Optimizing Docker images is essential for enhancing efficiency and scalability.Multi-stage builds and JLink are practical techniques for optimizing Docker images.Using Multi-Stage Build: Caching dependencies results in more efficient and smaller Docker image.Dividing build and runtime stages ensures that only necessary things make it to final image.Optimizing the Dockerfile reduces the image size and makes it more efficient with less unnecessary dependencies.JLink creates a minimal Java runtime that includes only the necessary modules and removes unneeded files.Optimized images load faster, reduce attack surface and boost deployment times in cloud environments.Using multi-stage builds and creating minimal runtimes can significantly decrease image sizes, improve build performance, and reduce vulnerabilities.The optimization process with the Spring PetClinic application reduced image size from 518MB to 128MB.Adopting these best practices can save resources and enhance security in production environments.