Multimedia Graphics

For Flat Color Crisp Detail

GIF (.gif) Graphical Interchange Format

  • Three types GIF 87A, GIF 89A, Animated GIF
  • Has to be used the size it was created
  • Lossless compression
  • Interlaced
  • Maximum 8 bit/256 colors

PNG-8 (.png) Portable Network graphics Format

  • Better quality than GIF
  • Superior transparency cpability
  • Lossless compression
  • Better quality interlaced at low resolutions then GIFs
  • Better range of color depth up to 16.7 million true colors


GIF is the standard format for compressing images with flat color and crisp detail, such as line art, logos, or illustrations with type. You can lower the size of GIF images by reducing the number of colors in the file. Like the GIF format, the PNG-8 format efficiently compresses solid areas of color while preserving sharp detail; however, not all Web browsers can display PNG-8 files

For Photographs & Illustrations
Continuous-tone Images

JPEG (.jpg) Joint Photographic Experts Group Format

  • Best for photographic images
  • Has to be used the size it was created
  • Lossy compression
  • Can be progressive
  • 24 bit/millions of colors

For Shiloutted Images for Use In Flash

PNG-24 (.png) Portable Network graphics Format

  • PNG-24 is suitable for compressing continuous-tone images; however, it produces much larger files than
    JPEG format.
  • The advantage of using PNG-24 is that it can preserve up to 256 levels of transparency in an image. To save an image with multilevel transparency, select Transparency.

Interlace
Select Interlaced to create an image that displays as a low-resolution version in a browser while the full image file is downloading. Interlacing can make downloading time seem shorter and can assure viewers that downloading is in progress. However, interlacing also increases file size.

Dithering
Dithering refers to the method of simulating colors not available in the color display system of your computer.

  • Images with primarily solid colors may work well with no dither.
  • Images with continuous-tone color (especially color gradients) may require dithering to prevent color banding.

Progressive
Select Progressive to create an image that displays progressively in a Web browser. The image will display as a series of overlays, enabling viewers to see a low-resolution version of the image before it downloads completely.

  • Progressive JPEGs require more RAM for viewing

Multimedia
Sound Formats
For recorded sound (music or speech) to be available to all your visitors, you should use the WAVE format.

MIDI (.midi) Format
MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) files do not contain sampled sound, but a set of digital musical instructions (musical notes) that can be interpreted by your PC's sound card.

  • MIDI cannot record sounds (only notes). - it cannot store songs, only tunes.
  • Extremely small - contain only instructions (notes).
  • Supported by many different software systems over a large range of platforms and most popular Internet browsers.

RealAudio (.rm or .ram) Format
The format allows streaming of audio (on-line music, Internet radio) with low bandwidths.

  • Because of the low bandwidth priority, quality is often reduced.

AU (.au) Format

  • The AU format is supported by many different software systems over a large range of platforms.

AIFF (.aiff) and SND (.snd) Formats
Developed by Apple.

  • AIFF and SND files are not cross-platform and the format is not supported by all web browsers.

SND (.snd) Format

WAVE - waveform (.wave) Format
Developed by IBM and Microsoft.

  • Supported by all computers running Windows, and by all the most popular web browsers.

MP3 (.mpeg)
MP3 files are the sound part of the MPEG video format (Moving Pictures Experts Group).

MP3 encoding system combines good compression (small files) with high quality. MP3 files are cross-platform and supported by all newer web browsers.

 

Multimedia
Video Formats
For recorded video to be available to all your visitors,
you should use the Flash format or QuickTime.

AVI (.avi) Format
AVI (Audio Video Interleave) format was developed by Microsoft.

  • supported by all computers running Windows, and by all the most popular web browsers.
  • Not always possible to play on non-Windows computers.

Windows Media (.wmv) Format
The Windows Media format is developed by Microsoft.

  • Cannot be played on non-Windows computer without an extra (free) component installed.
  • Some later Windows Media movies cannot play at all on non-Windows computers because no player is available.

MPEG (.mpeg) Format
The MPEG (Moving Pictures Expert Group) format is the most popular format on the Internet.

  • Cross-platform, and supported by all the most popular web browsers.

QuickTime (.mov) Format
The QuickTime format is developed by Apple.

  • Cannot be played on a Windows computer without an extra (free) component installed.

RealVideo (.rm or .ram) Format
The RealVideo format was developed for the Internet by Real Media.

  • Allows streaming of video (on-line video, Internet TV)
  • Low bandwidth priority - quality is often reduced.

Shockwave - Flash (.swf) Format
The Shockwave format was developed by Macromedia.

  • Requires an extra component to play - this component comes preinstalled with the latest versions of Internet browsers.