| 1.
Web-safe colors |
| There are 216 web-safe colors that can
be displayed accurately by any browser on nearly every
color monitor. To achieve the greatest compatibility,
all page graphics, backgrounds, and text should be within
this "lowest common denominator" range of 216
colors. However, this rule is changing, as nearly all
monitors now on the market are capable of displaying thousands
or even millions of colors outside the web-safe range.
|
| 2.
GIFs |
| A GIF (Graphic Interchange Format) file
is a type of graphic file developed specifically for web
use. GIF files are a good way to reduce the file size
of logos, drawings, maps, charts and other images. GIFs
are rarely used for photos, but there are exceptions,
such as when animation or an area of transparency is required.
|
| 3.
JPEG (or JPG) |
| Named for the Joint Photographic Experts
Group that created it, JPEG is the standard format for
photos on the web. A JPEG file can be formatted within
a wide range of compression, so that you can find the
right combination of file size and image quality. |
| 4. PNG |
| PNG is a new alternative format that promises
higher rates of compression; however it is not widely
used because older browsers are not compatible with PNG
files. |
| 5.
Compression |
| Compression is the reduction of an image's
file size so that it will load quickly online. For most
files this requires some sacrifice of image quality. |
| 6.
Optimization |
| Optimization is the formatting of pages
and graphics so that they load as quickly as possible.
Every image should be optimized individually so that the
best combination of compression vs. image quality is achieved.
|
| 7. Pixel |
| Like a TV screen, a computer monitor displays
its information as thousands of small dots of red, green
and blue light. Each of these dots is called a pixel.
Web browsers display 72 pixels per inch of screen space.
|
| 8. Hexadecimal
(or hex) |
| Hexadecimal code is used to indicate color
within a web page; each pair of letters or numbers assigns
a relative value of red, green and blue. For example a
color which contains very little red, a medium amount
of green, and a lot of blue, is #66CCFF in hexadecimal
notation. |
| 9. Flash |
| Flash is file format for images that are
created by a mathematical formula rather than by assigning
color values to specific pixels. Such images are called
vector-based images to distinguish them from bitmap images
such as GIF or JPG. Flash also allows for animations that
are more complex than those possible with GIF files. |
| 10. Resolution |
| Resolution has two meanings,
both of which pertain to image size. First, resolution
can mean the amount of information your computer monitor
can display. Most computers use a default resolution of
800x600 pixels, although many users prefer a resolution
of 1024x768 pixels. It is important to keep these figures
in mind when designing web sites. Resolution can also
mean the number of pixels per inch, which determines the
size at which an image will display. An image of 360x144
pixels shown at 72 pixels per inch will display as 5 inches
by 2 inches. |
