f you want attractive, by cropping away any unnecessary
fast loading pages on your white space or clutter. This will
web site, then you must reduce the picture size (and load
optimize the images that you use. time) while focusing the visual
Optimizing essentially means impact directly on the subject
finding the right balance between matter.
image file size and image
quality. There are various ways Resize Images:
to do this, and here we'll This one is easy. Why post a huge
discuss some of the common photo on a web page when a
options. smaller one will serve just as
well? Just resize the height and
Reduce the Image Quality: width of the photo in whatever
Although this sounds like a graphics program you use on your
disadvantage, it actually is not computer before uploading it to
since digital pictures usually your server. Do NOT simply reduce
have a far higher resolution than the height and width dimensions
any computer monitor can display. in your html code as this
By reducing the resolution, or continues to use the huge file
the number of pixels displayed size and merely displays it in a
per square inch (dpi), you can smaller area of the page.
effectively optimize the image
for both display and download Image Optimizing Tools:
purposes. There are some excellent tools
available for optimizing images,
Crop Images: and one of the best is Irfanview,
Photos and other graphics often at http://www.irfanview.com, a
have more surrounding detail than free download that enables quick
is needed for your purpose. Zero and easy image compression,
in on the subject of your picture cropping and resizing.
Save a copy instead, and optimize
If you have Adobe Photoshop, you that version so the original is
might want to read the optimizing always available in the future if
images tutorial at you need it again.
http://catalyst.washington.edu/ca
talyst/how-to/scanning/minimizeIm Re-Using Images:
ages.html which has excellent A common mistake among web
step-by-step instructions. hosting beginners is uploading
the same image into multiple
There are also free online tools. image folders. If your web site
Netmechanic offers free sample has several different
use of GifBot, at directories, each with its own
http://www.netmechanic.com/produc image folder, it might seem
ts/GIFbot_FreeSample.shtml, which logical to upload the logo.gif
displays optimized versions of into each image folder and call
any image you upload, ranging it into a page with a link
from 90 percent down to 10 relative to that directory. But
percent compression. MyImager, at consider - if you do this, then
http://www.myimager.com, is an your server must reload the logo
online image editor with many image every time a visitor moves
different effects options, plus from one directory on your site
the capability to reduce colors to another. Instead, use the same
in gifs and reduce quality in jpg image path every time you use the
format. There are many others - image. That way, the server loads
just search for "online image just one image which is then
optimizer" in Google for more cached on the visitor's computer
options. and re-used for each page that
displays it. This can greatly
One caveat - never optimize the improve page load time if you
original image! have a number of common images,
such as a logo or menu buttons. color images, but cannot be
animated or used with a
Choose the Right Image Format: transparent background. For more
Most web images are created as detailed information on this
either gif files or jpg (or jpeg) topic, including side-by-side
files. There are pros and cons to sample images, read David
both. Basically, gifs are best Eisenberg's informative article,
for simple graphics or line "Why Good Images Go Bad - A Guide
drawings. They can be created to Effective Use of Images on
with a transparent background or Your Website" at
used in simple animations and are http://www.catcode.com/imgguide/i
often optimized by reducing the ndex
use of colors. The jpg format is
better for photographs or full
About the Author:
Jane Lake is a writer on the HostNexus Site Development team. Her own website, AllFreeCrafts, at http://www.allfreecrafts.com, offers hundreds of original free craft projects which include photos (and optimized images) of the finished craft plus detailed how-to instructions. This site is consistently at the top of Google searches for free crafts and is one of many successful sites hosted by HostNexus at http://www.hostnexus.com
Read more articles by:
Jane Lake
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