Obtain Graphics for Use on Your Site


You will find that you have several options as you search for images to use on your site. You can capture images right off the Web as you surf various sites, or you can hit one of the many free and paid clip art and image sites. If you’re ambitious and want to create your own graphics, you can find a number of low-cost (and sometimes free) graphics editors to help you get the job done.

Capture Images from the Web

The easiest way to find graphics and art is to capture them directly from the Web. You might be surprised to learn that you can save virtually any image that appears on your screen when you visit a site. It is as simple as a right-click with your mouse. To see how easy it is, follow these steps:

  1. Go online and find a picture, logo, or graphic that you like.

  2. Put the mouse cursor somewhere on the image and right-click.

  3. A dialog box will pop up, giving you several options.

  4. Choose Save Picture As.

  5. Either accept the image name as supplied or type in your own. You also should specify which directory you want to save the image in.

  6. Click OK.

That’s all there is to it. You now will be able to insert that image into your own Web pages.

Caution

Whenever you use an image or a photo someone else has created, copyright issues become involved. Even though you can easily capture any image from the Web, that does not mean you have the right to use it without its creator’s permission. If you plan to use other people’s graphics, be sure to contact them to ask for permission. Generally you can find an e-mail link to the Webmaster of a site at the bottom of the main page.

Find Royalty-Free Clip Art

Fortunately, there are so many royalty-free sources for clip art, buttons, backgrounds, and pictures on the Web, there’s no need to “borrow” someone else’s without permission. A quick search on Yahoo or any other search engine generally will bring you more sites offering free images than you have the time or desire to visit. Some helpful sites to check out are in Table 6-2.

Table 6-2: Resources for Locating Images

Site

URLs

Art Web Site Directories—Online directories of Web sites offering different types of art, organized by subject

www.webplaces.com/html/clipart.htm
www.clip-art.com

Clip Art—Some nice sources for free art. The subscription services charge a fee for access to the site, but the content is otherwise free

www.1clipart.com (free)
www.free-clip-art.com (free)
www.clipart.com (subscription service—$7.95/week or $50/3 months)
www.GifArt.com (subscription service—$24.95/month or $49.95/year)

Buttons, Banners, and Backgrounds—Sites that offer free navigation buttons, Web page templates, and background wallpaper

www.freewebtemplates.com
www.buttonland.com

Photos—Sites that provide royalty-free photographs for your use

www.stockphotowarehouse.com
www.freestockphotos.com
www.freeimages.co.uk

Note

Although free, www.freestockphotos.com requires that you mention the source of each of their pictures you use in your Web pages.

Use Pictures from Your Digital Camera

If you have access to a digital camera, you already have a great way of creating images for your Web site. Most digital cameras come with software that enables you to manipulate and “doctor” your photos. Thus, if you feel so inclined, you can exercise your creativity and easily develop images that can give your Web site a distinctly unique look.

Create Your Own Graphics with an Image Editor

If you’re really artistic, you might want to consider creating your own images and graphics from scratch with image-editing software. It’s not that difficult, and you might even find yourself having fun in the process. Playing with an image editor is sort of like using finger paints without getting messy or having to clean up. Once you try it, you might find it hard to stop.

If you’re interested in purchasing a graphics editor, they are available in a wide range of prices. Table 6-3 lists a few of the programs currently available.

Table 6-3: Image Editors’ Price Comparison

Editor

Approximate Price

Adobe Photoshop

$500

Corel Draw

$300

Macromedia Fireworks

$150

Adobe Photoshop Elements

$80

Corel Draw Essentials

$70

PaintShop Pro 8

$100

AceDesign Pro

$70

Microsoft Imaging and Microsoft Paint

Included with Windows

Tip

If you want to put your company logo or letterhead on your site, try using a scanner. A scanner comes in handy when you have hard copies of graphics (logos and so forth) that you need to convert to digital format. You can also use a scanner to convert hard copies of your own photographs, too. While it is possible to scan art you find in print sources, remember the copyright issue. Just because you can scan an image doesn’t mean you have the right to use it on your site. Always ask for permission.




How to Do Everything with HTML & XHTML
How to Do Everything with HTML & XHTML
ISBN: 0072231297
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 126

flylib.com © 2008-2017.
If you may any questions please contact us: flylib@qtcs.net