Image File Formats

March 5th, 2013

Ever notice that a picture might end in .jpg or .gif? Well this tutorial explains the differences between the various image formats. Image file formats are standardized means of organizing and storing images.

There are hundreds of image file types, but I’m only going to go over the basics of the three most common ones. These include:

  • JPEG (JPG)
  • GIF
  • PNG

JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) is a compression method; JPEG-compressed images are usually stored in the JFIF (JPEG File Interchange Format) format. Nearly every digital camera can save images in the JPEG/JFIF format. It supports 8 bits per color (red, green, blue) for a 24-bit total and produces relatively small files. One problem with JPEG files is that the quality of the image is degraded when it’s repeatedly edited and saved!

GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) is limited to an 8-bit palette, or 256 colors. This factor makes it ideal for storing graphics with simple color schemes (e.g. logos, graphics, and cartoon-style images). It supports animation and is still widely used to provide image animation effects. It uses a lossless compression that is more effective when large areas have a single color, but ineffective for detailed images.

PNG (Portable Network Graphics) file format is the successor to the GIF file format. The PNG file format supports truecolor (16 million colors!). It’s perfect for images that have large, uniformly colored areas. The lossless PNG format is best suited for editing pictures.
Many older browsers don’t support the PNG file format, however, with Mozilla Firefox or Internet Explorer 7, all contemporary web browsers now support all common uses of the PNG format. Indexed-color, gray scale, and true color images are supported, plus an optional alpha channel. PNG is designed to work well in online viewing applications, and supports transparency!

Shortlist- The Good and Bad

JPEG:

  • Good for:
    • Photographs
    • Screenshots
    • Desktop backgrounds
  • Bad for:
    • Line art and text
    • Comic strips
    • Images with fine lines or sharp color contrast

GIF:

  • Good for:
    • Animations
    • Widespread browser support
  • Bad for:
    • Large file sizes
    • Limited to 256 colors (8 bit)

PNG:

  • Good for:
    • Text
    • General web graphics, line art, comic-style drawings
    • Accurate reproduction (24 bit PNG)
    • Alpha channel support
    • Non-animated images
  • Bad for:
    • Photos, in-game screenshots
    • Disappointing browser support
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Installing Fonts To Your Computer

September 15th, 2012

There are so many fonts out there besides your generic Times New Roman, Comic Sans and Arial. There is plenty of sites out there that offer crazy, beautiful and awesome fonts for you to have fun with (list of recommended sites below). You can use them to bring creativity and uniqueness to your designs. The question you often run into is how do you get a font installed on to your computer?

1. List of Recommended Font Sites:

2. Find a font you want and download it to your computer.

For A Windows Computer

3. Usually fonts download in a compress folder (zipped is the most common kind of compressed folder). You first need to extract it.
Don’t know how to unzip a zipped folder? Check out this tutorial on how to extract a compressed folder.

4.For Windows users, your Font Database is located in your Control Panel. One way to find your Control Panel is by going to the Start Menu. It should be listed there on the right hand side (depending on how you have it displayed).

If you’ve never really explored your Control Panel, it just is home to various systems and parts of your computer (i.e Audio Devices, Firewall, Hardware, ect.). It’s also home to your Font Database. Click on it!

5. Once you’ve opened your Font Database, you should see a good number of fonts listed there. These are all the fonts on your computer. Your word processor and all other font-retrieving software goes to this place for its fonts. Here’s just a little snippet of what my Font Database looks like.

6. Now what you want to do is take the font that you downloaded (it should look similar to the font example at left) and drag and drop it into your Font Database.

For A Mac Computer

3. For Macs, installing fonts at this point is easier. The compressed folder, containing the font should have downloaded to either the desktop or your downloads folder.
4. If it is compressed, then double click on it. It should be extracted/uncompressed (if not, find an app in the Applications store that will extract files for you.
5. When you look in the folder you should see this file (or something similar):

Double click on the file. Your Font Book should open automatically. Click “Install Font”. Then done!

You have now successfully installed your font. Open up your word processor (e.g. Microsoft Word) and see if you can find it!

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10 Most Common Website Mistakes

August 3rd, 2012

Websites are great for your business! But there are a few mistakes that people can make that will do anything, but help your new website and business.

1. Long URL / No domain name
When you use your ISP or a free host your website address can be way too long like this: http://www.angelfire.com/co/Jeffersonstarship/daily.html Do your business a favor and register a domain name – something like: www.mycompany.com

2. Too many gizmos
Many well known companies fall into this trap using all the latest technology just so their website looks “cool”. Too many spinning logos, javascript tricks, and other such distractions can weigh down your pages and distract visitors. You’ve got ‘em there, keep ‘em!<

3. Unprofessional design
There’s something to be said for homemade things. Homemade apple pies are great. Homemade websites are usually not. If you don’t have the time to learn web site design, leave it to the experts – it’s better for your bottom line.

4. Hiring Your Nephew
See above. There’s a big difference between knowing a little html and developing a professional looking, functional website that will be an asset to your business.

5. Inconsistent navigation
Make it easy for visitors to get around your site. Don’t confuse them with different buttons on each page. Consistency is the way to a browser’s heart and wallet.

6. Broken links
Make sure all your hyperlinks work. You don’t want visitors seeing error pages instead of your content! There are automated services that can check your links for you.

7. Long pages
Having to scroll down long pages really annoys visitors and lessens the effectiveness of your content. Keep your pages concise and easy to understand.

8. Using non-domain email
A business owner spends a nice chunk of change making sure his website enhances his business’s image. But wait, what’s this? His email address is Mysiteiscool@aol.com. Wrong! Use domain email like bob@mycompany.com. It’s much more professional.

9. Long load time
Make sure to only use images that enhance your site. File size should be minimal for the quality you need. Don’t make your visitors wait. You’ve only got about three seconds to impress them before they leave your site.

10. Browser incompatibility
Have you looked at your site through IE and Firefox, in different versions of Windows and Mac browsers? Your site may not show up well without the proper care.

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