Custom background image size

  • paulscottanderson · Member ·

    I’m just wondering if there is an ideal size to use for a custom background image, so that it views ok in different size monitors, screen resolutions, etc.? I’ve been playing with it a bit, and I used the same size as my custom Twitter background image (http://twitter.com/themeridjournal), 1920 x 1200, which looks great on my monitor (iMac, 1680 x 1050). I’m keeping it fixed, with the blog text scrolling over it. I’m using the Twenty Ten theme, and I don’t want to use tiling.

    I also noticed though for example that when I view the blog, in normal mode, on my iPhone, the background is no longer fixed, and scrolls with the blog text. Is this just because of limits in the mobile Safari browser I’m using? So in the meantime, I’ve reverted to a plain black background.

    Thanks,

    Paul

    The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)

  • thesacredpath · Member ·

    I suspect, and I have no evidence other than my own experience is that few people with large monitors or high resolution (mine is 2560 by 1600) probably maximize their browsers since sites typically are around 1000 px wide now days. Some a little wider, and a good number down around 800. Maximized on large or high resolution monitors just presents too much “white space” around things.

    The one thing with large images is that you have to make certain that it is “optimized” very well for the web. Photoshop has a “save for web and devices” function that will really shrink files down. Of course not everyone has PS. Gimp may offer the same feature, or something similar.

    The image file size should not be over 100k, and if possible I would keep it down around 75k otherwise it slows page loading times, and Google now takes that into account in determining page rank and search engine placement.

    1920 x 1200 would be the maximum I would use, and also assign a background color that closely matches the general edges of the image. That way if someone does have their browser set really wide, there won’t be a stark glaring black or white band on each side of the image. Also, in case the image does not load for some reason, the complimentary background color will look more consistent with what visitors are used to seeing.

  • The topic ‘Custom background image size’ is closed to new replies.