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Improving
your Web Site
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| Handling
Graphics & Photos |
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A Picture is just a Picture
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| No it isn't. Graphics for the web need
to be handled in particular ways. They have to be effective
but kept as simple as possible. Good visual impact, but
download very quickly. This is achieved by a good understanding
of graphical layout, artistic skill, the best software for manipulating
and compressing image files and knowledge of what types of images
are suitable for use on the web. The two main types are GIF
and JPEG. |
| Size
- big graphics suck! |
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It takes an average web user about 5 to 10 seconds,
if that, after they've clicked onto your site to decide whether
they want to stay and have a look. If you've got big graphics
on your site, and not much text, it'll take a while for anything
to show on the screen. Will most visitors wait that long?
99% probably won't. They'll click away to somewhere
else. Web users are impatient and selfish. They're
looking for information they want, and they want it
fast. At a click of the mouse they're off to look at
the competition.
So you've got some great photos of your product/service. You
scanned them in and stuck them straight onto your web site.
If so, you have broken one of the cardinal rules of web design.
They usually end up as large files.
How may times have you clicked onto a web site and waited
ages for a picture to appear that wasn't worth looking at
in the first place? Do you want a web site like that?
You must digitally compress or optimise your
picture first, using a graphics package (such as Paint
Shop Pro, the more expensive Adobe
Photoshop, or a trial version of XAT's
Image Optimiser) or by submitting it to one of the free
services offered online by web sites such as www.gifoptimizer.com
and www.gifwizard.com.
If you have lots of photographs, spread them over several
pages, or provide small thumbnail images that link
to the full picture on a separate page.
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| Fancy page headers |
| You've got a lovely image, including text, of
what you're offering at the top of the page, or even taking
up the whole of the page. You might do this because you want
to use a fancy font that not everyone has on their computer,
and you really want to use it because it looks good. Fair enough,
but remember that lots of GIF text can substantially slow
down your pages.(see big graphics
above). Also, search engines can't read pictures, and only some
will read the ALT tag on the image, if you've remembered to
put one in (the ALT tag is what you see when you roll your mouse
over an image and a text description for the graphic pops up). |
| Quality |
| Any scanned photo, if not digitally enhanced afterwards,
will usually turn out as a grey-looking, 'flat' picture. You
need to enhance the image (increase the tonal range, improve
the colours, sharpen the image) by using one of the many good
tools available. Paint
Shop Pro is highly recommended, as is the more expensive
Adobe
Photoshop. Or try out some of the free software and trials
you can get with the free CDs offered by most of the popular
internet and computer magazines. They can have limitations,
but may well do the job you want. |
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comments@snowgoose.co.uk |
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Any feedback you wish to make regarding the above
content, or any requests for additions, please email us and we can guarantee
a prompt response. |
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