Award Graphics for the New Millennium | The Five Myths of Creating Award Graphics | The Fifth Element
Award Graphics for the New Millennium
By T. F. Powell
January 15, 2002
In the days of the 640 resolution monitors, 50Mhz processors, and 14.4K modems, it was prudent to keep award images at minuscule numbers in both the dimensions and file weight. Now at the turn of the millennium, monitors have ballooned to 1024/1200 resolutions, processors have leaped to 2Ghz, and DSL/T1/Cable modem provide the ultra fast paths to the Net.
Yet, old habits die hard. Granted, 800 resolution and 56k modems are still at significant numbers, but these numbers are dwindling, not increasing. Despite the increase in the average web surfer's viewing size and speed, it is still popular to design tiny award graphics. Why? I can only speculate some people simply follow the rules they inherited without questioning the logic of those rules.
Have you spent long hours cramming a smart design into that 80X80 pixel award graphic? Looks great on your 800 resolution monitor. Now, have you looked at your graphic at 1024 or 1200 resolution? If not, you may be surprised to find that your image may appear more as a thumbnail than an award graphic.
Living Large
When I am designing award graphics for my programs or for the Adopt Award service, the master images sometimes measure up to a whopping 400X600 pixel dimensions. Of course I reduce these images significantly when I present the finished product. However, I archive these large images because I see a time where speed and size will no longer be an obstacle.
Nay sayers, time to warm up the practice of raising eyebrows or rolling eyes up, but I see a time on the Internet where web awards will be full screen presentations. This prediction no doubt seems preposterous. But when the day comes where surfers are viewing behemoth monitors and page loading will be instantaneous, awards or certificates will be presented just like they are in the real world.
One could argue with, "Okay, I agree speed and viewing size is increasing, but why can't I just simply address the size issue when it happens?" Well this is certainly the option that will be practiced by most. But what if you have established a presence where your award becomes a signature icon? Obviously, you cannot take that 80X80 pixel award and blow it up 4 times it's original size without it appearing grainy and distorted.
So if you want to keep your signature icon intact, you will have to re-design the graphic. Do you have copies of all the visual elements that make up your award, in larger versions? This is why I archive my master copies with large dimensions.
Variety is the Size of Life
What can one do now to offer a desirable size of their award image? The solution for that is already commonly practiced. Offer 2-3 different sizes of your award image. If possible, try to view these varying sizes on different resolutions. This will help you tweak your image dimensions to accommodate today's popular monitor resolutions.
So if you are about to design a new award graphic or re-design your existing one, think big. You can always reduce the size to your liking without any significant loss of clarity. But you can never increase the size of the original image and still maintain a decent quality. Today's current bitmap graphics applications simply do not have the capability to increase size and keep clarity intact.
One exception, Vector graphics, which is commonly used in Flash, Corel Draw, Macromedia Freehand, and a few others. Another possible exception to a limited degree, is 3D rendering applications. By limited degree, I mean in that the original project is saved minus any imported bitmap images that were adjusted to fit the original given size.
Vector graphics and 3D rendering applications are certainly viable alternatives and the above paragraph begs for further explanation. But I think I will save that for another article.
Award Graphics for the New Millennium | The Five Myths of Creating Award Graphics | The Fifth Element