Graphics are a very important element of every webpage. There are a few rules you should follow and things you should know when using them, to make the experience for your visitors as pleasing as possible.


LOADING TIME: Images/Graphics will usually take more time to load than text, and the time will always vary on the persons' modem and internet connection. It is wise to keep in mind that the average person has a 28.8 / 33.6 / 54.4 modem and even though a 300 kb image might load on your computer in seconds, for the average person it will at least two minutes or more. GIF Wizard is a handy utility that can reduce the size of most images.

SIZE: Another important thing to keep in mind is the size of images. Most monitors are set for 800X600 and 640X480 pixels resolution, and if a graphic is much larger than the maximum width of the screen, the viewer will have difficulty seeing it. It is recommended to shrink such images with an image editing program.

TAG ATTRIBUTES: Many people know how to call up an image in HTML with the IMG SRC tag, but they do not know how to do it correctly. If you do not include certain attributes to the IMG SRC tag, the page will only completely display after all images on that page have loaded completely. This can be very critical on a graphic-intensive page and your visitors might get frustrated if they have to wait for too long. To rectify this problem, take a look at the bottom of the ELEMENTS > GRAPHIC section.

FREE GRAPHICS: If you do not know how to create your own images, don't despair because there are plenty of web-sites that have dedicated themselves to provide people like you with free professional quality graphics. Some of those websites can be found in the EXTRA - LINKS section.