As Apple continue to bring out new devices with the double pixel display known as “Retina” displays it is encouraging more and more web designers to start creating retina versions of graphics to make sure their websites take advantage.
This image has been “retinaised” too!
A great little script which we have been using is Retina.js. Retina.js is a simple piece of JavaScript which checks for double sized pixel versions of each of your graphics as they load.
You can download it here, you then need to call it in the header of your website like this:
<script type=”text/javascript” src=”http://www.yourwebsite.com/js/retina.js”></script>
The script initially allows the standard image to load (in the interests of speed) before searching for the double pixel version and then subtly replacing the standard image with the retina version.
The process is relatively simple but it will require you to recreate your images in a double pixel size first before saving a double pixel version with “@2x” appended to the end of the file name and then saving the standard image. (example: a logo saved as “logo.png” would need the double sized version saving as “logo@2x.png” and saved in the same directory as the standard image)
We are going through our website currently updating some of the graphics such as this one:
Standard version: (http://www.clicky.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/web-trends-2013.png)
Double pixel version: (http://www.clicky.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/web-trends-2013@2x.png)
The results are great but the process is incredibly time consuming, especially if you have a lot of images.
The main thing to consider is all future images are best started on a double pixel width canvas before you start to build the graphic.
If you have a Retina display check out our home page to see the results.
Links: Retina.js
