Chapter 18: Spinning Graphics for the Web

Overview

In This Chapter

• Taking a look at the ImageReady CS window

• Viewing image size and download times

• Finding out what tools are in the ImageReady Toolbox

• Jumping back and forth from ImageReady to Photoshop

• Learning about Web image basics

• Checking out color and color depth

• Finding out about dithering and anti-aliasing

• Selecting the Web Safe Color palette

• Checking out compression and Web file formats

• Optimizing and saving images for the Web

• Exporting an image in Flash SWF format

• Creating type for the Web

ImageReady CS is a companion program that ships with Photoshop CS and is installed by default when Photoshop is installed. ImageReady is used to prepare images for display on the Web.

The fact of the matter is that if you are creating great images for use on the Web, you probably want to manipulate the images in Photoshop as well as prepare them for the Web in ImageReady. That’s why Photoshop and ImageReady are so tightly integrated; it’s really easy to move back and forth between the two programs by either clicking a button in the Toolbox or selecting a File menu command.

ImageReady provides many great tools that enable you to easily create stunning Web graphics. For example, you can use ImageReady to create image maps, rollovers, animations, and to break up large image files into pieces so they load more quickly into Web pages. In the process of creating these super effects, much of the time ImageReady produces HTML pages and JavaScript code for you (which means that you don’t need to be a Web designer!), and saves graphic files in the formats that are specifically intended for optimal results on the Web.