using photos within content
web development services encourages the use of photography and graphics within the website. imagery provides a clean visual break in-between text heavy content.
images can be a nice addition to your web page. however, an image may cause accessibility and performance issues when used incorrectly.
improper use of images:
never use an image exclusively to convey messaging.
example: uploading a .jpg poster to your page as the only source of information.
screen readers cannot read the text embedded within the image, nor can programs which enlarge text. all images require alt tags, following accessibility standards.
what is an alt tag?
an alt tag is an html attribute associated with an image tag to provide alternative text when an image on a page cannot be displayed, or when a screen reader is being utilized.
the image description or the alternative text field should be utilized at all times whenever an image is added to the site. the description should be meaningful in the context of the photo description. for example, if the image is a link, describe the page the image is linking to. if the image is filler or a design element, no description is required.
if the image has meaningful information or conveys a message, use the description field.
images and performance
images may impact the page load time when not properly resized prior to being uploaded and inserted into the web page. inserting an image and then resizing the image impacts how the image appears, and not how it loads.
using images
images fond on google images, which do not belong to your department or the university, are subject to copyright. these images cannot be used within our site.
suggested royalty free image sites
suggested paid royalty free sites:
editing and resizing images:
images can be resized to span the maximum width of the page: 730 pixels.
images can be edited within adobe photoshop, or alternatively picasa is a free image management tool that you can download and use to both manage and resize your images.