<plastic-image>

A Polymer 3.0 element which adds extra plasticity to iron-image with support for srcset, lazy loading and webp.

plastic-image extends iron-image by adding a srcset attribute for client side image size selection. It adds a lazy-load attribute for deferring the image load until the element is showing in the viewport. Finally, it allows you to serve (typically smaller) webp images to browsers that support webp.

Please review the api docs for iron-image as this element is a subclass of iron-image.

Available Versions

1.0.14 is the latest version for Polymer 2.0 and can be installed via bower:

bower install --save plastic-image#1.0.14

3.0.0 is the version for Polymer 3.0 and can be installed via npm:

npm install --save plastic-image

plastic-image srcset

The srcset attribute is a string consisting of one or more image selection strings separated by commas. Each image selection string is composed of:

1. A url to an image
2. One or more spaces as a separator
3. One or more descriptors separated by spaces

• width descriptor: a positive integer directly followed by 'w'. e.g. 700w
• height descriptor: a positive integer directly followed by 'h'. e.g. 345h
• pixel density descriptor: a positive floating point number directly followed by 'x'. e.g. 2.0x

plastic-image extends the <img srcset="..."> feature by allowing multiple descriptors for an image and mixed descriptors in a single srcset.

plastic-image also extends srcset use by optionally allowing image selection to be based on the render size of the plastic-image element instead of the viewport, which is the standard. To use this optional function include the use-element-dim attribute.

Example srcset

srcset="foo-s.jpg 150w, foo-sh.jpg 150w 2.0x, foo-m.jpg 405w, foo-mh 2.0x 405w, foo-l 1024w, foo-t 500w 750h"

Automatic Density

If none of the image selection strings includes a pixel density descriptor ('x' e.g. 4.0x), then the image selection process will automatically compensate for the viewport's pixel density.

Lazy ... wait for it ... Loading

Lazy loading delays loading the image (but not the placeholder image) until the element is at least 1px inside the viewport. This can improve the perceived performance of the page by removing below the fold images from first paint.

plastic-image uses an IntersectionObserver to trigger image loads when lazy-load is selected. IntersectionObserver is automatically polyfilled if a feature test shows the browser does not include native support.

To use lazy loading simply add the lazy-load attribute to the element.

<plastic-image preload fade lazy-load srcset="..." ... ></plastic-image>

Webp Support

You can include webp format images alongside images of other formats (e.g. JPG, GiF, PNG) in the srcset attribute. If you include one or more webp images and the browser supports webp, the control will select the best fit webp image. If the browser does not support webp, the control will select the best fit non webp image.

Webp images are typically significantly smaller than JPG or PNG so it can represent a decrease in network traffic.

There are no flags to enable this support. Just include webp along with non webp images in the srcset to take advantage.

How Webp Images are Detected in the srcset

plastic-image checks for webp images using a regular expression. The default regex is /\.webp$/i (i.e. the url ends with .webp). This may not work for you if you are using url parameters or if for any other reason the url doesn't end with .webp. You can modify the regex used to suit your url scheme by setting the webpRegex property:

<plastic-image id="wp01" webp-regex="wp=yes" lazy-load preload fade use-element-dim sizing="contain" ...

(matches wp=yes case insensitive anywhere in the url)

You can supply just the matching string, as above, or the complete regex including modifiers such as:

<plastic-image id="wp01" webp-regex="/[\?&]wp=yes/i" lazy-load preload fade use-element-dim sizing="contain" ...

(matches ?wp=yes or &wp=yes case insensitive anywhere in the url)

Example Webp

<plastic-image id="wp01" lazy-load preload fade use-element-dim sizing="contain" style="height: 200px; width: 300px;"
          srcset="images/20160827_055746-150x150.jpg 150w,images/20160827-055746-150x150.webp 150w,images/20160827_055746-300x169.jpg 300w,images/20160827-055746-300x169.webp 300w,images/20160827_055746-768x432.jpg 768w,images/20160827-055746-768x432.webp 768w"
          placeholder="data: image/jpeg;base64,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" >
        </plastic-image>

Install the Component

For Polymer 3.0:

npm install --save plastic-image

For Polymer 2.0:

bower install --save plastic-image#1.0.14

Basic Use Examples

Use the control as you would an iron-image but with the srcset.

<plastic-image preload fade sizing="contain"
  srcset="images/foo-s.jpg 150w, images/foo-sh.jpg 150w 2.0x, images/foo-m.jpg 405w, 
  images/foo-mh 2.0x 405w, images/foo-l 1024w, images/foo-t 500w 750h"
  placeholder="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAYAAAAGCAYAAADgzO9IAAAAmElEQVQImWNmYGBgSExMzBATE7dSVFT8eO/evTcMDAwMjIFe5iYSIjybL136cunNW56FulIaEoJcfBdY5GWjvJ4/+SJhIcUhwavI5SbIxR+YvzRqH8unx7/Osf8VYpAVEWLgZuO8ljrfbwMDAwMD07u/j/ZYun5f9JfjSfGnHx9dGaCAJcBimwXjZ4Z+HllGn0XbXr+ASQAAi5UxQq88/fsAAAAASUVORK5CYII="></plastic-image>

To base image selection on the rendered size of the control, instead of the viewport (default), add the use-element-dim attribute.

<plastic-image preload fade sizing="contain" use-element-dim
  srcset="images/foo-s.jpg 150w, images/foo-sh.jpg 150w 2.0x, images/foo-m.jpg 405w, 
  images/foo-mh 2.0x 405w, images/foo-l 1024w, images/foo-t 500w 750h"
  placeholder="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAYAAAAGCAYAAADgzO9IAAAAmElEQVQImWNmYGBgSExMzBATE7dSVFT8eO/evTcMDAwMjIFe5iYSIjybL136cunNW56FulIaEoJcfBdY5GWjvJ4/+SJhIcUhwavI5SbIxR+YvzRqH8unx7/Osf8VYpAVEWLgZuO8ljrfbwMDAwMD07u/j/ZYun5f9JfjSfGnHx9dGaCAJcBimwXjZ4Z+HllGn0XbXr+ASQAAi5UxQq88/fsAAAAASUVORK5CYII="></plastic-image>

To automatically compensate for pixel density do not supply any pixel density descriptors in the srcset.

<plastic-image preload fade sizing="contain" use-element-dim
  srcset="images/foo-s.jpg 150w, images/foo-sh.jpg 300w, images/foo-m.jpg 405w, 
  images/foo-mh 810w, images/foo-l 1024w, images/foo-t 500w 750h"
  placeholder="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAYAAAAGCAYAAADgzO9IAAAAmElEQVQImWNmYGBgSExMzBATE7dSVFT8eO/evTcMDAwMjIFe5iYSIjybL136cunNW56FulIaEoJcfBdY5GWjvJ4/+SJhIcUhwavI5SbIxR+YvzRqH8unx7/Osf8VYpAVEWLgZuO8ljrfbwMDAwMD07u/j/ZYun5f9JfjSfGnHx9dGaCAJcBimwXjZ4Z+HllGn0XbXr+ASQAAi5UxQq88/fsAAAAASUVORK5CYII="></plastic-image>

To defer loading until the image is in (well, at least peaking into) the viewport add the lazy-load attribute.

<plastic-image lazy-load preload fade sizing="contain"
  srcset="images/foo-s.jpg 150w, images/foo-sh.jpg 150w 2.0x, images/foo-m.jpg 405w, 
  images/foo-mh 2.0x 405w, images/foo-l 1024w, images/foo-t 500w 750h"
  placeholder="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAYAAAAGCAYAAADgzO9IAAAAmElEQVQImWNmYGBgSExMzBATE7dSVFT8eO/evTcMDAwMjIFe5iYSIjybL136cunNW56FulIaEoJcfBdY5GWjvJ4/+SJhIcUhwavI5SbIxR+YvzRqH8unx7/Osf8VYpAVEWLgZuO8ljrfbwMDAwMD07u/j/ZYun5f9JfjSfGnHx9dGaCAJcBimwXjZ4Z+HllGn0XbXr+ASQAAi5UxQq88/fsAAAAASUVORK5CYII="></plastic-image>

To serve webp images to browsers that support webp and jpg to browsers that do not, simply include the alternate webp images in the srcset. You can mix in width, height and density selectors also.

<plastic-image lazy-load preload fade sizing="contain"
  srcset="images/foo-s.jpg 150w, images/foo-s.webp 150w, 
    images/foo-m.jpg 405w, images/foo-m.webp 405w, 
    images/foo-mh.jpg 2.0x 405w, images/foo-mh.webp 2.0x 405w"
  placeholder="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAYAAAAGCAYAAADgzO9IAAAAmElEQVQImWNmYGBgSExMzBATE7dSVFT8eO/evTcMDAwMjIFe5iYSIjybL136cunNW56FulIaEoJcfBdY5GWjvJ4/+SJhIcUhwavI5SbIxR+YvzRqH8unx7/Osf8VYpAVEWLgZuO8ljrfbwMDAwMD07u/j/ZYun5f9JfjSfGnHx9dGaCAJcBimwXjZ4Z+HllGn0XbXr+ASQAAi5UxQq88/fsAAAAASUVORK5CYII="></plastic-image>

If you need to control when to load (perhaps you are waiting for an ajax response) use the delay-load attribute and then set delayLoad to false once your data is ready.

<plastic-image id="foo" delay-load lazy-load preload fade sizing="contain"
  srcset="[[myImageSelector]]"
  placeholder="[[myMicroB64]]"></plastic-image>

fetch('imageDetail/47561').then((response) => {
  return response.json();
}).then((imgData) => {
  this.myImageSelector = imgData.srcset;
  this.myMicroB64 = imgData.mt;
  this.$.foo.delayLoad = false;
});

Polymer Build / polymer.json

The element may automaticall loads a polyfill script to support IntersectionObserver on browsers where native support is not available. The script is not detected by the Polymer build analyzer. If you are using polymer build you should modify the polymer.json file to include the script in your build by adding them to the extraDependencies array:

"extraDependencies": [
    "node_modules/plastic-image/intersection-observer.js",
    ...
  ]

or, on Polymer 2.0:

"extraDependencies": [
    "bower_components/plastic-image/intersection-observer.js",
    ...
  ]

Standard iron-image properties that should not be used

Do not use preventLoad / prevent-load. This is used internally by plastic-image to allow the srcset processing step. To achieve that function use delayLoad / delay-load instead.

Do not use src. That will be overwritten by the srcset evaluation. To specify a fallback image use the fallbackSrc / fallback-src attribute instead.

License

MIT