Transparent GIF's
You are welcome to download these graphics and use them in any way that you please on your personal or commercial pages. Please do not link to the graphics as this ties up the server unnecessarily.

What IS a GIF?

GIF stands for Graphic Information Format. When you save a graphic in GIF format, the file will be called filename.gif. There are four subtypes of GIFs that you can choose from:

  • Version 87a NonInterlaced
    This is the original GIF that Compuserve developed in 1987. It is called the Compuserve GIF Standard and was the first graphic type that was supported by WWW browsers. This is the default GIF subtype used by your Web browser.
  • Version 87a Interlaced
    Interlacing graphics allows Web browsers to display an image in several passes, with each pass showing more detail. Interlaced graphics are a good choice for Web pages because the person viewing the page doesn't have to wait for the entire image to finish loading before being able to see anything.
  • Version 89a Noninterlaced
    In 1989, the standard GIF format was improved to offer greater efficiency, file compression, and the ability to create GIF animation.
  • Version 89a Interlaced    Use This One
    This format has all the qualities listed above, but allows a graphic to be viewed while it loads. This is the most popular choice for Web page graphics.

What Is A Transparent GIF?

When you work in a paint program, you always have two colors selected that you are currently working with:

  • The Foreground Color
    (you select this color with your left mouse button)
  • The Background Color
    (you select this color with your right mouse button)

To make a GIF transparent, you select this option at the time that you save the graphic.

  
Non-transparent GIF:
You may choose the option of not saving any transparency information and the browser will show all the graphic's colors, including the background color.
Transparent GIF:
You may choose the option of setting the transparency color to the background color. When it is viewed in a browser, the background color is transparent. This makes the graphic appear to float on the web page. (This only appears transparent when viewed with a browser -- when you open the graphic in a paint program the background color is still visible.)

Links to Help You Design Animated and Transparent GIF's:

Web Page & Graphic Design by Jeri Callan -- Copyright 1997, 1998 -- All rights reserved.

Graphics included in the examples on this page are donated by Jeri Callan to the public domain and may be freely distributed for use on personal or commercial pages.

All other graphics used on this page are copyrighted and may not be used without express written permission from the designer.