Building a Web Site Part II Thumbnail Images

Some web sites have beautiful large photographs included throughout any given web page.  The only problem with having many great pictures on the same page is the download time for that page (particularly with a modem.  For this reason, a miniature of the full image may be used to link to a full size image in a page by itself.  Here's how to do it:

• Insert the image in the location where the thumbnail is desired.
• "Select" the image.  A single left-click should do this.
• Click the "Auto Thumbnail" button (the 3rd button shown on the file shown at right and above.
• A thumbnail "button" will replace the large image on the page.  When a person viewing the page clicks the thumbnail, a window with a view of the image in its original size will be opened.

The same effect may be accomplished "manually" by using a graphics program to save a second version of each graphic after changing the dimensions.  For this method, insert the small graphic where the thumbnail is to be used AND make a new web page to store the full sized image.  Make a link from the thumbnail sized image to the page containing the full sized image.  It is a good idea to either have this page open in a new window OR to include a "back" button to return to the page with the thumbnail.

Why use "brute force"?  The automatic method relies on the browser supporting the feature to open the graphic with a graphic viewer in another window - this is not true of all browsers.  Also, if you wish the full sized image to be on a page with text, etc., you'll want to make that page yourself and not rely on the computer to do the job for you.

This site copyrighted (2005) by Dr. Blake West - Please credit when linking to the site!
Kansas NEA - 715 SW 10th Ave.  Topeka, KS  66612.