The Gif Optimizer can be used to reduce the colors, plus make sure only colors from the Web Safe palette are used. An image which contains a large area of solid colors or has predominantly web safe colors in it can be saved as gif. By reducing the colors as much as possible the file will get small and using the Web Safe Palette feature in PSP one can convert any color that is not exactly matching a web safe color.
First image shows the Gif Compression without transparency use but wit reduction of colors to 47 and 0 Diphtering.Also using Web Safe color, so that also the color which is not web safe will be replaced with the closest possible match. We need as many colors here, as the Antialiased aereas have many different color pixels. If we reduce the colors more, then we would get jagged edges.
After using the gif optimizer the picture has 3,5KB size and a download time of 0,8 sec with a 56 modem.
-
Understanding the Gif Optimizer and Transparency
Basically a gif file can have one color assigned to be transparent. When one has opened the picture click on the gif optimizer button. You will see the first tab Transparency. Enable the option Areas that match this color, then hold the mouse pointer to the blue in the original background and click. Now the blue will show up in the box in the gif optimizer. Tolerance is set to 12...all blue is now transparent. If the toloerance is set too high, a jagged effect will occur.
In the Partial Transparency tab enable use a 50% dither pattern. Then enable yes blend with the background color. Click in the color box and in the hex number type in the number of your website color.
Click on the color tab. Type in 50 colors and 0 dithering. Pick standard web safe and disable Include Windows Colors. Select Non-Interlaced as the format type.
For to bring away the jaggies which are still here we have to soften the image and add a drop shadow. First we have to increase the color depth to 16,7 million colors
Select magic wand..set match mode to RGB Value, Tolerance to 16, Feather to 0 and disable Sample Merged. Now select the background.
Pick Effexts, then Blur, then Soften and repeat once more.
Go to Menue Selections - Invert.
Then to Menue Effects, - 3D Effects, Drop Shadow. Here the following settings: horizontal and vertical offset to 1, Blur to 6 and Opacity to 30, color black. o.k.
Selection None.
Don't forget to reduce your colors again and pick once more your webpage color.
