Beast-Blog.com
Mike Cherim's Professional and Personal Web Log

Onmouseover and onfocus events in JavaScript, and :hover and :focus pseudo element actions using CSS, open up a world of interactivity on the web for both mouse and keyboard users alike using most browsers. (I wrote most browsers because IE doesn’t recognize the pseudo element :focus and must use :active, and that’s only on anchors.) Font colors can change, backgrounds can change, static images can be replaced with new images. In fact, swapping out imagery can be the root of some of the more creative uses. But like everything, the more you offer means the more it can cost in terms of user resource demands and smooth interactivity.

Continue reading “Preloading On-Demand Images with CSS” »

Working on a project recently I wanted to produce a dream-state image, but without a loss of subject clarity and with a squared up background, and I wanted it to be easy — as in I didn’t want to have to cut out the focused part. This presented a few challenges for me and I came up with the following technique that I’m now rather fond of.

Continue reading “Imagine a Dream” »

Not sure if anyone’s interested in this sort of thing, but I made a “Beast-Blog” theme wallpaper for the desktop of your computer. To use this background just select one of the two sizes I’ve made available — 1024×768 or 800×600 — be sure to enlarge the image fully, then right click on it with your mouse (I don’t know how to do it otherwise without simply saving the image and setting it manually). Choose “Set as Wallpaper,” “Set as Background,” or “Use Image on Desktop,” depending on what browser you’re using. If you like this sort of thing… enjoy! If other sizes are wanted, just let me know and I’ll do ‘em up.

Continue reading “Beast-Blog Wallpaper” »

I think I’m pretty good at working with images. From both an aesthetics point-of-view, and when considering optimization. I’ve been working with images a long time and I’m passionate about it so it seems reasonable that I have a high comfort level working with them. But writing about them and writing about making them, as my Imagery & Graphics Category will reveal, is another matter altogether. I’m sorry. I’ll try to do better. Beginning with this new entry I’m calling Tint Layering.

Continue reading “Tint Layering” »

The more I develop websites, the more I have been concerning myself with image optimization. Put it this way, I used to crank up my image export compression setting to 100% in all cases. Now, well now I don’t. This is what I do do in my attempts to now optimize my images:

Continue reading “Image Optimization, and Re-Optimization” »

So, what is it I like so much about Fireworks?

I have a number of imagery software programs, but I must say that one of my all-time favorites is Macromedia’s Fireworks MX. I have entered in discussions about this awesome program before and have discovered that I am indeed a minority in this preference, but there are others like me — the majority, of course, prefer Adobe’s Photoshop CS.

Continue reading “Celebrate Fireworks MX” »

If we follow these four image-use rules […]

The seemingly mysterious use of the Alt attribute of images as it concerns web accessibility is alive and well. I have some thoughts on this matter, though, so I say let’s kill this horse once and for all. Please consider the following carefully. If we want to employ semantics correctly, we should be thinking of imagery this way:

Continue reading “Images & Accessibilities” »