SINCE MANY WEB PAGES CONTAIN .GIF AND .JPG IMAGE FILES, which type would you use to represent a photograph on a children's web page? The two main image files, .gif, Graphics Interchange Format-pronounced with a hard g, and .jpg, originally referred to as .jpeg, Joint Photographic Experts Group-pronounced "Jay Peg", are both good. This article will tell you which of the two is better for photographic purposes on a child oriented web site and why. Included are advantages and disadvantages of both image files, a chance to view similar web pages, one with a .gif, the other with a .jpg, a child's reaction to each page represented by still images, links, in the more information area, leading you to other web pages on this topic and finally a summary at the end of the article.

The .gif advantages are: the file usually downloads more quickly and is simple yet still colorful and initially attractive to a child's eye. The disadvantages are: that they are not as detailed, not a good graphics format for photographs, less realistic and thus less likely to be remembered by a child in the future, which is not something an educator would want.

The .jpg advantages are: they are better for images with a lot of gradation. Gradation is the gradual changing of one shade or tone to another. For example, a photographic image contains a lot of gradation. They are more detailed and realistic and thus more likely to be remembered by a child in the future, something an educator would indeed like. The disadvantages are that this file type usually takes longer to download and it takes up more disk space in regard to storage.

Here's your chance to view similar web pages. The only difference is that one page contains a .gif as the photograph, the other a .jpg for the photograph. Go ahead and click on the links below. Which page do you think a child would enjoy and thus learn from more?

web page with the .gif

web page with the .jpg

Here are three links leading to other sites related to this topic:

GIF vs. JPEG

http://hotwired.lycos.com/webmonkey/geektalk/97/30/index3a.html



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Which format is better for WWW image purposes,

JPEG or GIF?

http://www.ibiblio.org/~boutell/faq/jpeggif.htm



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Optimizing Graphics for the Web

http://webmaster.harvard.edu/optimize/02_nutshell.html

Practical implications: Educators and web page designers will produce a better quality page for children, in regard to image gradation, by using a .jpg file to represent any photographs on the page as opposed to using the .gif file. Basically if you're using an image on a page that requires a lot of gradation, like a photographic image, then the .jpg is definitely the way to go.

Why is the .jpg better? For starters, the image will appear sharper and the detail will be impressive. Also, a .jpg will do a more capable job of displaying an attractive photograph for a child's web page, or any other page for that matter. Photograph images require millions of colors. This is needed to show all the gentle hues of natural light and shadow. By using a .jpg file to represent a photograph, you will certainly accomplish this. The .gif file limits you to 256 colors total, obviously too low an amount for a quality photograph. The .jpg image will likely download more slowly, but with today's faster modem and cable connections this plays less of a role than a few years ago.

Children need bright, colorful and detailed images to attract their attention. Just like a photograph in a child's book does this, so too does the photograph on a web page. With more realistic, clearer photographic images, represented by the .jpg, a child is certainly more likely to be captivated by the web page, thus enhancing their overall learning experience. 

Scott Friedman, M.Ed.