Web Graphics Tutorial

The two most common image file formats on the web are GIFs and JPGs. They have been the standard for image enabled web browsers from the start of the internet age. Images take much longer to load than text. Therefore, both formats focus on compressing the size of the image as much as possible.

Banners, buttons, dividers, clipart and other simple images usually work best as GIFs. Because these types of images don't require millions of colors, they can quite easily be stored as GIFs with minimal degradation. They can handle transparent areas and have up to 256 colors. One of the more popular uses of the GIF file format is that of animation. Animated images can be created using the GIF 89a format.

Photographs and other complex images usually work best as JPGs. This file format is the internet standard for presenting photo realistic images. It has the capability to compress large images down to very small file sizes while retaining the overall photographic quality of the image. JPG files can use any number of colors, so it is a very convenient format for 24-bit images, which support more than 16 million colors.

Graphics Editors

The following graphics programs contain all you need to create professional web graphics, edit images, and much more. Click on the links below to learn more about each program, or to buy them online at Amazon.com.

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