The invention provides a method for the fast downloading of textures to graphics hardware for use in computer graphics. By loading the textures directly into hardware, and by making that the only copy of the texture which is downloaded, it is possible to save the time and memory space which have heretofore been required to make at least two additional copies of the texture. Instead, bookkeeping entries are made which tell the graphics API and the applications software that the texture is already available in the graphics hardware.