Homwork Blog - WK 2

This photo manipulation segment of class has been one of my most anticipated parts of this website design course. I have had numerous challenges in the past trying to send photos via email.

The image resizing in class was quite enlightening. I now know there are a number of steps I can take to change the size of a photo to make it work for various purposes. I found out that it is definitely a good idea to make changes to a photo so that it is easier to read in an email or on the web. I have the ability to crop (trim the edges), resize using the image/resize options in photoshop, change to a jpeg by choosing that file extension, change the resolution from max to medium or low, save the photo for the web, remove unneeded layers, and change the algorithym. I further learned in my readings that by using the indexed color mode and creating a limited number of colors in a color palette I can reduce the size of a photo. I learned that if I want to email a photo to someone I should reset the resolution to 72 ppi (pixels per inch) which is equivalent to a 4 x 6 photo on a Mac or reset the resolution to 96 ppi which is equivalent to 3 x 4.5 photo and the image size that will display on the screen. I now understand when it is appropriate to use a GIF vs. JPEG file format. GIF is useful because it is a cross-platform format, it compresses the file with a “lossless” scheme, you can use a transparent color, it has an interlacing feature, and you can create animations with these type files. GIFs are primarily used for images with substantial areas of solid, single dimensional color – things like logos, text as graphics and cartoons. JPEG file format include most of the same GIF file format features except that when a JPEG compresses some quality is lost and you cannot make any part of a JPEG file transparent.

I was particularly interested in reading about how to create thumbnails and alternate labels since this will be useful in the building of my company website.