CSS sprites - mystery unfolded

CSS spirits, sorry it should be CSS sprites actually, are the small images that play a sweet role to provide some nice styles to the overall appearance of a web page. Yes, it is true that “Sprites” are considered as spirits that appear and vanish within fraction of seconds in a webpage. These CSS sprites are intended to catch attention of the visitors, sometimes with mouse hover or odd shapes of menu and navigation buttons; even spirit effects on positioning of links.

The mystery about the CSS sprites is nothing but sudden appearance of those on web pages. It is nothing but the intellectual play of web or graphic designers to present so many graphics in a grid or master image without sending the web server too many ‘http’ requests. In fact, sprites provide an opportunity to the graphic designers or the web designers to keep a visitor stuck to a page, instead of showing static images.

Whatever the case may be, it is true that the concept of sprites originated from the video games. How can I forget that I used to get extra points or the ‘stars’ for hitting some blocks or bricks on the path to reach the destination as a Mario Game player? Forget about it. This is a small example against the presence of sprites in the games.

Let us now see how in CSS sprites are doing little wonders. I mean to say why these are used for web pages. We are not going by the codes; rather we will talk the things in plain.

• To create catchy menus, CSS sprite comes in use. Designers create small images (sprites) for curvy corners to avoid simple edge and gather the small pieces to make master image.
• In the creation of mouse hover effects CSS sprites is used in the best way. Graphic designers create small images for structuring a back ground image and a foreground image. Then both the images are placed on each other. The movement of mouse calls one image before other.
• Anywhere in a web page small buttons or graphics may be used with 2D or 3D effects. We designers are asked to represent some special attractions on the pages. So we again create sprites that easily grab attraction of the visitors.
• To provide any web page background effect, small images are used. Instead of using larger images in a web page as background, small image slice are cut and rendered through ‘x’ axis or ‘y’ axis. This effort easily shows backgrounds quickly without causing delay in page load.
• To stop the unnecessary use of javascripts for giving scroll or little dynamic effect, sprites are used. Javascripts take time to be called on the page or sometimes go missing. Dazzling effects can be given to links with CSS sprites.
• CSS sprites make use of single file to minimize overall page load time for images. If you carefully read the points, I have mentioned ‘master image’. It is the CSS sprite that create bundle of small images and use them in a master image file which loads fast with single http request.

In short these are the main use of sprites, rather for these main reasons CSS sprites are still used in the web page design with graphical effects. Now the URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) has come and is making the use CSS sprites less only for page load timings. Whatever the case may be, sprites will remain to give little yet catchy effects to the web pages.

At least I, as a freelance graphic designer, love to use them, in my designs. All designs in my template shop have the potential to use the small image effects. So any time you want to hire website designer, ask him if he can give you some the spritely effects. Believe me those small images just pour dazzling effects to a webpage.

Web design tips to build your website in two days

Today developing a website has got easy and anybody can get a site ready within just a few hours. All it takes is to follow some web design tips that uphold the advancement of web development techniques, clearing the obstacle in the path of fast website development. Gone are the days when people waited for new layout to be designed and custom code being written for web design and web development! Today we can obtain templates and open source programming modules on Joomla, Magento, Wordpress, Drupal and others, ready to serve our purpose.

In the following web development and web design tips I only avoid the domain registration and hosting web space booking. And the rest web design tips can tell you how you can develop your website within just two days with the latest web development technologies. Have a look:

• First select a reputed web design and development company. It is essential as few companies have that much expertise to provide you the best service fast.
• Buy a template matching your business type. Make sure that you get the resource files with it. Otherwise things will get delayed at the time of making the little changes in the templates.
• Decide if you need content management system, shopping carts for ecommerce sites or the like. If you require those, you can go for open source platforms as Magento, Joomla, Drupal and others.
• Next come the approval process of the design and developing changes. Soon you reply to the changes, your work gets done.
• At last the website testing and the final approval. The testing process takes few minutes as modules are pretested and ready to use. Finally your approval lets the site hosted to the web server.

You may think the above web development and web design tips are fine but sure to take more time than two days. But it is possible. Today open source has simply blown out the old traditional process of development and design. With Joomla, Wordpress and Drupal modules everything is ready. We need to make little changes in the codes only.

You have to believe in my web design tips and the process of web development because as a freelance graphic designer, I can prove this. Various international clients have worked according to my web design tips and they have got the website of their desire.

The things are possible for me as I have a template shop full with several Joomla, Wordpress, Magento, Oscommerce and other themes based excellent and affordable templates for all. And I have been working on all sorts of open source programming for the last few years.

So what are you waiting for, go and hire website designer or a web development company to build your website within just two days. Then I am sure you will understand that the above web design tips are real and useful for everybody!

Difference between css1 and css2

CSS (Cascading style sheet) simply adds style in Html documents to present the layout of a web page. But here I am not supposed to define what is css1 and css2. My intension is to note a few differences that have given rise to a topic css2 and css1. There are reasons that have given little edge of preference to css version2 over css version1. And at the time of pointing out the differences, I will definitely try to note down the typical aspects of using css2 and css1.

Though we all know that css version2 is an upgraded version of css version1, people are interested in differentiating css2 and css1. Let’s see the things:

• Css2 provides much more flexibility in font selections. In CSS1 there were no options of matching font closest in request; no process of creating font that matches one of the present font metrics and option to download font from the web.
• In css version1 there was no option to define any tabular data as table element. But css version2 does permit the designers to do so. It has eased the designer’s efforts so they are using css2 and css1.
• One of the most important reasons of using css2 and css1 is the positioning of any element. There were no options of specifying absolute or relative position in css version1.
• The cursor position was not so much defined and controlled in css version1 as it is in css version2.For instance, the designers can predefine the different cursor look on links, images, and other positions on the webpage.
• Css version2 has given control on the webpage printing layout.  In very simple words it defines how will be size of the pages to be printed; if there will be registration or crop-marks and how should it look on both side when printed. This is one good cause of using css2 and css1.
• There was no option like ‘media type’ in css version1. It is there as an option in the css version2 that can determine how the display of the pages will be in different media as: audio, Braille, screen reader,TV etc. it has given great push in using css2 and css1.
• Css version2 has option to add audio with the display of a webpage. It is a great privilege to physically challenged people and was not in css version1. Now a blind man can listen to style of the web pages. It is certainly the greatest edge of css2 and css1.
• Css version2 can support international language applications. It is nothing, but compatibility to multiple directorial text, language specific quotation marks and etc.

As I told in the beginning of the article, there are still some of the features that are marked as hindrance to the acceptance of the css version2. It is not yet supported to some of the browser combinations; say the browser supporting typical HTML and XHTML  does not show the styles in same way as it is has commended.

The international language acceptance of the css version2 has not yet become compatible to all major languages. I mean to say if the option is there it should be fully compatible.

To sum up the things we can say css2 and css1 is nothing but an urge to compare two and find out the better one. And if there is any drawback left, it is going to be supplemented. We are seeing the upper version of css version2 and already css version 3 has come. It will definitely fulfill the gaps present in the css version2, as it is still in further development process.  But the tussle to rank css version1 over 2 will remain. As the topic css2 and css1 is still like a hot cake to many of us.

If you want to get the superb effects of CSS in your website or want to hire website designer, freelance graphic designer, you may contact me.

Standard security web templates for security service providers

In every step of our life we want to feel a sense of security. But generally security is concerned with our property and belongings. We do not leave a brick unturned, till we feel that our belongings are secured. We search for security measures and security providers. Today finding security gadgets and security services have become easy with many security related websites present to help us.

Here my point of presenting this write-up is – are you one of the security service providers? Do you have a website built with one of the best security templates? Are you satisfied with the performance of your website? If not, you have to change the template of your site and got to look out for some of the best security web templates to choose one from! Watch out for the below mentioned features in the security templates you decide to buy.

• The total layout has to be designed in way that it proves a point of security. The security web templates have to display the security factors in a proper way straight from the header.
• If the site is concerned with security products, the display and placement of the security products has to get attraction. Security templates have to have that provision.
• For security related services, the presentation of the services got to get well exposer. In the security web templates the arrangements for showing text need to get proper designing effect.
• Lure the visitors to your offers against products and services. In the security templates there needs to be a place for the presentation of hot offers. It has to show the reason to buy your products and get your service.
• Support your customers round the clock. In the security web templates there has to be a clear and attractive display of support mechanism. Let people reach you fast to get served or assisted.

These are the features all standard security templates should have. When you try to buy one of the best templates or asking a freelance graphic designer to design a template for your site, find out the above features in those security web templates. You should not compromise on customization facility, adaptability to programming and SEO friendliness of the templates.

What I mean to say is to be little cautious when buying affordable security web templates. Do mind that you have to show the standard of your products and services through your website! You may visit my graphic design portfolio and you will get the idea how quality templates should be designed keeping the point of affordability in mind.