most efficient graphic format ?

M

Mel

i will be creating graphics from database object. i would like to hyperlink
certain regions and highlight it when the mouse is over any defined region.
(image maps)

my question is: what is the fastest graphic update on the browsers. my
graphics are just boxes and lines with some color, so it is not very
complicated.

GIF or JPEG or PNG or ...

example would be highly appreciated.
 
D

Dylan Parry

Mel said:
my question is: what is the fastest graphic update on the browsers. my
graphics are just boxes and lines with some color, so it is not very
complicated.

From what you describe, your graphics are most likely suited to GIF or
PNG format.
 
M

me

Mel said:
i will be creating graphics from database object. i would like to hyperlink
certain regions and highlight it when the mouse is over any defined
region.
(image maps)

my question is: what is the fastest graphic update on the browsers. my
graphics are just boxes and lines with some color, so it is not very
complicated.

GIF or JPEG or PNG or ...

example would be highly appreciated.

roughly.... drawings in gif, photos in jpg

Hans
 
M

Mitja

i will be creating graphics from database object. i would like to
hyperlink
certain regions and highlight it when the mouse is over any defined
region.
(image maps)

my question is: what is the fastest graphic update on the browsers. my
graphics are just boxes and lines with some color, so it is not very
complicated.

GIF or JPEG or PNG or ...

given the type of graphics, definitely gif or png. The difference is
small. In my experience, if you have VERY small pics, using gif may shave
off a coupla bytes. Otherwise, png's compression algorithm usually does
slightly better.

Mitja
 
D

dorayme

From: "Nik Coughin said:
Png averages 20% better compression than gif.

But, I understand, not as well supported as gif across all the browsers.
Just a point to the OP that may not have been made, the advice above by Hans
is good but in addition gifs can be good where there are simple restricted
palette colours too, no tonal range.

dorayme
 
R

Roy Schestowitz

dorayme said:
But, I understand, not as well supported as gif across all the browsers.
Just a point to the OP that may not have been made, the advice above by
Hans is good but in addition gifs can be good where there are simple
restricted palette colours too, no tonal range.

dorayme

Has nobody mentioned legal issues with GIF format yet? I don't know if it's
Unisys, but somebody used to have some ownership. It's like MP3 versus OGG
Vorbis.

Roy
 
T

Travis Newbury

Roy said:
Has nobody mentioned legal issues with GIF format yet? I don't know if it's
Unisys, but somebody used to have some ownership. It's like MP3 versus OGG
Vorbis.

I think the ratio of png/gif support is quite different from mp3/OGG
ratio. Not to mention you would be hard pressed to find someone that
has actually been successfully sued over either of them.
 
K

kchayka

dorayme said:
But, I understand, not as well supported as gif across all the browsers.

Not true. Graphic browsers from the old "version 4" (IE, NS, even Opera)
on supports png images. Those old browsers have faded into virtual
nothingness. Earlier browser versions are so rare they might as well not
exist at all.

Not all browsers support alpha transparency *cough* IE *cough*, but
that's no different from gif. Indexed transparency works just fine.
gifs can be good where there are simple restricted
palette colours too, no tonal range.

That's no different from png. If your graphics program doesn't let you
save/export png with an indexed color palette (8-bit, max 256 colors),
it's deficient.
 
K

kchayka

Roy said:
Has nobody mentioned legal issues with GIF format yet? I don't know if it's
Unisys, but somebody used to have some ownership.

That patent expired (about a year ago?). There's rumor about a European
version of that patent, but I don't know anything about it.
 
M

me

Nik Coughin said:
Png averages 20% better compression than gif.

I always prepare several versions/types of my images in gif,jpg,png and look
at the filesize it gives. This also influences my decision what i use on the
sites.
Making several versions is easy and quickly done with 'save as' function in
most graphics progs.

Hans
 
D

dorayme

From: kchayka said:
Not true. Graphic browsers from the old "version 4" (IE, NS, even Opera)
on supports png images. Those old browsers have faded into virtual
nothingness. Earlier browser versions are so rare they might as well not
exist at all.

It *is* true - something does not become untrue because it is statistically
insignificant or can be ignored or has over-riding considerations. But you
make a good point anyway. (Notice that I have carefully restrained myself,
kchayka... maybe I am starting to have warmer feelings towards you). I
would like to hear some confirmations of the support for PNG in browsers
later than 4. I have been looking at PNGs a bit and might start using them
rather more, being impressed with what others have done on their websites
and some favourable comments by various people on this newsgroup.

dorayme
 
T

Travis Newbury

kchayka said:
That patent expired (about a year ago?). There's rumor about a European
version of that patent, but I don't know anything about it.

I thought the LZH patent used for compression of the gif was still
active until 2006 (in the US)

Not that it really matters anyway, I don't recall anyone ever being sued
over it...
 
D

Dylan Parry

me said:
Making several versions is easy and quickly done with 'save as' function in
most graphics progs.

In Photoshop there is a "save for web" option that allows you to
/preview/ the different file formats at various compression/max colour
levels. I have found this very useful when creating images for websites.
 
M

Mitja

I would like to hear some confirmations of the support for PNG in
browsers
later than 4.

But you DO have those browsers, probably? (by that I mean the allegedly
problematic IE)
All I can say is I've been using pngs almost exclusively for the past year
and that they're fine in IE as well as long as you don't use *alpha*
transparency. Indexed transparency works as it should. Even for alpha
under IE, there's a hack that is said to work well, but I never used it.
The demo is, however, pretty impressive.
 
A

Animesh Kumar

Dylan said:
In Photoshop there is a "save for web" option that allows you to
/preview/ the different file formats at various compression/max colour
levels. I have found this very useful when creating images for websites.

Anyone aware of such trick for GIMP?

Best
A
 
D

dorayme

From: Mitja said:
But you DO have those browsers, probably? (by that I mean the allegedly
problematic IE)
All I can say is I've been using pngs almost exclusively for the past year
and that they're fine in IE as well as long as you don't use *alpha*
transparency. Indexed transparency works as it should. Even for alpha
under IE, there's a hack that is said to work well, but I never used it.
The demo is, however, pretty impressive.


OK, that is further encouraging thanks...

I work on a Mac, and worse, not the latest one. I don't look at PC browsers
as often as I should and instead adopt a strategy of playing safe. But I DO
have a PC that I can turn on... And I DO hate it so (probably because it has
98SE). Besides, asking you lot is a nicer way of finding things out...

I believe, perhaps obviously, if there is not much in it re quality or size,
best to go with what will work on older browsers too. But this can be
overridden for quality. I suspect that older browsers are not quite as high
in most website makers priorities as in mine because I have a fondness for
fuddy duddy communities and old Macs... But this is not everything.

Are there any up to date research statistics shown on browser use that
anyone can recommend as trustworthy?

dorayme
 
D

dorayme

From: Dylan Parry said:
In Photoshop there is a "save for web" option that allows you to
/preview/ the different file formats at various compression/max colour
levels. I have found this very useful when creating images for websites.
In Fireworks, (where PNG figures prominently, it is sort of native) there is
an excellent preview facility. On my machine at least, you just preview and
can change just about anything and see the result in whatever format,
details of file size, even the preview can be split into 2 or more to see
different possibilities. Before saving anything... I do not know if it works
the same on a PC as a Mac, but I suspect it would.

dorayme
 
R

Richard Brooks

Travis said:
I thought the LZH patent used for compression of the gif was still
active until 2006 (in the US)

Not that it really matters anyway, I don't recall anyone ever being sued
over it...
Knock! Knock!


Richard.
 
H

hyweljenkins

Has nobody mentioned legal issues with GIF format yet?

That's trivial - software you'd use to create GIFs will have accounted
for the licence, if one's required. Web developers and graphic
designers don't need to worry about the licence/patent issue.
 

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