One
of the biggest complaints with the Internet is that web pages load too slowly.
People don't want to wait while graphics with large file sizes load. To overcome
this problem graphics need to be compressed.
Graphics
for the web are usually in 72dpi resolution this is a much lower resolution than
used in the print industry.
The
most common graphic formats supported by web browsers for compressing graphics
are JPEG and GIF.
JPEG
- This format is usually used for photos where there are lots of subtle colour
changes and detail. The JPEG format is a lossy, 24-bit colour, compression format
that generally gives a smaller file size and better quality for photos.
GIF
(Graphic Interchange Format) - This compression format is usually best suited
for graphic's that have mainly flat colours. The GIF file format is a loss-less
compression format that allows you to select a palate of up to 256 colours.
When
choosing colours for your graphics it is best to use 'Web Safe Colours' of which
there are 216. These are colours that have been specially selected, as they will
look the same on different systems.
Larger
graphics take longer to download, so try to make your graphics as small as possible.
If necessary use thumbnails, these are smaller images that link to larger versions
of themselves. This way if the user has the choice of waiting the extra time if
they want to see the image in more detail.
Use
the 'ALT' tag when you use graphics on your web site. The 'ALT' tag will display
a text alternative for the visually impaired or users that have a text only web
browser.
----------------------- Special Thanks to: WebWizGuide
-------------------------
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