IEEE Main Site Style Guide: Graphics and Images

Formats and types of graphics

• Recommended Web formats are GIFs, and JPEGs, and PNGs

     - GIF: solid colored images, line art, clip art, 256 colors maximum, supports transparency images
     - JPEG: photographs, continuous tone images, gradients, does not support transparency
     - PNG: bitmapped image format that employs lossless data compression and supports transparency

• Representative samples of graphics should be converted to both either GIF, and JPEG, or PNG files. Then, compare file sizes, image quality, and downloading speeds before making a final decision.
• Check images on both a PC and a Mac platforms.

Compression

There are a variety of software packages available to assist you in compressing your graphics for use on the Web, including NetMechanic Acceleration GIFBot and Macromedia Fireworks. Visit NetMechanic and download GIFBot software for free. It will compress both JPEGs and GIFs by up to 90%.

The following online tutorials offer information on optimizing your graphics for the Web. 

• Web Reference's Graphics Optimization
• Web References Graphics Compression
• Dr Pic

Naming

• It is not necessary to repeat words that appear within the directory name in the file name.
• File names should be made as short as possible, while still having meaning to the user.
• Each file name within a folder should be unique.
• Use all lowercase and avoid special characters when creating file and folder names. Underscores (_) should be used in place of spaces.

• The graphic size should be less than 45 KB.
• Avoid large mapped graphic menus.
• Reduce resolution to 72 dpi.
• Use as few colors within the graphic as possible.
• Test your graphics on multiple Web browsers.

Provide meaningul alternate text equivalents for all graphics.

Information regarding use of the IEEE Master Brand (logo) is available in the Brand Identity Toolkit section.

If you have questions, please contact the IEEE Corporate Strategy and Communications team.

• IEEE must always be used in the title of an IEEE product, service name or publication, (For example, IEEE eLearning Library, IEEE Xplore, IEEE Photonics Journal.) The letters I-E-E-E also must appear in any graphic representation, text, or signage that mentions the product. (header/content) 

• Only the letters  I-E-E-E can be used in the title of an IEEE product, service name or publication. Do not use the IEEE Master Brand (consisting of the IEEE diamond-shaped logo - the “kite” - followed by the letters I-E-E-E) or any portion of it. (header/content) 

• When used in a sentence, title or name the letters “IEEE” should always be used in uppercase. (content) 

• The letters I-E-E-E can be in any of the IEEE approved fonts except Univers 75, the font for the Master Brand, or in a font that closely resembles Univers 75. It is recommended that the letters I-E-E-E use the same font as the rest of the name or title. This includes all print, screen, non-screen, and Web-based applications. (graphics)

The following are examples of correct and incorrect usage of the letters I-E-E-E and the IEEE Master Brand in a name or title:

IEEE.org pages should have a white background. Background graphics should be avoided.

Do not use GIF animation except in very special circumstances (i.e., instructional purposes) with the Web Strategy & Design Team's permission.

Do not, under any circumstances, use an image without properly crediting the source of the image.