Lots of images

how do I load quicker

[Blelisa]

I am helping a friend out and trying my hand at this web design thing. She has a site that markets arts and crafts. Becuase of this alot of the pages have digital pictures of the crafts she is marketing. I have them on their as jpegs that I have put a fram around in fireworks. But, they are causing the page to load like a snail. How do I correct this? Is there a way to keep the pictures but do something to them or the page to help it load faster? Please let me know!

Thank you

[Distel]

Have you tried optimizing the images (i.e. reducing the amount of colors shown)? Changing the image format could also help. Pictures (as in holliday pics) should be put in jpg, while images with large fields in the same color (such as logo's or some cartoons) are smaller in gif, or (preferably) png.

[bondjamesbond]

Do you have the full size images all the same page? Using thumbnails could make the page load more speedily. Then users who want to see a larger image can just load up that one image. If pictures are presented in this way, I think users tend to be more patient waiting for a large image to load as its one they want to see.

If you are already using this method, then I can only suggest the items Distel has already suggested. Optimising the images, keeping them as small as possible and choosing the right format.

[Birdman]

And be sure to resize the image in your image program, rather than using HTML to adjust the size.

Example:

A 600 X 800 pixel image(true size) can be displayed at 150 X 200 pixels on a webpage.

<img src="src" width="150" height="200">

Problem is, the image is still really 600 X 800.

You may have already know that, but just in case...

[edward607]

I have a graphics-intensive site (on-line photo gallery) as well. Like you, I'm a newbie and had to learn this lesson. If you're using a digital camera to take the images, the bundled software typically does not have photo optimization capabilities. Most stand-alone photo editors have the functionality. There are also stand-alone optimizers that cost between US$20-50.