LOL -- yes, sorry -- I was between emails. The best source is a PDF -- I'm so excited to find out that I can open the PDF in Photoshop, tweak it, and save it as a PDF.
That's going to save me a lot of time. Import by reference: sadly, I'm not allowed to do that. But just out of curiosity, why is import by reference better than import? Thanks again for all the advice. Deirdre On 10/10/08, Art Campbell <art.campbell at gmail.com> wrote: > Uh no, that isn't what I was saying and I don't think that's what Fred > would recommend either. > You didn't say the source file was a PDF, or if you did, I missed it. > > If you already have the source graphic in a PDF, that's your best > final format right there because it's a PostScript file. Vector based, > scalable, etc. Only way you can degrade it is by converting it to > another graphic format.... which is what you've been doing. > > You can optimize the PDF further with Acrobat, and you can crop it > with Photoshop or another program, both actions that will reduce the > file size. But other than that, you're good to go. > > And you should still be importing it by reference.... > > Cheers, > Art > > Art Campbell > art.campbell at gmail.com > "... In my opinion, there's nothing in this world beats a '52 > Vincent and a redheaded grl." -- Richard Thompson > No disclaimers apply. > DoD 358 > > > > On Fri, Oct 10, 2008 at 9:37 AM, Deirdre Reagan > <deirdre.reagan at gmail.com> wrote: > > Thanks all. > > > > I really appreciate your feedback -- you are confirming what I > > suspected but don't have enough knowledge to back up! > > > > Here's my situation: > > > > I get the drawing package as a PDF file. > > > > I don't have AutoCad or Katia or any of the other drawing progams, so > > I can't access the original vector drawing. > > > > I've been turning the PDF into a bitmap file and copying and pasting > > it into my file. > > > > I copy and paste because the lead technical writer is adamantly > > against importing by reference. > > > > He also told me that I have to stop using bitmap because bitmap > > graphics won't work if we have to turn these documents into HTML > > (STML? XML? Some sort of web-based product) documents. > > > > So, based on what you all are telling me, bitmap is the best way to go > > (yeah!). > > > > And bitmapped graphics are just fine for web-based documents? > > > > Thanks so much guys! > > > > From the fun factory, > > > > Deirdre > > > > > > > > > > > > On 10/9/08, Art Campbell <art.campbell at gmail.com> wrote: > >> Fred's on top of the graphic issues. Bottom line is JPG is the way > >> wrong format and is adding some bloat. > >> > >> However, its not clear from the OP message whether you're copying the > >> graphic file in, or importing by reference. > >> Importing by refrence is the preferred way to do it. Copying is not > >> the way to go. > >> > >> If you are copying them in, that would be a good reason for the slowdown. > >> > >> Art. > >> > >> > >> Art Campbell > >> art.campbell at gmail.com > >> "... In my opinion, there's nothing in this world beats a '52 > >> Vincent and a redheaded grl." -- Richard Thompson > >> No disclaimers apply. > >> DoD 358 > >> > >> > >> > >> On Thu, Oct 9, 2008 at 6:06 PM, Fred Ridder <docudoc at hotmail.com> wrote: > >> > > >> > Deirdre Reagan wrote: > >> >> Anyhow, when I add jpgs to my Framemaker file (FM 8.0, Windows XP), > >> >> Framemaker slows way down when I scroll over the page with the jpg. > >> >> > >> >> The jpgs are 300 dpi, which they need to be for good print resolution > >> >> (they are black and white drawings). > >> >> > >> >> I import the file to an anchored frame, then resize the graphic to 80 > >> >> percent because it is usually too large for the anchored frame. > >> >> > >> >> I really don't know anything about graphics, so anything advice would > >> >> be most appreciated. > >> > > >> > To cover only a couple of the most basic issues: > >> > > >> > First and foremost, JPEG is *not* an appropriate file format for line art > >> > or anything containing text. JPEG was specifically designed for > >> > *photographic* images, which tend to conceal many of the format's > >> > shortcomings due to the continuous-tone nature of photographs. > >> > JPEG's area-based image compression algorithm inherently produces > >> > artifacts near abroupt color transitions, which is clearly seen as a > >> > kind of gray smudginess alongside lines in drawings or as a kind of > >> > cloud surrounding text. For line art you should be using a lossless file > >> > format like EPS, WMF (or EMF), or PNG (or GIF or TIFF or even BMP). > >> > The one file format you should *not* use is JPEG. > >> > > >> > Second, if you need to scale your graphics, you should use a vector > >> > file format (EPS, WMF, EMF) rather than a raster file format (any of > >> > the others mentioned). Vector images contain mathematical descriptions > >> > of the geometric and text objects in the drawing, which means that > >> > they can be rescaled over a wide range of sizes with no loss in quality. > >> > Raster graphics contain a pixel-by-pixel rendering of the image, and > >> > to rescale them you either have to change the pixel pitch or you have > >> > to resample them to throw away pixels or make up new pixels that > >> > don't exist. > >> > > >> > Third, if you do have raster images (screen shots, for example), the > >> > best way to change their reproduced size in FrameMaker is not > >> > to use the scaling command, but rather to change the dpi setting. > >> > Doubling the dpi will reduce the dimensions to 50%; halving the > >> > dpi will double the reproduced size of the image. If this approach > >> > is not acceptable for some reason, the other alternative is to use > >> > a tool like PaintShop Pro or Photoshop to resample the image, but > >> > this *always* causes a loss in quality. > >> > > >> > I'll leave any other issues to others to address. > >> > > >> > -Fred Ridder > >> > > >> > > >> > _______________________________________________ > >> > > >> > > >> > You are currently subscribed to Framers as art.campbell at gmail.com. > >> > > >> > Send list messages to framers at lists.frameusers.com. > >> > > >> > To unsubscribe send a blank email to > >> > framers-unsubscribe at lists.frameusers.com > >> > or visit > >> > http://lists.frameusers.com/mailman/options/framers/art.campbell%40gmail.com > >> > > >> > Send administrative questions to listadmin at frameusers.com. Visit > >> > http://www.frameusers.com/ for more resources and info. > >> > > >> > > >