diff --git a/diylc/diylc-core/src/main/resources/update.xml b/diylc/diylc-core/src/main/resources/update.xml
index a0f3286c..3ed8e068 100644
--- a/diylc/diylc-core/src/main/resources/update.xml
+++ b/diylc/diylc-core/src/main/resources/update.xml
@@ -253,6 +253,10 @@
 					<changeType>NEW_FEATURE</changeType>
 					<description>Configurable 'High DPI Rendering' feature which makes the diagram smoother on high-resolution displays but can affect performance</description>
 				</org.diylc.appframework.update.Change>
+				<org.diylc.appframework.update.Change>
+					<changeType>IMPROVEMENT</changeType>
+					<description>Significantly improved rendering performance</description>
+				</org.diylc.appframework.update.Change>
 				<org.diylc.appframework.update.Change>
 					<changeType>IMPROVEMENT</changeType>
 					<description>Upgraded source code structure to modern standards and introduced Maven</description>
diff --git a/diylc/diylc-library/src/main/java/org/diylc/components/misc/Image.java b/diylc/diylc-library/src/main/java/org/diylc/components/misc/Image.java
index 94c9fdc4..1e67dd13 100644
--- a/diylc/diylc-library/src/main/java/org/diylc/components/misc/Image.java
+++ b/diylc/diylc-library/src/main/java/org/diylc/components/misc/Image.java
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ import org.diylc.awt.ImageUtils;
 import org.diylc.common.ObjectCache;
 import org.diylc.common.Orientation;
 import org.diylc.components.AbstractTransparentComponent;
+import org.diylc.components.boards.AbstractBoard;
 import org.diylc.components.transform.ImageTransformer;
 import org.diylc.core.ComponentState;
 import org.diylc.core.IDIYComponent;
@@ -94,6 +95,8 @@ public class Image extends AbstractTransparentComponent<Void> {
   private byte newScale = DEFAULT_SCALE;
   private ImageSizingMode sizingMode = ImageSizingMode.Scale;
 
+  private transient ImageIcon imageIcon;
+
   public Image() {
     try {
       data = IOUtils.toByteArray(Image.class.getResourceAsStream("/image.png"));
@@ -105,6 +108,11 @@ public class Image extends AbstractTransparentComponent<Void> {
   @Override
   public void draw(Graphics2D g2d, ComponentState componentState, boolean outlineMode, Project project,
       IDrawingObserver drawingObserver) {
+
+    if (!getImageRectangle().intersects(g2d.getClipBounds())) {
+      return;
+    }
+
     double scaleX;
     double scaleY;
     ImageIcon imageIcon = getImage();
@@ -199,21 +207,24 @@ public class Image extends AbstractTransparentComponent<Void> {
   }
 
   public ImageIcon getImage() {
-    if (image != null) {
-      // when loading old files, convert the stored image to byte array and then then discard it, we won't be needing it anymore
-      BufferedImage bi = ImageUtils.ToBufferedImage(image.getImage());
-      ByteArrayOutputStream baos = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
-      try {
-        ImageIO.write(bi, "png", baos);
-        // make it official
-        data = baos.toByteArray();
-      } catch (IOException e) {
-      }      
-      // don't save back to the file
-      image = null;
-    }
+    if (imageIcon == null) {
+      if (image != null) {
+        // when loading old files, convert the stored image to byte array and then then discard it, we won't be needing it anymore
+        BufferedImage bi = ImageUtils.ToBufferedImage(image.getImage());
+        ByteArrayOutputStream baos = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
+        try {
+          ImageIO.write(bi, "png", baos);
+          // make it official
+          data = baos.toByteArray();
+        } catch (IOException e) {
+        }
+        // don't save back to the file
+        image = null;
+      }
 
-    return new ImageIcon(data);
+      imageIcon = new ImageIcon(data);
+    }
+    return imageIcon;
   }
 
   @ByteArrayProperty(binaryType = BinaryType.IMAGE)
@@ -279,7 +290,28 @@ public class Image extends AbstractTransparentComponent<Void> {
   public void setOrientation(Orientation orientation) {
     this.orientation = orientation;
   }
-  
+
+  protected Point2D getFinalSecondPoint() {
+    Point2D finalSecondPoint;
+    if (getSizingMode() == ImageSizingMode.TwoPoints) {
+      finalSecondPoint = secondPoint;
+    } else {
+      double scale = 1d * getScale() / DEFAULT_SCALE;
+      ImageIcon iconImage = getImage();
+      finalSecondPoint = new Point2D.Double(point.getX() + iconImage.getIconWidth() * scale,
+              point.getY() + iconImage.getIconHeight() * scale);
+    }
+    return finalSecondPoint;
+  }
+
+  protected Rectangle2D getImageRectangle() {
+    Point2D finalSecondPoint = getFinalSecondPoint();
+    return new Rectangle2D.Double(Math.min(point.getX(), finalSecondPoint.getX()),
+            Math.min(point.getY(), finalSecondPoint.getY()),
+            Math.abs(point.getX() - finalSecondPoint.getX()),
+            Math.abs(point.getY() - finalSecondPoint.getY()));
+  }
+
   public static enum ImageSizingMode {
     TwoPoints("Opposing Points"), Scale("Scale");
     
diff --git a/diylc/diylc-swing/src/main/java/org/diylc/swing/plugins/canvas/CanvasPanel.java b/diylc/diylc-swing/src/main/java/org/diylc/swing/plugins/canvas/CanvasPanel.java
index cbe90006..011eaa9a 100644
--- a/diylc/diylc-swing/src/main/java/org/diylc/swing/plugins/canvas/CanvasPanel.java
+++ b/diylc/diylc-swing/src/main/java/org/diylc/swing/plugins/canvas/CanvasPanel.java
@@ -338,28 +338,9 @@ public class CanvasPanel extends JComponent implements Autoscroll {
     double x = visibleRect.x;// / scaleFactor;
     double y = visibleRect.y;// / scaleFactor;
     bufferG2d.translate(-x, -y);
+    bufferG2d.setClip(visibleRect);
 
-    Set<DrawOption> drawOptions =
-        EnumSet.of(DrawOption.SELECTION, DrawOption.ZOOM, DrawOption.CONTROL_POINTS);
-
-    if (configManager.readBoolean(IPlugInPort.ANTI_ALIASING_KEY, true)) {
-      drawOptions.add(DrawOption.ANTIALIASING);
-    }
-    if (configManager.readBoolean(IPlugInPort.OUTLINE_KEY, false)) {
-      drawOptions.add(DrawOption.OUTLINE_MODE);
-    }
-    if (configManager.readBoolean(IPlugInPort.SHOW_GRID_KEY, true)) {
-      drawOptions.add(DrawOption.GRID);
-    }
-    if (configManager.readBoolean(IPlugInPort.EXTRA_SPACE_KEY, true)) {
-      drawOptions.add(DrawOption.EXTRA_SPACE);
-    }
-    if (configManager.readBoolean(IPlugInPort.CACHING_ENABLED_KEY, true)) {
-      drawOptions.add(DrawOption.ENABLE_CACHING);
-    }
-    if (configManager.readBoolean(IPlugInPort.LOCKED_ALPHA, true)) {
-      drawOptions.add(DrawOption.LOCKED_ALPHA);
-    }
+    Set<DrawOption> drawOptions = getDrawOptions();
 
     plugInPort.draw(bufferG2d, drawOptions, null, null, scaleFactor, visibleRect);
     
@@ -389,6 +370,31 @@ public class CanvasPanel extends JComponent implements Autoscroll {
     bufferG2d.dispose();
   }
 
+  private Set<DrawOption> getDrawOptions() {
+    Set<DrawOption> drawOptions =
+        EnumSet.of(DrawOption.SELECTION, DrawOption.ZOOM, DrawOption.CONTROL_POINTS);
+
+    if (configManager.readBoolean(IPlugInPort.ANTI_ALIASING_KEY, true)) {
+      drawOptions.add(DrawOption.ANTIALIASING);
+    }
+    if (configManager.readBoolean(IPlugInPort.OUTLINE_KEY, false)) {
+      drawOptions.add(DrawOption.OUTLINE_MODE);
+    }
+    if (configManager.readBoolean(IPlugInPort.SHOW_GRID_KEY, true)) {
+      drawOptions.add(DrawOption.GRID);
+    }
+    if (configManager.readBoolean(IPlugInPort.EXTRA_SPACE_KEY, true)) {
+      drawOptions.add(DrawOption.EXTRA_SPACE);
+    }
+    if (configManager.readBoolean(IPlugInPort.CACHING_ENABLED_KEY, true)) {
+      drawOptions.add(DrawOption.ENABLE_CACHING);
+    }
+    if (configManager.readBoolean(IPlugInPort.LOCKED_ALPHA, true)) {
+      drawOptions.add(DrawOption.LOCKED_ALPHA);
+    }
+    return drawOptions;
+  }
+
   @Override
   public void update(Graphics g) {
     paint(g);