theme or builder inserts logos without using srcset at all, the problem only deepens.

Diagnosis: Examining What Got Lost

To solve the problem, I dug into my site’s media library and looked at how the logo image was being served. There were several clues that pointed to what went wrong:

  • The WebP version existed, but no 2x variant could be found.
  • The srcset attribute was missing entirely from the logo’s HTML output.
  • The image dimensions were fixed and matched the 1x version, further limiting quality.

The culprit? Smush converted images at their current display size but didn’t regenerate high-resolution variants. In essence, I lost all retina-ready formats. Worse yet, the WordPress media library didn’t automatically re-generate thumbnails when the file format changed.

The Workflow That Brought Clarity Back

After realizing what went wrong, I followed a workflow that not only regained the lost clarity but also prepared my site to scale images properly for all devices.

  1. Restore the Original High-Resolution Logo
    I re-uploaded my original PNG logo at full resolution—at least twice the intended display size. For example, if my logo appears at 200×50 pixels, I uploaded a 400×100 version.
  2. Use a Retina-Friendly Theme or Builder
    I confirmed that my theme and page builder supported srcset. If your site inserts images using custom methods, be sure srcset is being used, especially in the <img> elements pulling from your media library.
  3. Regenerate Thumbnails and Meta Data
    I installed the Regenerate Thumbnails plugin and had it rebuild all image sizes for the newly uploaded logo. This ensured that both standard and retina-sized versions were created and added to the database.
  4. Enable WebP Without Overwriting Originals
    Inside Smush settings, I enabled WebP conversion but made sure it created new image versions instead of replacing the original files. Smush can deliver WebP formats via rewrites, so the browser still sees the optimal format without losing other versions.
  5. Test srcset with Retina Emulators
    I used the Chrome DevTools “device toolbar” to emulate high-resolution screens and verified that the browser picked the 2x version through srcset. The logo looked sharp again!

With this approach, I had multiple image versions—JPG/PNG originals and WebP variants for both standard and retina displays. The site loaded faster and looked crisp everywhere.

Bonus: Automating Retina-Friendly WebP Generation

It’s worth noting that several modern plugins and optimization platforms allow automatic retina-friendly WebP generation. Here’s how to make this part of your workflow:

  • ShortPixel – Automatically creates WebP and Retina versions of every uploaded image.
  • Smush Pro – Offers CDN-based image delivery that supports retina variants.
  • WebP Express – Works alongside WordPress to produce alternate sizes and serve them via Apache or NGINX rules.

If you’re frequently updating images or logos, using one of these tools will save you hours of frustration and keep your visuals razor-sharp across devices.

Lessons Learned

This experience reminded me not to underestimate the importance of high-resolution image workflows. As screens continue to evolve, the images we serve need to adapt using responsive techniques like srcset, retina sizes, and next-gen formats like WebP. What looked fine five years ago might now appear lackluster today without updating your workflows.

To recap:

  • WebP isn’t to blame—image clarity problems often stem from lost resolutions or broken srcset chains.
  • Always upload images at 2x resolution of their display size if you want them to look sharp on high-DPI displays.
  • Use plugins wisely—set up Smush or any optimization tool to add WebP formats, not overwrite originals.
  • Regenerate thumbnails whenever image formats or sizes are adjusted.

Conclusion

Your logo is often one of the first things a visitor notices—don’t let it be a blurry mess. By understanding how devices display images, using srcset, and implementing a proper thumbnail regeneration workflow, you can ensure every screen sees your branding in its best light. WebP and performance optimization don’t have to come at the cost of visual quality—you just need to bridge the two with the right tools and process.