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They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. But that depends upon the picture. No matter what the media, a graphic image or picture must add to the text, not distract from it.
 Take the welcome graphic to the right as an example. The welcome mat clearly stands out, but the two tiger cubs are naturally inviting and their presence continues the 'big cat' theme of this web site. It is also appealing to the eye and catches your attention immediately. Are you as intrigued as I am?
 Graphic design is an art. It takes more than possesing software to manipulate photos. After all, how many of us may own or have used a paintbrush, but would not consider ourselves artisans of paint? It takes imagination, skill and continued application to create graphics that beautify the printed word.
 It also takes knowledge of the media being used. Whether a web site or a printed brochure, the type, quality, and placement will vary. For example, the graphic above that says a picture is worth a 1000 words has been compressed for faster web page viewing, but would look less appealing if printed.
Graphic Format Comparison Table |
| Qualities / Uses |
JPEG |
GIF |
| Compresses Picture (smaller file size) |
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| Displays up to 256 colors (clip-art, graphical text) |
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| Displays more that 256 colors (photos) |
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| Compression adjustable (loss & fuzzyness) See JPEG Quality chart. |
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| Animation |
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Graphics designed for web pages are usually saved in two different
formats: JPEG or GIF. Take a look at the table to the right for a simple comparison. Lets say you had a company logo that was a few colors. GIF format would probably be the best to use. However, lets say that your company logo was a photo of a golf course. In that case JPEG format may look the best.
Then there is the issue of DPI (dots per inch.) Simply put, the greater the DPI, the clearer the picture (up to the maximum resolution of the device the picture is being displayed on. If your printer is capable of 600dpi, then a picture with 1200dpi would not look any better than a picture at 600dpi. The picture at 1200dpi would take up a lot more file space, though. Computer monitors have a maximum resolution of about 96dpi. Anything at a greater resolution is a waste for viewing on screen. It would take longer to view on a web page. However, print that 96dpi graphic (that looks great on your screen) and you will see that it looks 'choppy' on paper.
Sample Logo in
Correct Format |
Sample Logo in
Wrong Format |
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JPEG (5.5KB)
JPEG format handles photos and pictures with more than 256 colors.
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GIF (3.06KB)
GIF format is best for clip-art style graphics with limited colors and gradients. |
GIF (5.2KB)
Note the lines in the 'putting green' area. This graphic would look best as JPEG. |
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What do you see in this picture?
