Image link to www.joelsklar.comPrinciples of Web Design Online Companion

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Chapter 8 - Graphics and Color

The ability to freely combine graphics, text, and color into page-type layouts is one feature that makes the Web so attractive and popular, but it also can be the undoing of many Web sites.When you combine these elements wisely, you can produce an attractive and engaging site. Conversely, the use of too many large or complex images, poor color choices, or complicated backgrounds force users to endure long download times and wade through unreadable text and confusing navigation choices.

Find a good balance between images and text. Use CSS to control image characteristics, such as spacing and text alignment.The new support for CSS background images lets you enhance your page layouts and brand your site.

Use color judiciously to communicate, to guide the reader, or to create branded areas of your site.Test your color choices carefully to make sure they appear properly across different browsers.Also test at a variety of connection speeds to make sure downloading your graphics does not discourage your readers.

When you complete this chapter, you will be able to:

  • Choose a graphics tool
  • Use the <img> element
  • Control image properties with CSS
  • Understand computer color basics
  • Control color properties with CSS
  • Work with images and color
  • Control background images with CSS

Image Examples

Exercise Files

  • Download this zip file, which contains all of the source file for the exercise files for this chapter.

Individual Case Project

Gather or create the boilerplate graphics to use on the different pages of your site. These include any banner, navigation, section, or identifying graphics. Add these graphics to the test pages of your site. Test the images in multiple browsers to make sure they are displayed properly. Think about the different color requirements for your content, and decide how the legibility can be enhanced. Can color communicate information about the structure of your information? Determine the color choices for your Web site. Pick the colors for text, the background color in tables, and page backgrounds.

Establish graphics standards for your Web site, including but not limited to the following:

  • Decide whether you will use a standard amount of white space around each graphic.
  • Determine exactly which img attributes should be included in all <img> tags.
  • Formulate a standard for all alt and title attributes.
  • Formulate a basic set of image standards for your site. Use this as the display standard for testing your graphics.

Write a short standards document that can be provided to anyone contributing to the site.

Team Case Project

Work with your team to decide on the graphics and color choices for your project Web site. These include any banner, navigation, section, or identifying graphics, and the colors for text, the background color in tables, and page backgrounds.

You may need to bring sample graphics or mock-up HTML pages to present your ideas on these characteristics to your team members.

Establish graphics standards for your Web site, including but not limited to the following:

  • Decide whether you will use a standard amount of white space around each graphic.
  • Determine exactly which img attributes should be included in all <img> tags.
  • Formulate a standard for all alt and title attributes.
  • Formulate a basic set of image standards for your site. Use this as the display standard for testing your graphics.

Write a short standards document that can be submitted to the instructor and provided to the team members.

After you have reached a general consensus, go back to work on the page template you adopted in Chapter 7. Create more finished mock-ups of your page design. Trade the page layout examples with your team members. Look for unifying characteristics that give your site a unique identity. Make sure the colors and graphics flow though the different page levels on the site. Work towards smooth transitions between your pages. You want all the pages to exhibit a graphic identity that connects them together.

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