Exporting images to flash

I saw a websit with a menu,first i thinked it was a simple javascript menu,but later i saw it was done using flash. The exporting of the mage got perfect,do not seem pixelizated or contrasting. I would like to know what kind of format the image was exported into flash.
http://www.effectlab.com/

When I design Flash stuff that uses imported graphics, there a couple of things to consider. Usually, I just use the JPEG format if there isn't any transparency that's needed in the image. To answer your question for the site, it looks like it was just a JPEG since the image is square shaped. At least that's what I would have used given that shape. A little more about imported graphic formats for Flash below. Sorry if it's long-winded!

If the image does need transparency (e.g. one or more areas around or in the image have transparent effects, such as a lightning bolt with a glow, etc.), then there are two formats to use and considerations for both.

First, you can use the GIF format. This will give you a smaller file size but the edges of the image, let's say, the lightning example, will be "cut off" abruptly and it won't have the effect you wanted to retain if there is a considerable degree of intricacy in the transparent areas. The good thing about the GIF format is that the file size can be smaller than the PNG24, which is your other option for transparency in Flash.

PNG24 is good for retaining intricacy in the transparency. So if you had an image of smoke on a black background and you wanted to export just the smoke to put over another image in Flash, you can export the image without the black background and then save it as a PNG24 file. When imported in the Flash, it will maintain it's transparency in good detail! So, for instance, in the lightning example, I wanted to have a lightning bolt "strike" over a picture in Flash without the black background covering up the picture, and I also wanted to maintain the intricate detail of the transparent image. The PNG24 format was perfect for this. But, there are some considerations with this format as well.

The only bad thing about PNG24 is that because of the intricate detail of transparency that's maintained, the file size can get large. But, I've found that for smaller images that this can be minimized.

Also, for BOTH GIF and PNG24 formats, I've noticed that depending on what color scheme is used for your site, there will be sometimes what I call "ghosting" of the image. There may be another legitimate term for it, but that's what I call it. What's happening is that the transparent area (usually the "square" of the image) can be seen as a very light white color that's semi transparent, but visible nonetheless.

In one project I did, I had constructed a magnifying glass and I had to animate it using a basic motion tween so it would move across the screen at different intervals. What I noticed was that the dark blue background made the "ghost" area show up in the image. So I lightened the color of the background a little and it fixed the problem. I don't know why this occurs, but there are ways around it. If you want an example of this "ghosting" thing, there's a simply incredible site (one of my favs for inspiration) that has this problem. It's really slight, but it's there though. Here's the URL:
http://www.shadowness.com/tutorials.html

If you look at the the spinning object in the upper right of the header (it has four protrusions and spins in place) if you look close, you can see the "ghosting". You see it more as it moves over the darker area of the background. The animated, scrolling text in the upper left does it in spots as well. Please understand I'm not saying ANYTHING bad about the site. In fact, it's one of my favorites for inspiration and the layout and artwork are simply excellent. It's the only thing that came to mind that I could think of to point out this ghosting thing.

So, I hope that helps. With a little trial and error, you can find the right combination for your imported graphics that will make the project work.