Master Visually®: Dreamweaver® CS4 and Flash® CS4 Professional

Chapter 4. Work with Images

Understanding Image File Formats

Before you can begin to insert images into your pages, you need to understand the file formats available to you. Web browsers support three file formats for images, while Dreamweaver allows you to use a fourth in your design work.

Graphics Interchange Format

The Graphics Interchange Format, or GIF, is perhaps the most common image format on the Web. The format actually predates the Web, having been invented by CompuServe in 1987. GIF images are limited to 256 colors, and so you most often see them used for line art and images with large blocks of solid color.

A GIF can be saved with a series of individual images within the same file, which the browser can then play back in sequence, creating ...