image quality

2-8-02, 10:36 PM

Good Evening,
First let me say that I am glad to see this new forum. I expect that I will be coming here often for advice.
I have made some images that I want to use as backgrounds; some are gifs and some jpgs. I have lightened the images by adjusting the gamma. They look real nice when I preview the html files in IE6 and Netscape 4.7 but, when I upload the pages to the server, the lightest parts of the images are washed out and show some annoying artifacts. Some of the images have gradient fills and partial transparency layers and these seem to suffer the most. Does anyone have any ideas about how I can correct this? Why does a file on my computer viewed in a web browser look different when it is coming from the server? Is there a way to get a better preview of a page without actually uploading to the server just to check it out?
Thanks,
DCR

2-9-02, 11:38 AM

some graphics programs.... automatically add compression... to all jpg images.....

check to make sure .... your's is not doing this....

I've had graphics.... that look great.... save them.... and ocme to find out.... the program automatically applied 50% compression to the finished image... " to save file size"....

Hope the helps

2-9-02, 05:54 PM

SBGlasby,
Thanks for the help. I have changed the problem graphics and made them a little less "busy". I am rebuilding the site that is in my profile before I move it to Powweb.... it's going to be a lot of work. Here are a couple of sample pages from the "new" site.

http://dutchcanyonredcom.powweb.com/index.html
http://dutchcanyonredcom.powweb.com/stg1.htm

Suggestions and criticism from anyone will be appreciated.
TIA,
DCR

2-9-02, 11:01 PM

I think you've got the graphics thing taken care of...

The pages you've posted looked real good.....

I personally don't like busy backgrounds.... maybe a little more transparent.... " I'd grey scale then first".... but that's just my opinion...

but I guess I need to quatify that.... I do mostly business sites... so they need to load fast & furious.... so I tend to stay away from background graphics altogether..... mostly very light colors... whits & shades of white.... occasionally a pale white or blue.... but if I use a background image... I try and keep it about or under 5k.... greyscaling .... if it works with the theme.... will sometimes cut the image size.... in half .... if not more....

I guess it take more K's to show colors.... that balcks & whites...

But your images look very professional.....

Yes this stuff is a lot of work if you want a great looking site.... but you gotta love it... or you woulnd't be doing it....

Have Fun...
Glad you got things worked out....

SimCoWeb · 2-10-02, 01:31 PM

DCR, what graphics program are you using? There's 3 main ones that are recommended for web work. They are:

Photoshop 6.0
PhotoImpact 6 or 7.0
Paint Shop Pro

All of these have built in tools for setting image compression and have concentrated their development in the field of web graphics. Photoshop is the industry 'standard' but is pricey to say the least. I use PhotoImpact and have had excellent results with it.

2-10-02, 08:57 PM

SimCoWeb,
I am using CorelDraw9 as my main graphics program for making vector drawings but am not happy with the quality of exported gifs and jpgs. What I have started to do is to export as .tif and open in Paint Shop Pro 7 and export to gif or jpg from there. I usually make banners and the like directly in psp7 but it doesn't seem to have the versatility of Corel for making drawings from scratch. I may change my mind about that as I learn to use psp7 better :>). I also use PhotoSuite 4. (bought it on sale, couldn't resist) It has some handy features as well.
Thanks for the reply,
DCR

2-11-02, 04:34 PM

Maybe another reason for the wonky webn colours is that, since you used graduated fills, you lost some of the colour when viewed in 'websafe' colours, which they will be on the Web. But on your computer your colours aren't limited to websafe ones.

Hey -- they say Photoshop is expensive, but how about if you compere the price to a trip to Bali?

Once you're there you can buy ALL the software you want for around Rp35000 per disk -- that's around $3.50 US.

)

2-11-02, 05:03 PM

IF you get caught bringing it back stateside....

$10,000.00 per disk

SimCoWeb · 2-11-02, 08:31 PM

Nice one, SB

2-13-02, 08:13 PM

In addition to the 3 SimCoWeb posted, I like to use Ulead GifAnimator 5 for buttons and banners and WebGraphics Optimizer 4.2 for a side by side comparison of image loss of 5 images.
These 2 are more of a luxury, I guess, but I wouldn't be without them!

SimCoWeb · 2-14-02, 02:36 AM

Ulead's Gif Animator ships with Ulead's PhotoImpact 6 or 7. That's what I use

2-24-02, 08:41 AM

Hi all
this is what I have found, I play with a lot of Graphics.
and I found that the best format for me was .PNG
they seem to load just as fast as a .GIF but have no dithering affect to them.
I have Photoshop and Paint Shop Pro as well as Photo Impact
and to me out of the three as far as the best one for a newbie Paint Shop Pro is the best no doubt about it.
the interface in the others will blow you away. but you can do so much more with them (If You Ever Figure Them Out)

alphadesk · 2-24-02, 02:04 PM

Out of all the software that I have learned or attempted to learn I would have to say graphics programs have been the most difficult for me.

For a pure newbie I don't think you can beat.

Xara WebStyle

Xara 3D

Xara X

You don't have all the bells and whistles some of the high end graphics programs have, but you can put together some very nice graphics without knowing all the graphics lingo and you don't have to get a loan to buy them.

All three will save to the .png format which I agree with Biker looks great, plus all major formats.

2-24-02, 10:01 PM

If you have FP 98, it shipped with IMAGE COMPOSER..... Free...

It's pretty good... but you gotta watch it.... on jpgs... it want to automatically compress everything.... you have to turn it off... but as far as editing... it has tons of effects.... masking ability... a lot ot the stuff the really high dollar programs have....

and the learning curve is relativity short.... I got FP 98, and composer... for free when I bought WIN NT server 4.0.... I no longer use Nt Server... or FP... but I flip between Image composer.... and photoshop.....

If I ever had time.............

3-20-02, 02:51 PM

I use Paint Shop Pro and love it. I took some couses on the internet on using it.

3-20-02, 06:01 PM

I use PSP7, and before that PSP6.

I do a lot of still work in Flash 5, too. All of my color comic strips are drawn directly in Flash as one-frame movies and then saved as static GIF files. Works great.

Note: on the strips, I work double size in Flash and then use PSP7 to size down the GIFs to 604x190. They end up about 20k each.

2-8-02, 10:36 PM	#1
DCR Posts: n/a	image quality Good Evening, First let me say that I am glad to see this new forum. I expect that I will be coming here often for advice. I have made some images that I want to use as backgrounds; some are gifs and some jpgs. I have lightened the images by adjusting the gamma. They look real nice when I preview the html files in IE6 and Netscape 4.7 but, when I upload the pages to the server, the lightest parts of the images are washed out and show some annoying artifacts. Some of the images have gradient fills and partial transparency layers and these seem to suffer the most. Does anyone have any ideas about how I can correct this? Why does a file on my computer viewed in a web browser look different when it is coming from the server? Is there a way to get a better preview of a page without actually uploading to the server just to check it out? Thanks, DCR

2-9-02, 11:38 AM	#2
SBGlasby Posts: n/a	compression some graphics programs.... automatically add compression... to all jpg images..... check to make sure .... your's is not doing this.... I've had graphics.... that look great.... save them.... and ocme to find out.... the program automatically applied 50% compression to the finished image... " to save file size".... Hope the helps

2-9-02, 11:01 PM	#4
SBGlasby Posts: n/a	yes I think you've got the graphics thing taken care of... The pages you've posted looked real good..... I personally don't like busy backgrounds.... maybe a little more transparent.... " I'd grey scale then first".... but that's just my opinion... but I guess I need to quatify that.... I do mostly business sites... so they need to load fast & furious.... so I tend to stay away from background graphics altogether..... mostly very light colors... whits & shades of white.... occasionally a pale white or blue.... but if I use a background image... I try and keep it about or under 5k.... greyscaling .... if it works with the theme.... will sometimes cut the image size.... in half .... if not more.... I guess it take more K's to show colors.... that balcks & whites... But your images look very professional..... Yes this stuff is a lot of work if you want a great looking site.... but you gotta love it... or you woulnd't be doing it.... Have Fun... Glad you got things worked out....

2-10-02, 01:31 PM	#5
SimCoWeb Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: CA Posts: 3,874 Reputation: 6	Grahpics Program DCR, what graphics program are you using? There's 3 main ones that are recommended for web work. They are: Photoshop 6.0 PhotoImpact 6 or 7.0 Paint Shop Pro All of these have built in tools for setting image compression and have concentrated their development in the field of web graphics. Photoshop is the industry 'standard' but is pricey to say the least. I use PhotoImpact and have had excellent results with it.

2-10-02, 08:57 PM	#6
DCR Posts: n/a	grraphics programs SimCoWeb, I am using CorelDraw9 as my main graphics program for making vector drawings but am not happy with the quality of exported gifs and jpgs. What I have started to do is to export as .tif and open in Paint Shop Pro 7 and export to gif or jpg from there. I usually make banners and the like directly in psp7 but it doesn't seem to have the versatility of Corel for making drawings from scratch. I may change my mind about that as I learn to use psp7 better :>). I also use PhotoSuite 4. (bought it on sale, couldn't resist) It has some handy features as well. Thanks for the reply, DCR

2-9-02, 05:54 PM	#3
DCR Posts: n/a	SBGlasby, Thanks for the help. I have changed the problem graphics and made them a little less "busy". I am rebuilding the site that is in my profile before I move it to Powweb.... it's going to be a lot of work. Here are a couple of sample pages from the "new" site. http://dutchcanyonredcom.powweb.com/index.html http://dutchcanyonredcom.powweb.com/stg1.htm Suggestions and criticism from anyone will be appreciated. TIA, DCR

2-11-02, 04:34 PM	#7
johnw Posts: n/a	Maybe another reason for the wonky webn colours is that, since you used graduated fills, you lost some of the colour when viewed in 'websafe' colours, which they will be on the Web. But on your computer your colours aren't limited to websafe ones. Hey -- they say Photoshop is expensive, but how about if you compere the price to a trip to Bali? Once you're there you can buy ALL the software you want for around Rp35000 per disk -- that's around $3.50 US. )

2-11-02, 05:03 PM	#8
SBGlasby Posts: n/a	And IF you get caught bringing it back stateside.... $10,000.00 per disk

2-11-02, 08:31 PM	#9
SimCoWeb Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: CA Posts: 3,874 Reputation: 6	heehee Nice one, SB

2-13-02, 08:13 PM	#10
Vern Posts: n/a	In addition to the 3 SimCoWeb posted, I like to use Ulead GifAnimator 5 for buttons and banners and WebGraphics Optimizer 4.2 for a side by side comparison of image loss of 5 images. These 2 are more of a luxury, I guess, but I wouldn't be without them!

2-14-02, 02:36 AM	#11
SimCoWeb Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: CA Posts: 3,874 Reputation: 6	Ulead's Gif Animator ships with Ulead's PhotoImpact 6 or 7. That's what I use

2-24-02, 08:41 AM	#12
biker Posts: n/a	File type Hi all this is what I have found, I play with a lot of Graphics. and I found that the best format for me was .PNG they seem to load just as fast as a .GIF but have no dithering affect to them. I have Photoshop and Paint Shop Pro as well as Photo Impact and to me out of the three as far as the best one for a newbie Paint Shop Pro is the best no doubt about it. the interface in the others will blow you away. but you can do so much more with them (If You Ever Figure Them Out)

2-24-02, 02:04 PM	#13
alphadesk Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Gulfcoast, TX Posts: 6,911 Reputation: 102	user friendly Out of all the software that I have learned or attempted to learn I would have to say graphics programs have been the most difficult for me. For a pure newbie I don't think you can beat. Xara WebStyle Xara 3D Xara X You don't have all the bells and whistles some of the high end graphics programs have, but you can put together some very nice graphics without knowing all the graphics lingo and you don't have to get a loan to buy them. All three will save to the .png format which I agree with Biker looks great, plus all major formats. __________________ Thanks, AlphaDesk Those who can read and don't are no better off than those who can't. - Sam Clemens

2-24-02, 10:01 PM	#14
SBGlasby Posts: n/a	Image Composer If you have FP 98, it shipped with IMAGE COMPOSER..... Free... It's pretty good... but you gotta watch it.... on jpgs... it want to automatically compress everything.... you have to turn it off... but as far as editing... it has tons of effects.... masking ability... a lot ot the stuff the really high dollar programs have.... and the learning curve is relativity short.... I got FP 98, and composer... for free when I bought WIN NT server 4.0.... I no longer use Nt Server... or FP... but I flip between Image composer.... and photoshop..... If I ever had time.............

3-20-02, 02:51 PM	#15
hendrick Posts: n/a	I use Paint Shop Pro and love it. I took some couses on the internet on using it.

3-20-02, 06:01 PM	#16
Ronski Posts: n/a	PSP I use PSP7, and before that PSP6. I do a lot of still work in Flash 5, too. All of my color comic strips are drawn directly in Flash as one-frame movies and then saved as static GIF files. Works great. Note: on the strips, I work double size in Flash and then use PSP7 to size down the GIFs to 604x190. They end up about 20k each. Last edited by Ronski : 3-20-02 at 06:04 PM.

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