Rochester Institute of Technology RIT Scholar Works Theses Thesis/Dissertation Collections 5-19-1999 A Guide to image preparation for multiple media Ai-Leen Chiu Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.rit.edu/theses Recommended Citation Chiu, Ai-Leen, "A Guide to image preparation for multiple media" (1999). Thesis. Rochester Institute of Technology. Accessed from This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Thesis/Dissertation Collections at RIT Scholar Works. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses by an authorized administrator of RIT Scholar Works. For more information, please contact [email protected]. School of Printing Management and Sciences Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, New York Certificate of Approval Master's Thesis This is to certify that the Master's Thesis of Ai-Leen Joy Chiu With a major in Electronic Publishing has been approved by the Thesis Committee as satisfactory for the thesis requirement for the Master of Science degree at the convocation of May 19, 1999 Thesis Committee: Thesis Advisor Graduate Program Coordinator Director A Guide to Image Preparation for Multiple Media by Ai-Leen Joy Chiu A thesis project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in the School of Printing Management and Sciences in the College of Imaging Arts and Sciences of the Rochester Institute of Technology May 1999 Thesis Advisor: Professor Frank Cost A Guide to Image Preparation for Multiple Media I, Ai-Leen Joy Chiu, prefer to be contacted each time a request for reproduction is made. I can be reach at the following address: 28 Kang-Leh Street Taichung, 40309 TAIWAN e-mail: [email protected] May 19, 1999 Acknowledgments I would like to express my thanks to Professor Frank Cost for assisting me through this project with his many suggestions at the planning and preparatory stages, as well as the direction of the research. He has been a constant source of inspiration and motivation for me throughout this thesis project. I would also like to thank Professor Steve Kurtz, Professor Robert Y. Chung, Professor Marie Freckleton, Mr. C. R. Myers for the valuable feedback and encouragement, Professor Frank Romano who has inspired me to my efforts in multimedia production, and Mr. David R. Royka who has been a great help to me in accomplishing this project. Finally, I would like to thank my grandparents and my parents who have always been so serious about education and their constant encouragement for me to advance my studies. I am extremely grateful for their invaluable support, without which I would never have achieved my graduate study at R. I. T. 111 Table of Contents List of Tables viii List of Figures ix Abstract x Chapter 1 Introduction 1 Chapter 2 Theoretical Bases of the Study 3 Resolution 3 Gamma Correction 5 Color Depth 7 Dithering and Banding 9 Bitmap Graphics 10 Object-Oriented Graphics 11 Image File Format Review 12 EPS 12 FPX 13 JPEG 14 PCD 16 PICT 17 TIFF 17 Summary of Chapter 2 18 Endnotes for Chapter 2 20 IV Chapter 3 A Review of the Literature in the Field 22 Print 22 Resolution 23 Gamma Correction 24 Color Depth 25 File Format 25 Web 26 Resolution 27 Gamma Correction 28 Color Depth 29 Color Depth for Photograph or Continuous-tone Images 29 Color Depth for Illustration-Based Artwork 30 Adaptive Palettes 30 File Format 30 JPEG 31 GIF 32 CD-ROM 35 Resolution 36 Gamma Correction 36 Color Depth 36 File Format 37 Video 37 Resolution 38 Gamma Correction 39 Color Depth 39 File Format 40 Summary of Chapter 3 41 Endnotes for Chapter 3 42 Chapter 4 The Hypothesis 43 Chapter 5 Methodology 44 Choice of Images 45 Color Settings in Photoshop 45 Step 1. Device calibration 46 Step 2. Establish original image database 46 Step 3. Acceptable gamma corrections for print 46 Establish Image Database for the Test on Gamma Correction 46 Gamma Adjustment into Different Suites of File 48 Modes Change from RGB to CMYK 48 Output to Printer and Exam the Result 48 Step 4. Acceptable settings for the Web, CD-ROM and video 48 Resize the image resolution from Step 3. 5 or 7for monitor bound 48 File Manipulation for Different Media 50 Output to Each Destined Media and Exam the Result 50 Step 5. Acceptable color depth for print 50 Establish Image Database for the Test on Color Depth 50 Gamma Adjustment with the Acceptable Settings from Step 3 and 4 52 Modes Change from RGB to CMYK 52 Output to Printer and Exam the Result 52 Step 6. Acceptable color depth for the Web, CD-ROM and video 54 Step 7. Acceptable resolution for print 54 vi Establish Image Database for the Test on Resolution 54 Gamma Adjustment with the Acceptable Settings from Step 3 and 4 54 Modes Change from RGB to CMYK 54 Output to Printer and Exam the Result 54 Step 8. Acceptable resolution for the Web, CD-ROM and video 55 Chapter 6 The Results 56 Print 56 Web 59 CD-ROM 60 Video 61 Results of the Analysis 63 Chapter 7 Summary and Conclusions 65 Hypothesis Approved 65 Guidelines to Image Preparation 65 Recommendation for Further Study 66 Bibliography 68 vn List of Tables Table 1 Supporting software for different file format 19 Table 2 Image resolution rules for print 24 Table 3 Relationship between monitor size and displayable pixels 28 Table 4 Image requirements for different media 41 Table 5 Results of high-key, normal-key, and normal-key images at different gamma corrections on a video display 61 Table 6 Results from different media 63 vm List of Figures Figure 1 Relationship between input and output intensity in Photoshop/Image/Adjust/Curves 7 Figure 2 Mac System Palette 33 Figure 3 Window System Palette 34 Figure 4 Web Palette 34 Figure 5 Major workflow of the methodology 44 Figure 6 RGB color settings in Photoshop 45 Figure 7 CMYK color settings in Photoshop 45 Figure 8 Step 3 print files with different gamma correction 47 Figure 9 Step 4, 6, 8 transform file for each media and check the results 49 Figure 10 Step 5 print files with different color depth 51 Figure 11 Step 7 print files with different resolution 53 Figure 12 Comparison of 72 and 266 ppi shows the imperfection about low resolution image 57 Figure 13 Comparison of 8-bit and 24-bit shows the banding effect on 8-bit images 58 Figure 14 Conjunction of color depth and resolution for print 58 Figure 15 Conjunction of color depth and resolution for the Web 59 Figure 16 Conjunction of color depth and resolution for CD-ROM 60 Figure 17 Conjunction of color depth and resolution for four Media 64 IX Abstract With the advanced technology in this information requisite world, the way of communication has been changed into using multiple media. People use different media to publish their ideas, not just on paper. The same information may be presented in different formats because of different purposes or situations. However, each of the four major media (print, Web, CD-ROM, and video) has different capabilities for displaying image information. Images optimized for one will not necessarily work well with the others. It happens all the time that people spend much time remanipulating an image which has already been made for another media. For example, it is necessary to reduce the color depth and resolution of an image once it is moving from paper output to the World Wide Web because of the monitor limitation and the need for faster transfer rate. The problem exists when switching images among different output media such as video, multimedia CD-ROM, the World Wide Web and print. Quality and performance are the criteria for good publishing. This thesis project would establish guidelines for the designer, which would show the way to manipulate images once and have them work well in all media, including how to optimize images for print, the World Wide Web, CD-ROM, and video. The parameters which would be explored are: resolution, gamma conection, and color depth. After tests have been run on, an image format with 266 pixel per inch, 24-bit color depth, and no gamma correction could be established to satisfy the needs for image quality of print, Web, CD-ROM, and video publishing with extra gamma correction of 70 percent at midtone of 50 percent for video production. Chapter 1 Introduction Computer graphics are a staple of today's media from desktop publishing to on-screen presentations, slides, the World Wide Web and broadcast video graphics. In the hands of artists, the computer is an ultimate creative tool. But things go wrong when people don't have the right perspective combined with the right tools when creating computer graphics. Each of the four major publishing media print, the World Wide Web, CD-ROM (compact disk read only memory), and video has different capabilities of displaying the image. For print, the output can be high resolution and high color fidelity. For the Web, since Web pages are browsed through computer monitors, the performance depends on the limitation of monitors. Computer monitors have a resolution of 72 pixels per inch with the ability to present millions colors thus has better ability to show a larger color gamut than print. But, the gamma value of the monitor is different from platform to platform, the transmission speed depends upon the network connecting method. For interactive multimedia CD-ROM production, the performance is limited by the monitor and the CD-ROM drive speed.