File Formats and File Size

The first thing you need to learn about preparing web graphics is the type of file format to use. There are two standard choices: GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) and JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group). There's also a third format known as PNG (Portable Network Graphics). It's actually been out for several years and promises to be the best choice of all three, but it has never really caught on. Use it if you like it, but be aware that there might still be a few folks out there whose software can't read PNG files.

The most important thing to remember, regardless of the file format you decide to use, is that the Web has limited bandwidth. This means that if you create an absolutely beautiful image and it weighs ...

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