Graphics and Color I. File Formats

Vocabulary flashcards covering web image file formats, hexadecimal color values, various graphics software categories, and best practices for web design imagery.

JPEG

Stands for Joint Picture Experts Group; its main feature is its large amount of allowable colors that can be displayed using a relatively low file size.

GIF

Stands for Graphics Interchange Format; created in 1987, it is the oldest web-capable image format and supports transparency and animation via multiple frames.

PNG

Stands for Portable Network Graphics; a raster-graphics file format considered an improvement to GIF and JPEG.

Hexadecimal values

Six alphanumeric values ranging from zero (0) to nine (9) or A to F, preceded by a pound sign (#), used to set website colors.

Graphics Design Tools

Tools used for changing properties of static, non-animated images such as size, transparency, and typography; examples include Adobe Photoshop and GIMP.

Animation Tools

Tools used to manipulate non-static graphics by editing images frame-by-frame to produce moving graphics; examples include Adobe After Effects and Blender.

Media Editing Tools

A subcategory of animation tools used to clip, insert, and combine edited audio and video as part of graphics design.

Web Tools

Tools governing the back-end aspect of graphics design by generating code and managing graphics properties; examples include Adobe Dreamweaver, Drupal, and WordPress.

Image Optimization

The process of picking the right file format, cropping, or scaling to prevent slow load times or large bandwidth consumption on a site.

Graphics role (AIGA)

According to the American Institute of Graphic Arts, the traditional role of design is to improve the visual appearance and function of messages and information.

Visual Information Percentage

The proportion of all information a visitor receives from a website that is visual, which is cited as 90%.

Brand Reinforcement

Using logo images in the same spot on a web page to help visitors identify the website and the organization it represents.