How to Optimize a Picture for the Web

If a picture file is too large, the Web site will take longer to download, and your visitors may get frustrated. Optimizing a picture file reduces the file size and helps it load faster.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Internet Access
• Adobe Photoshop
• Paint Shop Pro
• Web Browsers
• Online Image Compressor

1. Make sure your picture is saved in JPEG format (for photographs and other rich-depth pictures) or GIF format (for line art, clip art and logos). These are the formats recognized by most Web browsers.

2. Reduce the file size without sacrificing the quality of GIF images by reducing the colors used. Many GIF images can be reduced to 16 colors (see "How to Decrease the Colors in a Picture With a Paint Program").

3. Take advantage of the image specification tags in HTML (see "How to Learn HTML"). Using image specification tags, you can make a small photo larger, thereby saving file space by not having to use a larger file.

4. Use an online image compressor, such as JPEG Wizard or GIF Cruncher. These free services compress your image's file size without reducing its quality.

5. Download or purchase an image compressor program, such as Adobe ImageReady. Many image compression programs also offer image editing capabilities and don't require you to connect to the Internet to use them.

6. Check to see if your image editing program supports graphics interlacing (for GIF files only). Interlacing graphics causes them to download line by line instead of taking a long time to fully load.

7. Find out if your image editing program can create a progressive JPEG. Progressive JPEG files work similarly to interlaced GIF files by letting the image load line by line.

Tips & Warnings

• Making the background of a GIF image transparent reduces pixel size.

• Some Web sites offer services that will analyze your Web site and tell you which objects can be reduced.

• Use pictures sparingly on your Web page ' select the good ones and save the rest for another page.

• Use the cropping tool in an image editor to cut out unnecessary parts of the image.

• Always use a virus scanning program when downloading applications or other files from the Internet.

• Obtain permission before using any unlicensed or copyrighted clip art.

• Don't use images from another Web page without permission from the site's owner.