HOW TO FORMAT YOUR BLOG
After you have the image on your computer, you need to save it in a Web format. There are two — GIFs and JPEGs. These dreadful-sounding acronyms are just shortened abbreviations of the compression formats used to save images for the Web, and they both handle the task of compression slightly differently. Generally speaking, JPEGs are going to work better for photographs and images that contain lots of colors and lots of variation between colors. The GIF format works well for graphics with large solid areas of few colors. This isn’t always true, and the real test is always the eye: What looks better?
Most browsers can display a third format: PNG. It’s not commonly used today because full support for it is simply not consistent across all browsers and browser versions. But for photos, and if you know your audience is using current browsers, PNG has its advantages.
The major thing you need to worry about with Web graphics is file size. Larger images — both in terms of file size and in terms of display size — take longer to download, and your users appreciate any efforts you make to keep image sizes reasonable. This is especially true if you’re going to be using a lot of images in your blog.
Now for the facts and figures — Webready images must be 72 ppi/dpi. This is the resolution of the image, basically the number of pixels or dots per square inch of the image. Print-quality graphics are almost always created at least at 150 ppi/dpi, but computer screens have a built-in limitation that only allows them to display 72 dpi/ppi, even if the image has a higher resolution. An 8-by-10 photograph from your digital camera that is at 150 dpi/ppi actually looks larger than 8 by 10 inches on-screen.
A number of other graphics programs can produce Web graphics, interface with a scanner, and import photos from a digital camera. Here’s a quick selec¬tion of those programs:
� CorelDRAW Essentials has great tools for correcting and enhancing photographs, whether scanned or taken with a digital camera. The program also contains drawing and illustration tools and includes the ability to utilize a library of clip art images. CorelDRAW Essentials comes with an interactive training CD to help get you started.
� JASC Paint Shop Pro 9: You can import photos from your digital camera, scan in printed documents, and turn them all into Web graphics. JASC Paint Shop Pro deals especially well with photo touch-up problems — graininess, white balance, color adjustments. The program allows you to create graphics using standard tools such as the pencil, pen, paintbrush, and text tool.
� Macromedia Fireworks : This program from the leader in Web design software was created specifically with the Internet in mind. Fully featured, it doesn’t include functions and features that don’t apply to Web graphic creation. Fireworks includes photo retouching, cropping, and the usual tools, and also has some powerful built-in tools to allow you to create animated graphics. If you’re using Macromedia Dream-weaver , you’ll enjoy the integration between these two programs that allows you to work a little faster.
� Adobe Photoshop Elements: Adobe Photoshop Elements is a lighter edi¬tion of the industry standard graphics program Adobe Photoshop, and you can size, crop, rotate, and retouch photos with it. You can also use it to create original graphics and illustrations. Elements is very affordable and one of the best graphics packages available. Best of all, it has a 30 day free trial version.
� Adobe Photoshop CS: If you want the industry leader in graphics design and creation, Adobe Photoshop CS is the program for you. Used by designers working in all kinds of mediums, this powerful program offers drawing, font, photo retouching, cropping, and other tools, in addition to an array of filters and other high-end production goodies. If you’re working on print brochures or other graphics programs as well as pro¬ducing Web graphics, Adobe Photoshop more than meets both your needs.