Welcome to a short GRAPHICS tutorial.

The following factors control the speed at which an image loads into your browserassuming of course that you have image loading turned on!

• size this is an obvious one
• number of colors complexity
• number of bits per pixel
• type of imageGIF or JPEG

Additionally, specifying the width and height of the image within its tag can speed things up.

The factors in the previous list are all controllable by the designer. The following ones are not:

• speed of the viewer's modem
• speed of the server your site is on
• number of users currently accessing that server

Here is an example of loading a fairly sizable graphic with the 8 bits of information/pixel and no size specs.

Here is an example of loading that same graphic with 3 bits of information/pixel and size specs.

If both seem to load the same then you have a good server, a fast modem with a good line, or are doing this at 3 a.m. But, notice the difference in color distribution of both graphics. At first glance they both look good. This is the kind of thing web page designers considerdoes the difference merit using the slower, larger one?

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