Web Design – Working with Images
Images form an integral part of any web page since they are used for various purposes – to convey information, to attract attention, to explain things clearly, etc. There are a few things to take care of while working with images. A good web designer should look into all these factors to ensure that the images serve the purpose for which they are used in page.
Acquiring the Images
The images used in a webpage may be designs, photographs, logos, icons, graphs, charts etc. These images can be acquired in many ways.
– Using a ready-made image. They are mostly downloaded from web
– Scanning a photograph
– Creating image using image editing software
Preparing the Image
A web designer should know how to prepare or edit an image before uploading it in a web page. This is done by image editing software such as Adobe Photoshop, Corel Draw etc. The images are cropped and resized according to the requirement of the webpage. They are then saved in the required file format.
Image Copyright
Before using an image for designing the webpage, make sure that you do not violate any copyrights. Read and understand the copyright of the particular image clearly. Some images may be labelled to use and share only while some others may allow you to modify them as well.
Image File Format
Images are uploaded in many formats in the web. The formats that are most widely used are
– JPEG or JPG –This format is known as Joint Photographers Expert Group. This format is widely used for still images
– GIF – The Graphic Interchange Format allows you to illustrate an image graphically.
– PNG – Portable Network Graphics, even though not widely used, is pretty handy to use for logos and icons
Image File Size
The size of the image that you are using is also an important criterion for effective web design. If the image is too large, it’ll take a lot of time to load on your webpage, thereby reducing the performance of your website. Compressing your image is a very good option, but care should be taken that the quality of the image is not much compromised.
Image File Location
A good web design ensures that the images are located in the right place. Make sure that your images are located in the ‘images’ folder in your website’s root folder. This will help in file management and organisation.
These factors must be taken care of to ensure that the webpage that you create is informational and interesting and this is an important aspect of effective web design.