Here's how to optimize download speed without compromising quality. Let's start this column off with a discussion of some Web basics, focusing on some of the issues Web content developers face when attempting to increase the graphics performance of their Web site. By now, it is fairly obvious to all involved with the WWW that smaller file sizes translate into faster downloads. Although many corporations and academic sites are fed with T1 and faster connections, the general browsing public is primarily connected via modem-based SLIP and PPP connections. Web sites that are optimized for slower connections are being rewarded with higher volumes of traffic.
Most people tend to think of total pixel size when attempting to reduce bandwidth.
Good design can minimize the size needed to convey a certain impression, and it can't be stated too often that graphic designers should always strive to minimize the pixel density wherever they can. What may not be so obvious is that file size is directly dependent upon the number of colors that are incorporated into a particular graphic. We obtained this by specifying a six-color palette for each graphic, thereby minimizing the number of colors in a given image. At WRQ, we tend to minimize jagged edges on graphics through anti-aliasing, a process that creates the visual effect of smooth edges between contrasting colors. This is achieved by blending the colors of the border pixels into two or more interim colors.