If you go to Yahoo Finance, and look at their tech ticker.
The images look bad.
Why? Well, like so many sites that have thumbnails… they don’t use the correct algorithm for proper bitmap scaling.
The fix for this is easy and it is something that any programmer should know. Here is a link that is heavy on java, but translates easily to other languages:
The Perils of Image getScaledInstance
It has lots of pictures so you can easily visualize the differences.
If you want a longer read, read this great article It’s time for 2-d by Michael Herf of Picasa fame. It’s from 2000, but still very relevant.