Preparing Graphics Files

Size: Try to keep graphics small (300 pixels high = 5 cm high on a 15" screen), especially on your home page (the first or entry page for your site).   Avoid images larger than 640 x 480 (the size of classical monitors).  Do not send out a large image and instruct the browser to shrink it, since text on the graphic may become unreadable.  If you need to use a large graphic (over 100K), display a reduced-size version (thumbnail) on the page and use a link to fetch and display the full-size graphic on demand. If the file is larger than 100K bytes notify the user of the size.
EXAMPLE:     full-size [102K]

Format: To minimize file (and time to load the file) use the GIF format for line drawings and non-gradient shaded drawings and use the JPEG format for gradient-shaded drawings and photos. Some commercial authoring programs will directly produce files in these formats (e.g. HotMetaL® Pro, PageMill®), whilst others produce other formats. Microsoft Word® produces WMF files (Windows Meta-File format). Macintosh® drawing programs normally produce PICT files (as done by the RFTtoHTML program). A Macintosh® shareware program called GraphicConverter® can be used to convert PICT files to GIF format.  It can handle many other file conversions and can edit the files to provide partial transparency, change colors, re-scale, and add captions. A shareware program called LView Pro 1.B provides similar conversion and editing capabilities for IBC PC compatible computers. See http://www.lview.com/

Convert the file to grayscale unless the material is colored. Use only 256 colors unless more are really required to convey the information. Remember that many browsers will convert 24-bit colors to the closest of a base set of 218 colors.  If color is critical to your application, test it on such a browser (for example Netscape®). To reduce load time, convert the graphics for line drawings and scanned tables or equations to black/white (2-color) GIF format and convert colored or shaded drawings to JPG format.

Video clips: Use these sparingly and never as an automatic part of the home page. Notify the viewer of the size of the file and/or the load time for a modest-speed modem, for example [5.6MB; 30 min at 28.8Kbaud]

Preparing Web-ready Articles
(using HTML code)

HTML: The base page should be in HTML format. It is easiest to use a program that works directly in the HTML format (such as FrontPage98® or Page Mill® or HotMetaL Pro®). However, recent versions of most word processing programs allow you to insert hyperlinks and graphics and save the file as an HTML file --  Microsoft Word® 6.0 (with Internet Assistant) or 7, WordPerfect®, Claris Works®, PageMaker®.

Tables: These can be used not only to place data in neat columns, but also to make the text easier to scan (by using columns only 400 pixels wide) and more attractive (by varying the horizontal placement of text blocks and images on the page).

Hyperlinks: The major types have the HTML expressions noted below:

<A HREF="part2.html">jump to another HTML file</A>
<A HREF="#filter">jump to another place in this file</A>
<A HREF="diagram.gif">display a diagram</A>
<A HREF="mailto:rzepa@ic.ac.uk">send an e-mail message</A>

URLs which are not active links should be placed in angle brackets <>and should not include the http:// part because that can result in HTML word processors to convert the phrase to an active link.

Frames: Do not use frames.  They do not print out in the way they appear on the screen.  This is a significant problem for people visiting the site and for making the print version of the article.

Java® Applets: Do not use Java®.  Many people do not have (or do not wish to install) the extensions required to make these work.  They also pose significant problems for the print version.

File Names: The base page, which contains links to other files, should be named index.htm. Keep file names 8 characters or shorter (and the extension -- after the dot -- to 3 characters or shorter), and do not use any spaces in the name because our server will not accept them. It is best if you can use the same conventions for naming as the ERPT staff uses. In what follows smit = the first four characters of the lead author's name

smit-00.htm = home page
smit-01.htm = first, etc. text pages
smit-a1.htm = appendix text pages
smit-ref = nomenclature and references page
smitf01.gif = graphics (figure) files [also for .jpg]
smiteq01.gif = equation graphics files
smittb01.gif = table graphics files