Graphics in Web Design
The use of graphics or pictures on Web pages makes them more attractive. Some dynamic Web pages even use graphics as a form of control. For whatever reason you use graphics on your Web pages, there is one thing for sure, it puts a strain on your site and slows down the loading process.
The reduction of the size of Web pages ensures that it will load faster. One sure way to reduce the size is to reduce the file size of images. The first minute will decide whether your users will stay or go to another site. Here are some recommendations on the use of graphics to lessen the downtime of your Web site:
1. Lessen number of colors
2. Crop your images
3. Use Jpeg format
4. Interlace Gif files
5. Slice animated Gifs
6. Cut images to pieces
7. Use thumbnails
8. Scale solid colors
9. Specify height and width
10. Use LOWSRC tags
Source: WebclipArt.com