Examples
GIF - Examples
To demonstrate the effects of the different colour tables on the file size, the BinaryEssence logo has been encoded correspondingly.
Examples: File sizes depending on the total number of colours
| Number of Colours | Index | Type of the Table | File Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 2 bit | optimized | 1,612 byte |
| 8 | 3 bit | optimized | 1,994 byte |
| 16 | 4 bit | optimized | 2,387 byte |
| 256 | 8 bit | Standard | 5,569 byte |
At the given examples only insignificant deviations result in the subjective quality of the presentation:
optimized, 4 colours, 1,612 byte
optimized, 8 colours, 1,994 byte
optimized, 16 colours, 2,387 byte
Standard table of MS-Paint, 256 colours, 5,569 byte
| optimized 4 colours 1,612 byte |
optimized 8 colours 1,994 byte |
optimized 16 colours 2,387 byte |
standard table 256 colours 5,569 byte |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
 |
The savings seem to be small (3,957 byte, 256 versus 4 colours), but for larger files and looking to the entire data volume transferred from a website, a remarkable amount of data results. The maximum reduction potential is approximately 71% in this example.
Beside the total amount of data the access time should be taken into consideration. A large number of users do not have fast internet access, slow modems are still in use. Additionally overloaded servers are not a rare phenomenon. This unnecessary load does not offer any advantage, it only consumes time and money.
Websites with large pictures or a variety of logos and buttons sometimes require intolerable access times. Potential users may break off the page setup, what is definitely not intended especially for commercial websites.
