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Graphic images for computers Stored in files of binary data - Binary blobs Software has to know the binary format to decode the file and render an image. There are well over binary 50 formats for computer graphics: Some common ones: .bmp (Bitmap -- Native Windows format)
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Graphic images for computers • Stored in files of binary data - Binary blobs • Software has to know the binary format to decode the file and render an image. • There are well over binary 50 formats for computer graphics: • Some common ones: • .bmp (Bitmap -- Native Windows format) • .pict (Native Macintosh format) • .psd (Photoshop's proprietary format) • .tiff (Another common format for graphic editing) • .gif (Used on the Web.) • .jpeg (Used on the Web.)
Common software used to render computer graphics • Commercial grade graphic editing software – Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator (Expensive) • Freeware/Shareware graphic editing software • Web browsers • View only -- can't edit graphics • Images don't need to be embedded in Web pages -- open raw image file with browser • Only image formats used on Web -- GIF and JPEG (also PNG)
Pixel Map -- Store one color for each pixel • Options: • Use full RGB spectrum -- 3 bytes per pixel • Use smaller color palette -- index the available colors -- store index number
Raw pixel maps • The bigger the palette -- the more memory required for pixel map • Comparisons below • An image 500x400 pixels (roughly one fourth the size of a computer monitor display) • 200,000 pixels in pixel map
GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) • Main strategy • Use small color palette -- max 256 colors (8 bit) • Size of color palette for a given image is fixed, but can be comprised of any of the RGB colors • Non-Lossy compression -- low compression of pixel map when stored in binary GIF fileExamples of GIF palettes • 4 bit 4 bit 8 bit • 1 bit 2 bits grayscale bluescale bluescale
GIFS are best for low-color icon type graphics • Most prevalent format used on Web -- by far • Main Reasons • Small file sizes • Flexibility Transparent GIF The background is not transparent for this one Animated GIF – just like a cartoon, a series of graphics
JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) • Full RGB spectrum • Good for photographs • But big file sizes unless high compression is used • Superior Compression Algorithm -- But lossy Left: Medium quality Right: Low quality
Embedding Images in Web pages • Image (img) element • <img src="URL" /> • src stands for source • URL can be relative or absolute • Most often, images used in a page are stored locally, so relative URLs are used. • img element is inline by default
Image element • leftand right alignment over-ride inline behavior of images, causing image to float on page -- text flows around image
<----------- distorted <----------- distorted <----------- doubled in size (preserved aspect ratio) <----------- Original Size
The width and height attributes should always be used, even if the image is not resized. • Remember, browsers read HTML file, make secondary requests (http keep-alive) to server for images. • If width and heightarenot specified, browser has to wait until it receives the images before continuing page layout. • If width and heightare specified, browser can continue with layout, drawing empty boxes for images before they arrive. • In general, this helps pages load more quickly.
Background images • Not set with the imgelement • Set using background attribute of body element • <body background="path/to/mybg.gif"> • Background images are usually small and are tiled to form background for whole page. • If you specify a background and bgcolor the background image is displayed, not the color. • <body background="URL" bgcolor="red">
Some examples of background images. You can find tons of graphics like these in online graphics mage libraries. Many, if not most, are gnarly.
Images as Links • Simply put the image as content of the anchor element • <a href="URL(page to link to)"> • <img src="URL(image)" border="0"/> • </a> • If you do not specify border="0" , some browsers will draw a colored border around the image corresponding to the underline given to links. • The color of the border will be that of unvisited or visited links, depending upon the status of the image link.
The overhead of a Web page. • This refers to the total amount of data that a Web browser must download in order to build the page. • The HTML file itself • The graphics • Other resources like Flash animations • Many studies have shown that slow load times cause people to surf away from a page. • Keeping the page overhead as low as possible is clearly best. A page with over 100K of overhead is starting to get beefy.
One-pixel (1x1) images • Basically invisible in Web pages • Used for Web Beacons for tracking • place in lots of pages • image source is from third-party server • The secondary requests to the third-party servers can track your surfing using cookies. • Ad banners can be used in the same way.