The Two-Speed Image Pipeline: Why Agencies Should Split Optimization From Retouching

Image editing splits into two economically opposite jobs: automated compression and format conversion, where cost per asset falls toward zero, and creative retouching, where human judgment sets the ceiling on what clients will pay. Agencies that run both through one workflow either overpay for optimization or underdeliver on brand work. Separating the pipelines is the margin decision, not the tool decision.