Why graphics are a bit difficult
Image maps and graphics slicing
Graphic backgrounds are popular additions to many web pages. They allow designers to define the meaning of spaces on a page, such as when a thin left column with menu-type links is colored differently from body text in the main right column (trivia: this technique was invented by C|Net. They can also add some visual appeal by creating a kind of stationery for otherwise sparse-looking pages.
The most common and popular background technique involves using a tiled image.
There's no particular technical requirement for this image, but there
are two types of use:
- overall tiled images
- images that create a different-colored left-hand border
This type of background generally requires an image (a) whose pattern has some randomness in it (unless the user wants a brick wall or checkerboard-type effect) and (b) whose borders are indistinct.
Below is a background tile from http://web.mit.edu/asuwa/www/JTP/index.html
Images that create a different-colored left-side border
This type of background requires an image (a) which is so wide that it will not repeat in standard screen resolutions and (b) whose vertical height is small enough that it will download quickly. Below is part of such an image. Most of the right side has been chopped off to fit in this table; the original graphic is 1200 pixels wide, most of which is simply white. Click on the graphic to see a new page using this background.
