|
|
File Types For Icons Explained
An application is not ready for use unless you have the proper icons for using into the application. Having the right icons for your application is not difficult if you have the help of a specialist or a specialized company to design the icons. The icon designer takes care of the whole design process starting from understanding what kind of icons are you looking for, designing them, submitting them for your approval and finalizing the icons to be used. The designer can also help you with choosing the most appropriate file types for the icons used into your application. But because you know better then anybody else the application for which the icons are, it is understandable that you'll be one of the people involved in choosing the file type for the icons. This is why it is a wise thing to know few things about the most common file types for icons.
First of all we have to mention that the most common file types for icons are: ico, png, bmp, gif, icns. From the start we have to point out that ico file type is the one used by windows for its icons to assign an icon for every application. This ico file type is unique and it either assignees a system icon or represents individual types of files. All the files in your computer use icons depending on the file type they are. The ico files are very flexible in order the icons to change itself according to the file type. If the ico files are altered they will loose flexibility and will not be able to properly display the icons according to the type of the files. The ico file must remain with its factory settings. Another thing to be careful about when dealing with ico files, is when you plan to install any icon editor. During the installation process, some of this type of applications will ask the user if it is ok to make a file type association between the application and the .ico file type; in every situation the answer should definitely be no or else this option will mess up all the icons in your computer. In order to achieve the best quality for the ico files, certain parameters should be used depending on the operating system. For Windows XP it is recommended to use 32-bit ico files with Alpha Channel, parameters that allow using of full transparencies and shades. For the versions of Windows prior to XP the recommended parameters are 8-Bit ico files with 256 colors.
From the above mentioned file types, the icns are the correspondent of ico files for the MAC operating systems. They are a bit different from the ico files; icns files act like a container with more individual icon resources enclosed within it. So, with a single click the system accesses all the necessary icon resources that he needs. It is possible that for the previous versions of MAC this icns file type will not be recognized. So, for safety reasons, an older icn# resource should be included in the resource file in order to avoid problems. Another thing about icns files is that they are not like the traditional icon files, meaning their images are not displayed outside the icon, but the images are enclosed inside the files as data and to be able to view them you should actually open an icns file. Icns files are only used and recognized by the MAC operating system. To transfer these icons into more commonly used image file types; there are special applications that can convert icns files into jpg, bmp, gif, files.
Another file type used for icons is png; this is used only for Windows operating system and it was designed to replace the gif format file, that was older and simpler, and the tiff format file that was rather complex. Png is a superior file type; if you want to display a photograph exactly like it is in its best quality, the png format should be your choice because it produces smaller files and allows more color. Png is also able to compress the image files to smaller sizes without altering the image, and if you want to recover the original image the compression is exactly reversible. Also, the png files allow more colors, enables drop shadows and, quite important, support partial transparency that can be used for various purposes. Png files are supported by most web browsers and various development environments. A useful trick for png files when they are used with Internet Explorer for windows: 32 bits png files with alpha channel should be converted into non-transparency png file with the preferred BG color; using png Behavior from WeBX is an alternative.
Gif file types are perfect for images that do not contain more than 256 colors and has large areas of uniform color, so gif file type is not recommended to be used for photographic images because they will not be shown in their best format. If the number of colors is smaller then 256 then there will be no problem for the gif file type to show the image exactly like it is. If the image has too many colors gif will use various algorithms to approximate the extra colors in the image. Gif format also compresses files but during compression it looses many of the colors. Gif compresses image files in two ways: either he reduces the number of bits needed per pixel or he abbreviates common patterns. Gif files do not support full transparency that is why it is recommended pastel colors or light tones to be used for the background whenever with gif files.
We have talked about the most commonly used file types for icons and pointed out some useful information that can be handy whenever trying to choose the right file type for icons.
If you are looking for professional icons please go to http: http://www.iconshock.com - icon design
What Drives Repeat Visitors To Your Site?
There can be zillions of reasons why your visitors return to your web site. One might be very interested in seeing your animated photo on your main page, but kidding aside I've gathered 12 elements that invites your visitors to repeat their visits.
How To Start An Internet Business ? Designing For Usefulness
The first step to starting any Internet business is conducting keyword research to determine if there is any interest in your idea. Once you identify a need, it's time to consider what your site should look like.
Don?t Put Your Slogan in the Title Tag - Optimize Your Web Pages
Don't just put your slogan in the title tag when you formulate the copy of your website. The formulation of the title tag is the most important single aspect when you fine-tune your website:
How Important is Content to a Successful Website
Content is the most important part of any website.
14 Ways to Add Content to Your Web Site - Part 1
When I surf the Net, I often see web sites filled with beautiful graphics that strive to capture my attention. Well, they do so for an instant, however I click away when I don't immediately find relevant content. The content you add to your web site needs to attract both visitors and search engines.
Build It And Build It Cheap!
There are several very good reasons why you should consider building your own web site versus having someone do it for you. It's more cost efficient, you can make it much larger in content, you are more involved in how you want the pages to look, and I have actually enjoyed learning the dos and don'ts of website profiling. I have run into some definite don'ts as I thrashed my way through building the few that I have needed , but I envy the professionals that get paid to make websites. Although I'm sure that I've made mistakes on my sites, I'm pretty happy with the results so far.
Technology vs. Usability
When JV Media Design was formed, the year was 1995 and the Internet was a very different place than it is today.
How Do We Know When Its Time To Redesign Our Web Site?
A question we frequently get asked is, "how do we know when it is time to redesign our Web site?" The answer undoubtedly varies.
Mini Site or Content-based Web Site?
Are you in a dilemma whether to create a mini site or a content-based web site for your new product or service? The purpose of creating a web site should be to attract visitors and convert them to paying customers. Is a mini site with a few pages enough to do this or should you spend more time and create a content-based web site which contains many pages?
No Matr How Goud The Infomation...
Typos, misspellings, hideous grammar, exclamation overkill and run-on sentences all undermine a Web site's message. Your reader will have to work too hard, and you won't have that reader long.
How To Boost Your Sales Dramatically Using Dynamic Back-end Strategies
Getting a customer is not easy.
The Secret To A Profitable Website
Whether you are planning on having a website built for your business or you are looking for ways to increase the sales being generated (if any) from an existing website the following information will be of enormous benefit to you.
Testimonials Can Increase Your Web Traffic
We've all seen and read product testimonials. They're a very valuable tool for merchant sales and can often tip the scales in determining a customer's decision to buy. But testimonials offer another superb benefit. It's the benefit to you and your marketing strategy.
The Testimonial Trick
One of the most popular methods of traffic generation is the link exchange. Not only can they generate fairly targeted traffic from other related web sites, the number of quality links to your site is also a major factor determining your web site's ranking in major search engines like Google.
Custom Website Design - 7 Steps to a More Professional Website
If you are trying to sell a product or service on your website, then it is important to make your site as professional as possible. You might think designing that your own website to look like a professional did so is a rather difficult proposition, however there are many tools online that will help you achieve professional looking design.
KIS - Keep It Simple
There are many ways to add fancy bells and whistles to your website, but most of them are not going to do you any good. In fact they will slow down the time it takes to load your website and take up valuable space that you are paying for. Besides that, people with older computers will not even be able to see some of these fancy additions you are using.
Cheap Website Design In Birmingham
Due to the large number of people offering website design services in Birmingham, there is always a bargain to be found.
How To Create A Professional Website In Less Than A Week
Here's a really simple way... any novice can create a fully functional website in less than a week.
Keyword Density
We can't emphasize enough the importance of including keyword-rich content on your site to increase your ranking potential. Simply put, keywords are the words and/or word phrases people use when searching. As we've mentioned throughout the site, search engine spiders love content. Therefore, the more keyword-rich content you have, the better. When a search engine spider crawls your site, it won't recognize pictures or images.
The Secrets of The Shriekers
I am constantly bombarded with all sorts of advertisements, single-page sites, and sites offering very little real content but some wonderful new "product" or "service" for sale that purports to make its customers wealthy beyond their wildest dreams.