A thumbnail image is a small graphics file “about the size of a thumbnail.” Thumbnail images are created from standard size images and are used on webpages. Utilizing thumbnail images allows Web surfers quick access to webpage content. Dial-up users would find retail shopping nearly impossible if it weren’t for the use of thumbnail images. Surfing pages with multiple images would simply take too long.

Thumbnail images are often clickable, resulting in a larger image to load at the user’s discretion. This makes webpages user-friendly, saving the surfer from having to download large image files that he or she doesn’t need or want to see. With a page of thumbnail images, the user can click on only those images of interest.

Webpages are written in Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). Web browsers translate this text-based HTML code into the graphical display we see as webpages. In most cases, creating a thumbnail image with an HTML editor is no more complicated than choosing to insert an image file into a webpage, then clicking on a few dialog boxes to create a thumbnail from the original image.

The thumbnail image can also be resized within the editor, and have custom “mouseover text” assigned to it. If so, a small text box will pop up when a surfer runs the mouse pointer over the thumbnail. The mouseover text might describe the thumbnail, or it might say, “Click me for a larger view.” A Webmaster might also choose to assign funny captions to thumbnails using the mouseover option.

When thumbnails are created using an HTML editor, the software will create the smaller file from the larger file, using the same file format. For example, if the original file is a .jpg file, the thumbnail will be a much smaller .jpg file. If the original is a .gif file, the thumbnail will also be a .gif file. The HTML editor will insert the newly created thumbnail image into the webpage and give the user a choice to create a link to the original, larger image. This will make the thumbnail clickable.

While many Internauts are switching from slower dial-up accounts to faster Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) and cable Internet Service Providers (ISPs), thumbnails still save surfers valuable time. They also allow Webmasters to fit more content on to a webpage, minimizing the need for scrolling. Online retail storefronts and auction sites like eBay make frequent use of thumbnail images to show their wares. Art galleries, personal photo galleries, news hubs, and social hubs all use thumbnail images as well.