Comparing DPIs on PDF, for line diagrams. FYI

[forfear]

Inserted the following formulas as PNG images. See the results

37 Capture.png

the formulas as image files. heading text are actual text in a topic. Target: PDF. Screenshots and callouts created in Capture 4.

The two images were created in Microsoft Visio 2003.
Low-res was saved in Microsoft Visio 2003 as screen size. (96dpi)
Hi-res was saved again in Microsoft Visio 2003 as print size. (600dpi)

Flare was used only to output to PDF and create topic.

[NorthEast]

If the image's physical size (e.g. in cm) remains constant, increasing the DPI means you're increasing the image's pixel size (as there are more pixels in a given area), which means you get better quality.

[SteveS]

If the image's physical size (e.g. in cm) remains constant, increasing the DPI means you're increasing the image's pixel size (as there are more pixels in a given area), which means you get better quality.

Shouldn't that read "...you're decreasing the image's pixel size..." because you are getting more pixels in a given area?

[NorthEast]

If the image's physical size (e.g. in cm) remains constant, increasing the DPI means you're increasing the image's pixel size (as there are more pixels in a given area), which means you get better quality.

Shouldn't that read "...you're decreasing the image's pixel size..." because you are getting more pixels in a given area?

Ah, by 'pixel size' I meant the image size measured in pixels, as opposed to a physical measurement like cm/in.

(I didn't mean the physical size that a pixel would be when it's printed out on a page, which would get smaller as the DPI increases.)

[RamonS]

And that is why many folks including me just don't get all this DPI stuff, especially since both the D and the I can change.

[NorthEast]

DPI just means how dense you want the dots (pixels) to appear in a print output.

Say you're got a photograph, and it's size is 1200px X 1200px.
- If you set the image at 600dpi, then it's print size is 2in X 2in, and it will look very sharp.
- If you set the image at 200dpi, then it's print size is 6in X 6in, and it will look a little bit jagged (you can see the pixels).

Or if you're designing a vector graphic (e.g. in illustrator, visio), and your image is 6in X 6in on the page.
- If you save it as a bitmap at 300dpi, the image will be 1800px X 1800px.
- If you save it as a bitmap at 100dpi, the image will be 600px X 600px.

Just knowing the DPI on its own doesn't mean an awful lot; you also need to know the size of the image either in pixels (how many dots there are) or on paper (how many inches there are).

[forfear]

For the uninitiated there was the announcement of an optional 4.2 patch in the knowledgebase that was released 'oh so silently' .
Perhaps only for the select few who need this, this will have a BIG impact on your print, online and ultimately choice of preferred future picture formats to work in.

The patch has been been around for about a week or more, but i thought i'd put it to the test.
boy was i surprised. (in a good way)

for all your line drawings, org charts, process charts, corporate logos, i.e. all your illustrator, Visio, inkscape/svg drawings.... Just choose EMF.
yes...that's right

EMF.



The madcap team behind it has implemented support for vector images the way vectors were intended to be.
it just works.
finally.
no black boxes.
no broken images.
no unsupported image types.
Resizing?...you'll be laughin...
and the benefits aren't limited to your print outputs.
they carry over online.

for everything else you can use PNG and JPEG.

i wrote the initial findings here...because no one was noticing this yet...
http://forums.madcapsoftware.com/viewto ... 698#p48941
other than the larger PDF file sizes....as discussed on the forums.

whatever it is the team did, they've done well... and below the radar. no fanfare. no big announcements.
perhaps due to the slightly larger PDF file size quality. agreed.

no *one* else has supported this for online outputs, or at least integrated vectors this 'transparently' into the single-sourcing process.
no one.

With the native support for vectors, the argument over DPI is just, well, not all that important.

kudos.