Skip to Content

Web Standards Guide

 
  • Email
  • Print
  • Share

Images

General Policies

Get Permission to Use Photo

If you obtain photos from sources other than the GSB photo websites you must be sure to secure rights for use on the web. Contact Stephanie Culberson in Marketing and Communications for assistance and information.

Use Photos from Cumulus Photo Library

There are a number of web-ready photos available from Cumulus.

Use Photos from Shared Assets

These are already properly sized, optimized for use on the web. and available to you through Contribute.

Edit Photos Using Photo-Editing Application

Graphics and photos should be edited using an application such as Photoshop. Do NOT resize photos by dragging on the corners of the image.

Save Photos with an Appropriate File Name

File names should be in lower case, no spaces or punctuation, short, and relevant. Hyphens and underscores are acceptable but do not overuse.

"alt" Tags Are Required

The <alt="text> attribute is an accessibility requirement used by screen readers for the visually impaired. Captions are not required.

Save Photos in Proper Location

Photos specific to your website should be stored in your site in a folder called "images." General use photos are stored on the server in a folder called "photos" and are accessible through the shared assets in Contribute.

Contact Web Support Group for Assistance

If you need help editing a picture please submit a help desk request to Web Support Group.

Preferred Formats

Generally, photos and photo-like material are best presented in JPG format, while graphics with line-art, text, and other sharp transitions are best presented in GIF format. However, the newer PNG format is superior. It is functionally supported by the target browsers recommended. For details of PNG (including comparison with GIF and JPG), see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Png.

Recommendation
  • Encoding JPG for photos of people.
  • PNG for other photo-like materials and graphics.
Best Practices
  • Make the subject clear and as large as possible.
  • If images are not part of the message, don't use them.
  • Show real content not just decoration, such as photos of identifiable people who have a connection to the text.
  • Use graphics that are truly informative and helpful to users. Label graphics if meaning is not clear from the context.
  • Keep graphic elements in proportion to text (5% to 15% of page).
  • When appropriate, credit the photographer.

Standard Image Sizes

For Right Column
  • Large image: 199w x 214h pixels
  • Large horizontal image: 319w x 213h pixels
  • Small image or subsite logo: 198w x 107h pixels
  • Feature story small image: 75w x 75h pixels

Note: The large horizontal image (319w x 213h pixels) should be used in conjunction with the following style classes:

For the quote: <class="r_quotelarge">
For the image: <class="r_imglarge">

For Center Column
  • Large image: 199w x 214h pixels
  • Large horizontal image: 319w x 213h pixels
  • Feature story small image: 75w x 75h pixels
  • Large landscape: 768w x 225h pixels
    This size should be used with the 1-column template only. View sample.

  • Back to Top