Abstract: A method for conveying and displaying a high-performance image in a standard web browser, via a pair of image data files in traditional formats which do not support such higher-performance individually, each downloaded by a web server in traditional manner and then re-combined via a software algorithm executed at the browser. Said high-performance features may include rendering the appearance of background transparency in and around opaque figures within the normal rectangular area of an image; variable semi-transparency; cropping (or retro-) transparency, and auto-shadowing of overlaid images. Additionally, exploiting the infrastructure of the invention thus described, further means by which a single image, embedded in a group of images co-located within a shared display region, can be easily designated by a simple pointing device such as a computer mouse, even though said single image may appear substantially obscured by other irregularly-shaped images in the region.