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Web Development - Images and Backgrounds

Why Standardize on Graphics?

There are a couple of reasons why it is recommended to use some of the same graphics on all of the pages on your website.

First off, using the same set of graphics creates page conformity, making it easier for people to navigate your site. Plus, the conformity helps build a recognizable 'theme.'

Using the same graphics lowers the amount of hard drive space needed to host a website. If you are limited by space, this can be very important.

When your browser loads graphics, it usually places copies of such graphics in a memory or disk-based cache. That way, the graphics can be accessed quicker if they are needed again; instead of re-pulling the graphics from the net, the browser just has to pull the graphics from the cache. By utilizing this feature, when you use the same graphics on multiple pages, you maximize the cache usage and minimize load times for successive pages.

If you have to pay for your webspace bandwidth after a certain amount, the less bandwidth used, the less your cost, correct? When you utilize the clients' caches by reusing the same graphics, you reduce the amount of bandwidth required for people to see your website.

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The MalekTips website was created in 1998 by Andrew Malek of Envision Programming. The page's goal is to freely disperse computer-related tips, hints, and informative articles. Tips are organized to be easy to find, and are presented clearly, in easy-to-understand language. MalekTips also provides information and links to public-domain, open source, freeware, shareware, and commercial software available for download. < more >