Flash is a software package which can help create some great interactive animations to enliven your page.

It may be an introduction to your site or a simple animation of your logo or it could be a series of text messages which show information to interested viewers.

Flash animations can also contain real pictures, movies, sounds and music.

There is a downside (of course) - Flash can create very small animation files which download very quickly but the more complex items (like embedded music or movies) quickly bring the size up.

I used one on my Home page [49k] - fairly complex animations, but with all the graphic elements created in Flash and containing no sounds.

Or this one [44k] which uses 3 imported graphic images.

This one [87k] has sounds and interactivity.

images on the web

... come in many types and formats; each has a particular function as identified by the suffix of the file name.

.swf animations are made in Macromedia's Flash and can provide complex moving graphics with audio and interactive features - clickable buttons, images and movies.

.gif images are usually best to define a limited number of colours in areas - for logos, diagrams and non-photographic images. Gifs are often used for simple animations. Samples

.jpg is the best format for photographs and graphics which contain graduated colour.

Quicktime and .mpg are file formats for full colour, sound and motion movies - a demonstration video, for example.