Archive for the ‘Images, Photos & Art’ Category
Tuesday, August 10th, 2010
Last week on my Tuesday tip, I shared the neat Web application called Pixlr, which can be used not only to do quick and simple photo edits, but it can also be used to create complex graphics using layers and tools…much like Photoshop can.
This week I want to continue talking about images, but discuss the importance of how images on the Web need to be optimized for both size and for Website indexing purposes.
 Check out this example of good ALT text for an image on your Website: Highlight the image, right click, select view selection source and voilá! Optimize Images for Size on Web
If you are currently taking a raw photo off your camera and posting it directly to your Website, you are doing it all wrong. The first thing you should do is resize the image so that it is sized for the Web. The fact is, even inexpensive digital cameras these days are capable of capturing high resolution photography. You have to get in the habit of opening up the image file and resizing it to best match your needs for your content page.
Most of the time I see images that have been scaled within the HTML code itself. Just because you can scale the pixel width and height within your content management system (CMS) or HTML page, it will probably not affect the file size. A 300×200 pixel image will still load slowly if it is 6MB large. While I think about it, this should be a reminder that all files that are loaded to the Web should be optimized where possible. Many PDFs can also be resized and decrease download time for the end user.
Optimize Images for Greater Accessibility
In addition to physical image size optimization, you also should pay close attention to ALT text. As soon as you upload your image to your Website you need to include appropriate ALT text.
ALT text is important because search engines look at it for content relevancy and ranking purposes, therefore it’s crucial to have properly optimize keywords and content within the text (see example within the above image). In addition, having ALT text can help you achieve a higher ranking for image searches. ALT text also serves the purpose of helping those that are visually impaired identify images (if using text-to-speech software) and helps those with browsers that don’t support images understand what image they would see if their browser supported it.
Andy Darnell | Director of Web Development | AVID Design
AVID Design is a leader in cutting-edge hospital Website design and SEO. Contact us today for a free 10-point SEO evaluation of your Website!
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Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010
Many times I have been on the phone with a client or sitting in a conference room with a group of stakeholders and I get asked a variation of this question:
What is the best way for us to edit images for use on our Website?
The quick answer that most firms will give their clients is to use Photoshop or some other premium image editing software. Many of our clients don’t own Photoshop and don’t know how to use it. In the past we’ve recommended Picasa as an option for image editing. When my Adobe suite quit working on my computer the other day, I needed something a little more powerful than Picasa. I found Pixlr.
 Pick Pixlr for your image editing needs! Pixlr claims to be the “most popular advanced online image editor in the world!” I would agree with them. It requires no installation, no sign-up and no fee.
Many of the features that you expect in Photoshop are in Pixlr, such as a familiar looking interface, layers, image adjustments and other common tools. Plus, Pixlr also sports some cool features like a crushed paper brush and a cloud brush, tutorials for the novice, and even an express feature (Pixlr Express) that allows for quick edits. It’s a perfect way to edit your images.
By no means is it a substitute for all of the power that comes with Photoshop, but it definitely takes the cake in accessible and affordable image editing. Try for yourself!
Have you used Pixlr? What do think about it? Let us know!
Andy Darnell | Director of Web Development | AVID Design
AVID Design is a full-service healthcare marketing agency that builds progressive, cutting-edge healthcare Websites, rich media applications and physician videos.
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Posted in Images, Photos & Art, Things 'n' Stuff, Web Design | 1 Comment »
Thursday, February 12th, 2009
 This free image was quickly found on Flickr and used with permission via a Creative Commons license. Creative Commons is a nonprofit corporation that has created a simple set of licenses that make it possible for you to identify and use copyrighted images that—in some cases—can legally be used for commercial purposes.
If you are looking for free or inexpensive images for your Website and aren’t satisfied with options such as public domain or royalty free images, Creative Commons might be a solution.
Of course, as with most things that are free, you get what you pay for. However, there are some impressive images that have Creative Commons licensing, particularly on Websites like Flickr.
Types of Creative Commons Licenses
There are four major permissions that are contained in Creative Commons licenses:
• Attribution: Requires users to attribute an image’s original author.
Note that all Creative Commons licenses currently contain this option, but some previous licenses did not contain this component.
• Share-alike: This “copyleft” license requires any derived works to also be available for similar usage.
• No derivatives: As the name implies, the image may not be modified.
• Non-commercial: The image may be reproduced on a non-commercial site (such as a personal blog).
Derek Rudnak | Communications Specialist | AVID Design
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Wednesday, February 11th, 2009
 Royalty free images are an affordable solution for finding quality photos and illustrations. This very photo is an example of a royalty free image. When searching for free images for a blog or Website, don’t let the word “free” in “royalty free” mislead you.
Most royalty-free images (at least decent ones that don’t look like chintzy clip art) will require a fee—and this is often determined by the file size. The larger the image, the more you pay.
But I Really Need a Free Image!
In that case, you really might want to consider shooting your own photo or drawing your own illustration.
Oh, but you don’t want to or don’t know how—and you definitely don’t want to steal. All of a sudden, royalty-free doesn’t seem like such a bad idea, does it?
But if you really really need an image and don’t want to or can’t pay, public domain and Creative Commons images might be an ideal solution.
Derek Rudnak | Communications Specialist | AVID Design
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Tuesday, February 10th, 2009
What’s the difference between copyright, public domain and fair use, particularly with online images? Here are some points to consider, especially if you are trying to find free or cheap images for your Website or blog.
• Virtually every image is copyrighted to somebody. Especially in the United States, the moment you snap a picture with a camera, draw an illustration or create any other kind of intellectual property, you own the copyright to it.
This includes an overwhelming majority of the images you’ll find on the on the Web, as well as all royalty free and Creative Commons images.
 James Montgomery Flagg’s iconic “I Want YOU for U.S. Army” recruitment poster is a perfect example of a public domain image. • Public domain images don’t have copyrights. This is for a number of reasons, but most often because the copyright expired.
• Fair use images are copyrighted. Fair use is a legal concept that allows for copyrighted pictures and intellectual property to be used as if they were part of the public domain.
Satire and academic uses are two examples of fair use.
Are Google Images Copyrighted?
Most likely. When you do a search with Google Images, most of the pictures are probably copyrighted to somebody.
But here is where it gets interesting: Google Images can legally show the thumbnails because they are considered fair use.
However, lifting those thumbnails—or the larger images from which they link—to use on a hospital Website (or any other webpage or blog) is likely to be a copyright infringement.
Final Thought: How to Use a Copyrighted Image
If you find a copyrighted image that you simply must put on your Website, contact the owner and ask if you can use it.
Derek Rudnak | Communications Specialist | AVID Design
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