Re: Image Optimization

Denise:

The Ulead SmartSaver on my machine only allows you to open a GIF
or JPEG file so it would not be of help for a TIFF.

Actually--for a TIFF file there are only three basic ways to
reduce the file size.

1. Make the image smaller in area.
2. Lower the resolution of the image in lines or dots per inch.
3. Increase the compression.

The major problem with increasing the compression is that many
applications and/or printer drivers will not work with
"compressed" TIFF's.

Assuming that you need to retain the physical size of the image,
the only practical way to reduce file size is by reducing the
resolution of the image. Note that this will in general, be true
for most file types--not just TIFF.

People tend to scan at unnecessarily high resolutions in the
mistaken belief that it somehow increases the quality of the
printed image. And as I say, this is not necessarily true.

If the image is to be printed on a 600 dot per inch ink jet
printer, this is roughly the equivalent of 72 lines per inch. The
extra dots between 72 and 600 are used to vary the "shades of
gray" or color saturation to produce the photographic effect.

Therefore--if one uses the generally accepted rule of scanning at
150% of the printer resolution, we multiply 72 by 1.5 to arrive
at 108. So--in this example, scanning at anything over--say--150
lpi resolution is just a waste of file size. Even scanning for so
called "high end" four color process one rarely scans at much
over 200 - 250 lines per inch. (Note: there are exceptions--hold
those cards and letters.)

Any of the programs you mentioned will open a TIFF file and
resize it to a lower resolution. It is then re-saved and sent to
the printer. This is a very simple process and takes only
seconds.

(Note that there may indeed be other editing that could or should
be done but they would not effect file size--only visual
quality.)

Your scanners defaults can also be reset to a lower resolution
and this would eliminate the need for editing. (At least until
someone cranked the resolution back up.)

And of course, one must recite the warning not to get carried
away, in lowering the resolution in lines per inch or the image
will become pixilated.

Those of us working with web images usually don't get to have
this much fun. Most GIF's and JPEG's are used at 72 lpi.
(Although the few that surf the web at high monitor resolutions
must see a lot of scruffy looking images.) The information
contained in each pixel allows the monitor to reproduce a
respectable image. But--when one goes to print the thing out on
paper--that's when the wickets come all over "sticky".

Best wishes
Ted Temer
Temercraft Designs Redding, CA
temer(at)c-zone.net
http://www.temercraft.com
http://www.newsredding.com/



>Thanks for all the responses I've gotten on this, but I think I
should make
>things a little clearer. What usually happens, is someone will
either come
>in with a large image (a tiff, say) and want it printed, or
they'll scan an
>image right in the resource center. Most times, they'll send
this to print
>and it's a huge file that takes forever for the printer to spit
out. I was
>interested in a simple, user-friendly program that they could
optimize these
>images with before printing or saving to disk. We have
PhotoShop, CorelDraw,
>Photo Paint, Canvas (for Macs), and paint Shop Pro. Most people
who come in
>know next to nothing about graphics and just want a nice, clear
image. Since
>I've used Smart Saver myself to optimize my graphics for the
Web, I wondered
>if it was any good for optimizing before sending to print or
saving to a
>floppy.
>
>
>
>Thanks,
>Denise
>deevin(at)mun.ca
>
>
>

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