Title: Working With Images
1Working With Images
2Why this workshop?
- To end the frustrating hours spent trying to
print posters. - To maximize the quality of your posters,
manuscripts, PowerPoint presentations and web
images. - To inject some good information into the informal
support network.
3Agenda
- Image basics
- Resolution
- Color management
- File formats
- Printing
- Incorporating images into documents
4Step 1 Forget everything you know about working
with graphics!
5Image Basics
6Graphic Types
- Two fundamental types of graphics
- Vector graphics
- Raster graphics (a.k.a. bitmaps)
7Vector vs. Raster
Vector Draw a 1024 x 768 pixel rectangle and
fill it with light yellow. Draw a 885 x 628
rectangle with no fill and a 6pt black stroke.
This makes a 504K Illustrator file.
Raster Make a 1024 x 768 pixel bitmap with a
bunch of light yellow pixels and a few black
pixels. This makes a 2.25MB image.
8Graphic Types
- Two fundamental types of graphics
- Vector graphics
- Raster graphics (a.k.a. bitmaps)
- Graphics software used to do one type or the
other. That is no longer true. - You need to pay attention to which type of
graphic is being used and the conversion from
vector to raster.
9Vector Graphics
- Consist of directions for drawing objects
- File size depends on number and complexity of
objects. - Do not have a resolution so they can be scaled
without affecting image quality - Traditionally produced by drawing applications
like Illustrator or Canvas
10Vector Graphics
- Best used for images consisting of geometric
shapes and lines (i.e. maps, charts,
stratigraphic sections, etc.) - Text is generally a vector graphic.
- Its hard to get into too much trouble with
vector graphics except when you convert from
vector to raster. - Beware of overly complex digitized maps.
- Beware of ArcGIS exports!
11Raster Graphics
- Image mapped out by grid (raster) of pixels.
12Raster GraphicsBit Depth
- Each pixel is represented by 1 to 64 bits
depending on color mode.
Bitmap Grayscale RGB
CMYK
1 bit 21 2 values 0 black 1 white
8 bits 28 256 values 0 Black 255 white This
gray is 119
24 bits 224 16,777,216 8 bits for each channel
(R,G B) This is 255, 153, 0
32 bits 232 4,294,967,296 8 bits for each
channel (C,M,Y K) This is 0,44,95,0
13Image (Color) Modes
- PhotoShop (and other applications) can work in
numerous image modes. - Grayscale, Indexed, RGB and CMYK are the most
common. - Use grayscale for black and white images.
- Use indexed mode when creating GIFs.
- Use RGB for all other images.
14Raster GraphicsImage size
- Image size (bits) pixel dimension X bit depth
- Divide by 8192 to get Kilobytes
- Increasing the number of pixels geometrically
increases the image size. - 500 x 500 24 bit image 732K
- 1000 x 1000 24 bit image 2.9MB
- 2000 x 2000 24 bit image 11.4MB
15Raster GraphicsImage scaling
- Raster graphics are not scalable. Changing image
size requires adding or removing pixels.
600 x 6003 new pixels created for each original
pixel
16Raster GraphicsFile size
- File size does not usually equal image size.
- Many file formats, such as JPEG and GIF, employ
compression that shrinks the file size below the
image size. - Example a 1024 X 768 red box is 2.25MB, but
saved as medium quality JPEG the file shrinks to
4.8KB GIF is 1.5KB.
17Critical take-home point 1
- No matter what size you shrink the file to, the
image size stays the same!
Critical take-home point 2
- Its the image size that matters when printing or
displaying images! Compressed files such as a
JPEGs are uncompressed to the full image size
before they are used.
18Raster Resolution
19What is resolution?
- It depends on whether you are talking about an
images specification, a printers print quality,
a scanners hardware, a monitors pixel dimension
or a digital cameras CCD. - Resolution is one of the most misunderstood and
misused terms in graphics.
20Why is resolution important?
- Properly specified image resolution is critical
to print quality, printing speed and printer
stability. - Improperly specified resolution can lead to all
sorts of trouble (i.e. waiting 2 hours while the
printer decides not to print your document).
21Device Resolution
- For printers it specifies the number of ink spots
that can be printed per unit area - For scanners it specifies the physical spacing of
optical sensors - For monitors it specifies the total number of
displayed pixels - For digital cameras it specifies the total number
of light-receptive cells in its sensor
22Image Resolution
- Image size has no physical reality it just
specifies the total number of pixels which have
no inherent size. - When an image is displayed or printed it takes on
a physical size. - Image resolution controls the conversion between
the image size and the physical display size.
23The Acronym Game
- DPI Dots Per Inch
- PPI Pixels Per Inch
- SPI Samples Per Inch
- LPI Lines Per Inch (a.k.a. screen frequency)
24Display/Monitor Resolution
- The dpi resolution specified in image files has
no impact when they are displayed on computer
monitors or data projectors. - Monitors can only display at their set
resolution. - Each pixel in the image file is mapped to a pixel
on the monitor.
25Which image is 20dpi and which is 600dpi?
It does not matter because they are both 500 x
350 pixels!
600dpi 20dpi
26Proper Image Dimensions for Display
- Figure out the size of your display device. 1024
x 768 is most common these days. - Size your images relative to display size
- 1024 x 768 full screen
- 874 x 618 image with 1 inch border
- 512 x 384 1/4 screen
- Consistent image size adds a look of
professionalism. Develop a set of preferred sizes
and stick with them.
27What about 72/96 dpi?
- In the old days the common monitor at native
resolution had an effective resolution of 72dpi.
Today it varies. - Example The display width of my 17-inch CRT
monitor is 12.25. In 1024 x 768 mode this gives
an effective resolution of 84dpi. - Forget about 72/96dpiits meaningless when
displaying images.
28Scanner ResolutionSamples Per Inch (spi)
- The native resolution of a scanner is determined
by the spacing of sensors in its scanning bar. - UMAX 1100 in Image lab 1200spi
- Epson Perfection 2400 Photo in Mac lab 2400spi
- Minolta Dimage slide scanner 2400spi
- Scanning at the native resolution gathers the
maximum amount of info from the original document.
29Scanner ResolutionSamples Per Inch (spi)
- Always scan at the native resolution and then let
PhotoShop downsize the image if needed. - Exception If you are in a hurry and you know
your image is destined for low resolution use
like the web or PowerPoint presentations, then
scan at lower resolution for increased scanning
speed. - Never scan at a setting higher than the native
resolution. This causes the scanner software to
make up pixel data. Let PhotoShop do the upsizing.
30Printer Basics
- Images are printed as a series of dots. Your
brain interprets the dots as continuous tones. - The dots are solid colors (black, cyan, magenta
or yellow). - The resulting color on the page is a function of
dot concentration and the ratio between the
different colored dots. - The conversion of your image into the series of
dots is halftoning.
31Example of Halftones
Enlargement illustrates what halftone would look
like if this image was printed on the color laser
writer or plotter.
32Printer ResolutionDots Per Inch (dpi)
- Only applies when printing a monochrome (one
color) image. - Text or 1-color line art (black, cyan, magenta or
yellow). - Completely irrelevant when printing all other
images. - I repeat, completely irrelevant when printing all
other images!
33Printer ResolutionLines Per Inch (lpi)
- Also known as line screen or screen frequency
- Specifies the number of halftone cells (spots)
printed per inch - The LPI is much lower than the DPI and is
generally hard to determine because printer
manufacturers do not advertise it.
34DPI vs. LPI
35Printer ResolutionThe importance of LPI
- Image quality peaks when the resolution is set to
2 times the line screen. - Many images look just fine at 1.2 - 1.5 times the
line screen. - Sending images at resolutions higher than 2.5
times the line screen degrades image quality and
clogs the printer with needlessly large files.
36Proper Image Resolution for Printing
- Use 100- 140dpi for normal images lacking fine
detail or where the fine details are not
critical. - Bump up to 140-200dpi when the fine details
count or you are printing small images. - Go up to 200-255dpi when printing small detailed
images. - Never use a resolution 255dpi.
- Experiment with resolutions images such as backgrounds.
37Impact of Proper Image Resolution
- Lets take the example of a color image we want
printed at 10 x 8 inches - At 140dpi the image is 4.5MB
- At 200dpi the image is 9.4MB
- At 600dpi the image is 84.4MB
- The 600dpi file is 19x larger than 140 dpi and 9x
larger than the 200dpi file.
38Impact of Proper Image ResolutionThe Extreme Case
- Lets take the extreme example of a color image
12 tall spanning a 5 poster - At 120dpi the image is 30.4MB
- At 160dpi the image is 54MB
- At 600dpi the image is 759.4MB
- 120dpi is fine for almost any image youll print
at this size. 160dpi is plenty for even finely
detailed images. 600dpi makes the plotter go BOOM!
39Critical take-home point 3
- Less is more when setting image resolution. Never
use an image resolution higher than than you need!
40Sizing Images in PhotoShop
Use these boxes when sizing for display
Use these boxes when sizing for printing
Turn Resample Image off when you want to change
resolution without changing image size
Use Bicubic Smoother when upsampling and use
Bicubic Sharper when downsampling
41Time to play with the Image Size dialog box
42Color Management
43What color is this?
Purple?
Nope. Its 100110000001001111111111
44The Monsters of Color
- Computers cannot see color. To them images are
only a collection of 1s and 0s. - Monitors cannot see color. To them images are
just electrical signals that tell them how to
adjust electron flow. - Printers cannot see color. To them images are
only a set of directions on how to control
printheads.
45The RGB vs. CMYK Complication
- Red, Green, Blue
- Used by monitors and data projectors
- Works by adding colors together (additive)
- RedGreenBlue White
- Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
- Used by printers
- Works by absorbing color (subtractive)
- CyanMagentaYellow Black
- Imperfections in ink absorption causes CMY
muddy brown - Black (K) is added to fix the problem
46The Reality of Color
- Image color is device-dependent. It varies
depending on the physical characteristics and
configuration settings of the computer, monitor
and printer. - Example In a store the TVs are often all tuned
to the same program. They are all receiving the
same input signal yet they all display slightly
different colors.
47Color Management
- Color management is the science of displaying and
printing images with consistent color across
different computers and printers. - Its as mysterious as theoretical physics, but
fortunately we can get by without knowing too
many of the details.
48Color Spaces
- Color spaces are 3D models used to represent a
range of real-world colors using numbers. - Each color space contains a different sub-set of
real-world colors (check out the Color Sync
utility). - Color profiles define the color space and are the
basis for all color management operations.
49Working Space vs. Device Spaces
- The Working Space Profile defines the color space
within the application. - You must specify the working space.
- In Illustrator, PhotoShop, and InDesign each
image has its own working space profile. - Device Space Profiles define the color behavior
of the device (monitor, printer, scanner, digital
camera, etc.). - For most devices you just select the proper
manufacturers profile. - However, you should create your own monitor
profile.
50Working Space
- Keep images in RGB mode
- Specify the sRGB color space (sRGB IEC
61966-2.1) - This color space closely matches the color range
displayed by monitors. - The color laser printer and both HP plotters are
configured to color match images created in the
sRGB color space.
51Setting Working Space Profile
- Open the color settings dialog box
Set RGB working space to sRGB
Set RGB color management policy to convert to
working space
Turn on Ask when opening and Ask when pasting
Illustrator color setting dialog box. Other
applications have similar dialog boxes.
52Monitor Profile
- To display color accurately, applications must
know how your monitor behaves. - what color is white
- how it displays color tones
- what actual color it produces when fed pure red,
green or blue signals. - The monitor profile tells applications how your
monitor behaves. - Most factory CRT monitor profiles do not
accurately represent the monitor's behavior .
53Critical take-home point 4
- You must pay attention to your monitor profile if
you want accurate colors!
54Monitor Calibration
- Both Mac and Windows users have the ability to
create custom profiles for their monitors. - The utility is built into the Mac Displays
system preference dialog box. - On Windows you need Adobe Gamma which is a
control panel installed along with Photoshop.
55Monitor CalibrationHow to
- Set a familiar desktop picture you can use to
assess color quality. - Mac Open the Displays control panel, select the
color dialog box and click on calibrate. - Windows Open the Adobe Gamma control panel
- Follow the utilities directions.
56Monitor calibration demonstration.
57File Formats
58File FormatsNew Complications
- Traditionally raster-only formats like TIFF now
support vector graphics and other image features
like layers. - Traditionally closed formats like PDF are now
editable. - Applications handle the new format features
differently. - The best I can do is give some general guidelines.
59Loss-Less vs. Lossy Compression
- Loss-Less Files are compressed without altering
the pixels. Repeated saves do not degrade the
image. Examples RLE, LZW and ZIP - Lossy The act of compressing the file
permanently alters the pixels. Each iteration of
saving does more damage. Example JPEG - Rule of thumb Dont use lossy compression on
working images nor on images destined for
printing.
60Formats for Working Images
- The retention of editing flexibility is
paramount. - Native application formats (i.e. PhotoShop or
Illustrator) are best. - TIFFs are a good choice if you have to move
images across many applications.
61Formats for Archiving Images
- You want a format that preserves as much editing
flexibility as possible. - You want a format that will be readable in the
future by many applications. - TIFF is the hands-down favorite.
- PDF and EPS files are also good.
- Native application formats are the most flexible,
but have long-term compatibility concerns.
62Formats for the Web
- File must compress well to minimize network
bandwidth requirements. - File format must be readable by web browsers.
- JPEG, GIF and PNG are the industry standards. PDF
is also common. - Use care when compressing JPEGs.
- PNG supports both raster and vector data.
63Formats for Printing
- The format must support color matching.
- The format must be easily digestible by printers
and page layout applications. - TIFF, EPS, PDF and PostScript are the industry
standards. - Native application formats also work well.
- Watch out for compression and downsampling of
raster data.
64Printing
65The Printing Process
- Printers only print raster images.
- When you print complex files like posters, the
computer sends the printer a Postscript file that
contains both raster and vector data. - The printer then converts (RIPs) the file into
one giant raster image. - The amount of memory needed for the RIP depends
on the file size and complexity.
66Images in Documents
67Embedded Files
- Embedding files incorporates the image data into
the document file - Creates a single file for the entire document
- Quickly leads to very large files
- Slow to load, save and display
- Cumbersome to edit
68Linked Files
- Linking a file incorporates a small version of
the image into the document as a place holder. - When printing or displaying, the computer links
back to the original file. - Images are edited in their native application
and the changes are automatically incorporated
in the document.
69Linked Files
- Documents with linked files are relatively small
so they open fast and do not bog down the
computer. - Caution Changing the relative location of the
document and link files breaks the link. - Linked files can often be embedded later if you
need the entire document in one file.
70Images in PowerPoint
- File links in PowerPoint are very fragile.
- Embed all files in PowerPoint.
- If you need to use linked files, like video
clips, save your PowerPoint presentation as a
PowerPoint Package. - Use JPEG, GIF or PNG format.
- Scale images to the proper pixel resolution at
104dpi to simplify importing.
71Images in Illustrator and InDesign
- Use linked images to improve workflow and
versatility. - Use native format for PhotoShop files, TIFF for
rasters from other programs. - Scale images as needed in document, but then
rescale originals. - Embed linked images to make portable file.
72Lets look at building documents.