You’ve downloaded buttons and horizontal lines and other good stuff from
web — but — it’s not all exactly what you want. Besides, you have some photos that would spruce up site, and you want to feel as if some part of graphics were your own. You can do it. Gather your photos. Draw a palm tree in your paint program. Put them on web. This is not a comprehensive graphics course. We’re talking basic, simple — words you want to hear. Two of these words are acronyms: jpg and gif. What they mean, you don’t care. Just remember them.
a. Use jpg when your graphic is a photograph or like a photograph. b. Use gif for everything else.
Easy, huh? Onward!
First, check out your scanner software. Read manual or open up your scanner software and start pushing buttons. Somewhere, you should be able to choose gif or jpg file format to save your scan in. It could be under “Save As” or “Export,” or it could be in box where you set up parameters before you scan. Experiment. Learn how to create file format you want before you go on.
We’re going to start with jpg and photos. Computer monitors only show at a resolution of 72. So find out where you set scanning resolution, and put it at 72. If you print out your 72 scan, it will be terrible, so don’t print it. On web, it will be beautiful. Trust me.
Then, check your photo size. A two inch by three inch photo on a web page is big! Shrink your photo either when or after you scan it. You’ll have to experiment with what size you’ll want on your page.
You’ve scanned your photo at 72, and got it to size you want. You must now “Save As” or “Export” it as a jpg. You will probably have option of choosing “high,” “medium,” or “low” quality for your jpg. If at all possible, save it as “low.” If numbers are given, try “3.” . Use lowest quality or lowest number that you can and still have an acceptable photo. Which brings us to an axiom of web graphics design:
All graphics should be created in smallest possible file size!
Smaller graphics files mean faster loading when a viewer opens your page. If loading takes too long, viewer will not stay, much less buy something. Smaller graphics files means a smaller storage needs for your page, important when you are allotted limited server space. Sometimes web browsers balk at loading huge graphics. Keep it small. Avoid headaches.
