Obviously, you will need to have graphics available before you can add graphics to your web page. There are several ways to acquire graphics. You can create them in a paint document, scan a photo or picture, take a photo with a digital camera, or collect them from the internet. Your graphics will need to be in GIF or JPG format.
JPG and GIF differ in quality and memory size. JPG provides higher quality, uses more memory, and takes longer to load when the user is opening a web page. GIF provides good quality, does not take up as much memory and loads faster than JPG when it is opening in a browser.
Renaming the extensions does not convert the graphic. You can convert a graphic to GIF or JPG using Graphic Converter. It is available for download on the internet at:
- Open graphic converter.
- Use the File menu and drag down to Open.
- Follow the path to open your graphic.
- Use the File menu and drag down to Save As.
- Using the options on the screen select GIF or JPG.
- Set the path to your web page folder.
- Save.
Graphics can be gathered from the internet. Usually graphics gathered from the internet are already in GIF or JPG format. There are several web sites that offer free graphics. Do a search on the internet with one of the search engines available such as AltaVista or Yahoo. Key search words might include web graphics, html, gifs, etc. When you find a site that offers free graphics look for the graphics you desire. When you see an icon or wallpaper you like you can save it to your file. Just point to it with your mouse pointer and hold the mouse clicker down. If your computer is a PC (IBM compatible) you will need to hold down the clicker on the right side of the mouse. While you are holding down the mouse clicker a menu will appear. Go to the menu item Save this Image as, release the mouse clicker, set the path to your web page folder, and save.
Be careful when using graphics created by someone else. Current copyright law requires permission from the artist in writing even when the graphic came from a “free” graphics web site. The minimum fine per offense is $100,000.00.
Some “free” graphics web sites have a collection of graphics from the internet. Other “free” graphics web sites have art work from one to a few artists. Some of the sites have written permission from the artist(s) right on the web page. You may want to print the permission (File to Print) just to cover yourself. Some “free” graphics web sites give permission from the artist(s) with some conditions. Usually the only condition is to put a link in your web page to their site.
© Barbara Gibson, October 1996
Fourth Edition, January 1998