Wallpaper
Any image that can be viewed in a home page can also be used as “wallpaper.” This is another option which may be used with the body tag. The tag with this option would read: <body background=”name.gif”> where “name.gif” is the name of your image file. You should choose a subtle background with few colors that does not interfere with the presentation of your information.
Many web designers choose to use both a wallpaper as well as a background color that matches a dominant color in the wallpaper. This causes the browser to immediately set the color while loading the wallpaper “on top” of the color. In this way, your reader will see a color that links visually to your page without having to wait on the image to load.
Wallpaper appearance can be enhanced by increasing the brightness and lowering the contrast to soften the image. Keep in mind that many people may have difficulties viewing a home page with a busy or bright background due to physical impairments or hardware incompatibilities.
The background image will automatically tile across the width AND height of your home page. For example, this image will fill the space behind your home page. The tiling allows you to use a much smaller graphic than you would need to actually fill the page; thus, your page loads faster. Most wallpaper images are about 100×100 pixels; a minimum size for most efficient processing is 64 x 32 (w x h).
If you create a wallpaper with an image or design on the background (as opposed to a pattern or texture only), you will need to experiment with placement of the design in a graphics package. Generally, you will find that the overlying design will need to be offset toward the lower right of the background, rather than centered, in order to achieve the effect of a centered design behind the page’s text. Also, when creating wallpapers, make sure that you do not unintentionally leave a “seam” that will give a checkerboard appearance on your home page.
