|
|
|
Web Pictures & Graphics by James Wallace Like many people, you may be confused about your options for placing pictures and graphics on your web site. If you're not a professional designer you may have questions about file formats, file sizes, etc. Here are a few frequently asked questions and some answers. 1. What file format should I use for pictures and graphics for my web site? This is not as hard to answer as it sounds. At this point you really only have 2 choices: gif and jpg (pronounced "jiff" and "jaypeg"). There are many factors that influence your decision on which file format is right for you. But here's a general rule to follow: Graphics with few colors such as a company logo or with large areas of the same color should be saved as a gif. Photographs or very detailed graphics with many colors should be saved as a jpeg. 2. Why should I be concerned about the size of my graphic files? Although faster computers and high-speed internet access are catching on gradually, many people are still using older systems. If, because of several large graphic files, a page takes 20 or 30 seconds to finish loading you risk losing your customers. 3. How can I reduce the size of my graphics without sacrificing quality? Keep the dimensions of any graphics you use as small as possible. I recommend no larger than 250 pixels in height. If you're saving a gif file export using the fewest possible number of colors (you may have to experiment to determine how few colors you can use and still maintain desired appearance). If you're exporting as a jpeg, use compression. I recommend for most pictures about a 50% compression (more than this and you risk losing much of the detail of the picture). Remember, gif for graphics with few colors, jpg for photographs. Keep file size small by limiting the graphic's dimensions, keeping colors to a minimum, and compressing jpegs. If you follow theses simple rules you should be alright. James Wallace |
