High quality images

[Dov Isaacs]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Stuart Rogers
> Sent: Friday, January 26, 2007 10:28 AM
> To: Clara Hall
> Cc: framers at lists.frameusers.com
> Subject: Re: High quality images

> Clara Hall wrote:
> > Hello everyone,

> > We have recently adopted a procedure to yield the highest quality 
> > images which includes the following steps:

> > 1.	Alt-PrintScrn the image into Photoshop
> > 2.	Save the image as a "Photoshop EPS".  Make sure "Image
> > Interpolation" is set.

> > This sets a image dictionary key that Adobe PostScript Level 2,
Adobe 
> > PostScript 3, Acrobat, and Acrobat Reader use to do very high

> > quality image interpolation and/or downsampling appropriate to the 
> > device's actual resolution and technology at the time the image is 
> > viewed or printed. (Distiller passes this key along from PostScript
or 
> > EPS in a PostScript stream into the equivalent PDF image key!)

> > 3.	Import the resultant EPS file into FM.
 


> > This procedure is a bit time consuming and I was wondering if anyone

> > has another way, or knows of a script which might be able to do a 
> > comparable task.

> The procedure you describe is advocated by Dov Isaacs of 
> Adobe, and his instructions also include selecting Binary 
> encoding and TIFF 8-bit preview. I don't know if the current 
> version of Snag-It, suggested by Art, includes those options. 
>  In my somewhat geriatric version of Snag-It, the only 
> setting for EPS is colour-depth.

> But I'm not sure there's a great deal of benefit if you're 
> starting out with screenshots, which are low-res to begin 
> with. Photos and other types of graphics may benefit more 
> from the treatment you describe.

> (If you're monitoring this thread, Dov, can you comment?)

> As far as scripting your current process goes, you can 
> automate at least part of it by using the built-in 
> macro-recording feature in Photoshop (Window > Actions) to 
> open a new RGB window, paste, flatten, save as in folder... etc.

> HTH,

> --
> Stuart Rogers


FWIW,

Yes, in the past I did recommend the EPS route with the image
interpolation flag from Photoshop.

In the meantime, Acrobat and Reader, beginning with versions 6
or 7, do a much better job of displaying and enhancing low 
resolution images (such as those from screen shots) on screen,
making that "interpolation flag" (available in the workflow
available now only when saving EPS from Photoshop) somewhat
unnecessary. I do not use this anymore. For printing, virtually
every PostScript or PDF RIP / printer that I know of will
adequately handle the images without the interpolation bit on.

As such, my current recommendation for screen shots in FrameMaker
or for that matter, almost any other page layout program, is to
capture the image and save without any resampling as a TIFF file
using the LZW compression option.

	- Dov