The effective use of graphics can enhance a Web page. It breaks the monotony of plain text, adds a point of interest and entices the viewer to read on. The overuse or misuse of graphics, however, can have the opposite effect. Putting multiple large images on a Web page will not improve the popularity of the Web site. Limited bandwidth, i.e. the speed of the modem and connection to the Internet, is an obstacle for many surfers.
Large graphics take longer to download and inevitably drive away impatient visitors.
Furthermore, adding poor quality images to Web pages may have undesirable effects. There is a tendency to judge a site initially on the basis of aesthetics even though the content should be the most important element of any Web page. It also provides a brief overview of some of today's popular Web imaging tools. The in-class exercise gives one the opportunity to create and manipulate simple graphics using PaintShop Pro. When a bitmap is resized, the pixels are stretched or compressed and the resulting image appears different.