Graphics are visual illustrations used to inform and direct the audience. When writing for the web, graphics play a key part to attract readers. Graphics heighten the audience's attention, thus making the information more credible and professional. It allows web users can better understand a particular concept, thus making graphics clear, interesting, and memorable.

Templates

Templates serve as the traditional format that people use to copy and edit for their own purposes.

Be careful about the template being used

To be safe, using traditional templates on sites such as Linked In and Wordpress are strongly suggested. Steering away from the norm can turn the audience off. Customizing a template may come off as unprofessional as well. However, on sites such as About Me and similar sites, customizing is necessary. Though About Me has traditional graphic templates, they are stale and often used by many. Make sure that visual images being used are professionally done. Also, make sure that fonts and backgrounds on the template contrast. WIth light colored templates use dark fonts, and dark colored templates use light fonts.

Pictures

Pictures on sites should be high quality. Pixilated and high contrast photos create dullness to the audience. Using photo editing programs such as, Photoshop, will fix the photos. Graphics ought to be checked daily in case they are broken and deleted. Broken and deleted images ruin the cohesiveness of the site and your credibility.

Formatting pictures has numerous file formats; however, the two most common are JPEG and GIF.

File Formats for Pictures

JPEG

Images commonly known as Joint Photographic Experts Group.

JPEGs is typically the most utilized format for graphic images. Typically images that are digital and color photography need to use this compression format. JPEG compression contains full color or gray scale. JPEG compression format possess a large range of colors too. JPEGs capture the "realistic" scenes in the images. According to Sarah Horton, "The more a photo is squeezed with JPEG compression, the more quality the photo loses." Saving an original image is strongly cautioned. Once a photo has been tweaked, the original image is lost and cannot be retrieved.

Advantages of JPEG

JPEG download at quicker rates.
JPEG has a larger color range than GIF.
JPEG creates better images for professionally done images.

GIF

Images commonly known as Graphics Interchange Format.

Majority of graphics on the web support the GIFs. GIF are typically 8-bit, only supporting 256 colors. According to Sarah Horton, "GIFs lose compression to keep the file size at a minimum without destroying the photo's quality." GIF images consist of a set images that are displayed in a set order. They tend to be moving graphic (or animated) images that loop endlessly. Typically, GIFs are used on Internet forums and media coverage blogs.

Advantages of GIFs

GIF images are commonly supported on the web.
GIF images look better online.

=See Also

References

Lynch, Patrick J., Horton, Sarah. "Web Style Guide, 3rd Edition". Web Style Guide. (2009). Print. Retrieved 12 Nov 2012.
George, James. "GIF, JPG, and PNG - What is the difference". 11 Aug. 2011. Web. Retrieved 12 Nov 2012.