When optimizing photography for the web, the temptation is to set up a batch process, and upload all images to it. There are a number of factors that should be taken into consideration before utilizing the “one size fits all” approach. A little planning beforehand might save you a considerable amount of work later on.
Chances are that when you are placing imagery within a content management system, the scripting process that will be applied is going to attempt to scale the images to a certain percentage. It is best to determine in advance what format the script is looking for. Are the images going to be vertical or horizontal? Once you make this determination, group your images to be processed accordingly. This will enable you to optimize all of your images to standard size before the upload, and give you the best results if the thumbnails are being automatically generated.
The thumbnails themselves are another consideration. Some programs will allow you to specify the size of the thumbnails, and deciding upon a standard size will ensure consistency, if that is what you are looking for. Of course, sometimes varying the size of the thumbnails makes the page visually more interesting. It is up to you and your design preferences.
The file format of the newly saved image should be determined by how it will be displayed. If you will need transparency, then .png is the way to go. If not, .jpg is probably a better choice since the file size should be smaller. For line art or vector art, saving the file as a .gif is a good option. There are usually a number of choices that you can experiment with when automatically saving a file for the web. Deciding between file size and the minimum level of quality required is usually the toughest part.
Once you have these determinations made, it will be easier to set up a batch process to speed up the task of image conversion.
Web design is not as enduring, but perhaps that’s part of its appeal. There is allot to be said for the freshness of content, as well as the differences in the styles of presentation. The image created at right is viewable on the web, but it would not translate well to print. The range of color, vivid and intense, looks bright and electrified on the proper display. How the design will ultimately be presented will determine how it should be created.