Web Site Cookbook: Solutions & Examples for Building and Administering Your Web Site (Cookbooks (OReilly))

Along with text, graphics comprise the bulk of your web site's content. Graphics can convey specific information (logos and charts)or set a tone for the site (photos and illustrations). Even though visitors may not linger over your site's visuals the way they do the written word, graphics have a subtle effect on the perceived quality of your web site. Graphics also make up the majority of a web page's overall file size. Although your HTML code itself may total just 15 or 20 KB, a half-dozen graphics files on the page at 5 or 10 KB each quickly add up to a weighty download. In this chapter, I'll cover a few of the most common issues surrounding the use of graphics on a web site, including how to choose the right ones and optimize them for fast download.