When choosing original images for use on your website, be sure to select the largest file size possible (1-3 megabytes). Having large original files will allow you to crop the image and reduce the file size for quick downloading (known as image optimization).
The image at right shows an optimized image, first at 118×136 (pixels), and then shows the same optimized image expanded to 207×243 (pixels). As you can see, the clarity of the second image has suffered because of the expansion. This is because the original small image has been optimized for quick download. Expanding makes it worse, not better.
The solution is to make sure that you have large-size originals so that you will not need to expand the images in size in order to increase their visual impact on the screen.
Most email programs limit the size of attachments to a total of 7-10 megs, which means you will either need to send your images to your web designer separately one-by-one (one image per email), or you will need to put the files on a disk and send them by mail to your web designer (or perhaps use FTP or a file transfer program like YouSendIt).
Failure to use quality images for websites is one of the most common errors new website owners make — be sure to take the time to select your images carefully and make sure they are of the highest quality possible.
