It's true, graphics on a page ARE good - they give the page visual appeal and catch the interest of your visitors making it much more likely that they will stop long enough to read some, or even all, of your carefully written text.
But, as in everything else, too much of a good thing can end up being a bad thing!
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Don't overload your pages with graphics.
Too many graphics can make a page look cluttered and can slow page load time to the point where your visitor gives up in frustration waiting for your page to load and just clicks on to someplace less time consuming.
If you have a lot of wonderful pictures you want to share with your friends there are much better ways to show them off than cramming them all on one or more pages...
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Learn to use "thumbnails".
Thumbnails can be used as links to open a new window with the actual picture. If you want to show off your vacation photos or a bunch of pictures of a new addition to the family, for example, put a thumbnail on your page which links to a new page which will open in a new window, and on that page use one of the great (free) slideshow JAVA applets. (There are links to some great freeware JAVA sites on the Links page.) The results will amaze your friends AND keep your load times shorter.
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Pay attention to the SIZE of the graphics on your pages.
Size does not just mean "dimensions" it means the number of "bytes" in the graphic file! If you use photos taken with a digital camera try adjusting the resolution of the pictures you take for your site. A lower resolution can make the file sizes smaller without detracting from the end result your visitors will see on your pages. Another method is to use software which will "crunch" your images. Links to wonderful (free) resources to "crunch" your JPEG and GIF files can be found on the Links page.
One final word on the subject of graphics - please, please, please do not overload your pages with ANIMATED GIF's. Nothing is more annoying or distracting than a page which is loaded down with flashing, twirling, rotating, running, waving, blinking, and whatever else pictures. If you can't come up with anything better to put on your page (like maybe some original text) then you should forget about doing the page!
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