Graphic Arts Graphics Formats: What You Need to Know About the Pictures 1.

Graphic Arts

Graphics Formats: What You Need to Know About the Pictures

1

Different types of documents have

different requirements for the handling of their

graphics. High end programs can import a wide range of graphics formats.

Clarify which file options to use by consulting with the printer of the final document & understanding the purpose of the document and the workflow.

Let’s jump in!Here’s a look at some of

the formats you will get to know.

Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG)

Works especially well for photographs

Loses sharpness when large areas of a single color are present

Commonly called a “lossy” format for its tendency to discard extra data not essential for display of the image.

Graphic Arts I: Graphics Formats

A .gif is ideal for an image with limited color range

A .gif (Graphics Interchange Format) is a standard for displaying graphics on the web

Compresses data without losing detail (some call it “lossless”)

Not recommended for commercial printing

Only displays 256 colors


High compatibility with many programs – the friendly .tif

Tiff (Tagged Image File) format

Flexible bitmap image format

Supported by virtually all paint, image editing, and page layout applications

Nearly all scanners can create .tif files


What is a .bmp file?

Standard Windows bitmap image file

Does not support CMYK

Color support limited to 24 bits

Not for commercial printing; only low res (low resolution)

Not supported by web browsers at all


Think of an .eps file like a translator that speaks all

languages fluently…Based on the PostScript language (Encapsulated PostScript)

Transfers PostScript language artwork to all other applications

Supported by most image editing and page layout programs

Can contain both vector and bitmapped images


Is a .png file worth knowing about?

PNG (Portable Network Graphics) initially was developed as a patent free alternative to the more popular .gif format

Mostly used for online documents, not so much in printed materials

It is probably a better alternative for print than a .gif is due to its better color support


What is so special about the native Photoshop file format,

.psd?Allows you to save a file in layers, which is essential when working inside of Adobe Photoshop

Allows you to embed color profiles

Can import as is into layout programs like Adobe InDesign


What is Adobe Illustrator’s native

format called?The file extension is .ai

Allows placement directly into page layout programs and into Photoshop documents

Based entirely on vector (mathematical) graphics


What is the purpose of a .pdf file format? What

makes it different?Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format…created for the electronic distribution and viewing of complete documents.

Preserves color quality & layout precision sufficiently for electronic distribution of prepress work. A printer’s friend!


Windows Metafile Format. Why do we need

this one?The .wmf format is native to Windows and was developed primarily to share vector art such as clip art between users and applications. However, raster information may be contained in .wmf files.

Only supports 16 bit color & does not allow for color separations, so it’s unlikely for printing use.


How about the Macintosh file extension,

the .pict file?This format is widely used for Mac OS graphics and for transferring files between applications

Especially effective when images have large areas of solid color

Device dependent format, not a commercial print choice as it does not support color seps


Some of the weirder formats that you need to

know about…The extension .pcx stands for PC graphics.

Not good for commercial printing. It only supports 24 bit color and is native to the Windows environment. Developed for Windows DOS Paintbrush program.


And one more you may HARDLY EVER hear about!

The Scitex CT or .sct file format is used for high end image processing on Scitex computers.

These images are usually produced on high end Scitex scanners that produce super high resolution commercial prints.


Graphic Arts Graphics Formats: What You Need to Know About the Pictures 1.

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