GIF screenshots not readable
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- Propeller Head
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GIF screenshots not readable
Another quick question. My screenshots taken with SnagIt look fine in the XML Editor, but when I export them to WebHelp, they are distorted. What's the trick to having them display as-is?
Thanks again, team.
Thanks again, team.
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- Senior Propellus Maximus
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Re: GIF screenshots not readable
Oh, welcome back to the forums! (Belated, I know...)
From the topic heading I'm guessing you're using gifs?
When you say they're distorted, what do you mean? Is the image forced into a differently proportioned view?
I've seen this happen when you change the source image - try right clicking the image and select Reset size from the context menu.
From the topic heading I'm guessing you're using gifs?
When you say they're distorted, what do you mean? Is the image forced into a differently proportioned view?
I've seen this happen when you change the source image - try right clicking the image and select Reset size from the context menu.
Steve
Life's too short for bad coffee, bad chocolate, and bad red wine.
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- Propeller Head
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Re: GIF screenshots not readable
Hi Steve.
Yes, it is a GIF and I tried doing the reset. The distortion is not in the proportions, but in the readability of the elements on the screenshot, both text and controls.
Is there a better format to use other than GIF that doesn't present this behavior?
Yes, it is a GIF and I tried doing the reset. The distortion is not in the proportions, but in the readability of the elements on the screenshot, both text and controls.
Is there a better format to use other than GIF that doesn't present this behavior?
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- Propellus Maximus
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Re: GIF screenshots not readable
Has the image been resized in the flare topic? or it is the same size? I have seen issues with resized images that will appear as fuzzy. You may want to make sure the image has not been resized in Flare. Or resize the image in Snagit
Richard Ferrell
Certified Madcap Trainer
Certified Madcap Trainer
Re: GIF screenshots not readable
Check your stylesheet, too, and make sure you didn't set a width or height value on the <img> tag.
Lisa
Eagles may soar, but weasels aren't sucked into jet engines.
Warning! Loose nut behind the keyboard.
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Re: GIF screenshots not readable
And as far as "better formats" go, I prefer PNG. It compresses well, doesn't produce artifacts, and can have as large or as small a colour space as you want. Plus it supports transparency (although IE 6 doesn't render transparent PNGs correctly--Firefox and IE 7 do).
Until next time....
Kevin Amery
Certified MAD for Flare
Kevin Amery
Certified MAD for Flare
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Re: GIF screenshots not readable
And the compression algorithm in PNG is better than in GIFs, the legal aspect is no longer a point as the Unisys patent on the LZW compression used for GIFs expired a few years ago. Although higher color depth is nice to have, I found that the 256 colors are more than sufficient for screen shots, especially for desktop apps. Those screens consist of 90% or more battleship gray and it doesn't look any more attractive at 16 million colors than it does with 256. On some gradients artifacts may show, but not as bad as in some of the jpegs. And PNGs superb file size to quality ratio is ideal for the web. Who cares about IE6. IE is one of those apps that should simply be ignored.
New Book: Creating user-friendly Online Help
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Paperback http://www.amazon.com/dp/1449952038/ or https://www.createspace.com/3416509
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- Propellus Maximus
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Re: GIF screenshots not readable
Ahhh, if only our customers saw it that wayRamonS wrote:Who cares about IE6. IE is one of those apps that should simply be ignored.
Until next time....
Kevin Amery
Certified MAD for Flare
Kevin Amery
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Re: GIF screenshots not readable
You just need to educate them correctly.
New Book: Creating user-friendly Online Help
Paperback http://www.amazon.com/dp/1449952038/ or https://www.createspace.com/3416509
eBook http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005XB9E3U
Paperback http://www.amazon.com/dp/1449952038/ or https://www.createspace.com/3416509
eBook http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005XB9E3U
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- Propellus Maximus
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Re: GIF screenshots not readable
Ok, I know what will work: "Switch to Firefox or I'll send David over to lecture you about the evil's of Microsoft!"RamonS wrote:You just need to educate them correctly.
(And for the really nasty customers I'll rile ya up first by talking about all the good points of proprietary source control solutions and the merits of developing in .NET )
If that doesn't make'em switch, well, they were warned....
Until next time....
Kevin Amery
Certified MAD for Flare
Kevin Amery
Certified MAD for Flare
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Re: GIF screenshots not readable
Exactly!
New Book: Creating user-friendly Online Help
Paperback http://www.amazon.com/dp/1449952038/ or https://www.createspace.com/3416509
eBook http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005XB9E3U
Paperback http://www.amazon.com/dp/1449952038/ or https://www.createspace.com/3416509
eBook http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005XB9E3U
Re: GIF screenshots not readable
all my graphics are jpegs. but some of them are distorted too - it is unpredictable. and no - I have not resized them in Flare or in Word.
Thanks, launcher1
Thanks, launcher1
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- Senior Propellus Maximus
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Re: GIF screenshots not readable
How much compression did you use? And what exactly do you mean with distorted? The aspect ratio is off or the image looks grainy or fuzzy?
New Book: Creating user-friendly Online Help
Paperback http://www.amazon.com/dp/1449952038/ or https://www.createspace.com/3416509
eBook http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005XB9E3U
Paperback http://www.amazon.com/dp/1449952038/ or https://www.createspace.com/3416509
eBook http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005XB9E3U
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- Propeller Head
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Re: GIF screenshots not readable
One thing to note about resizing images: If you plan to generate a Word target, resize your images in Flare rather than SnagIt. If you resize them in SnagIt, they'll look fuzzy. But if you load them into Flare and resize them in Flare, they'll look crisp in a Word target. Same deal in RoboHelp. Basically, images resized online don't look as crisp as images resized in Word.
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- Propellus Maximus
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Re: GIF screenshots not readable
Another way to do this that I'd had success with is to set the size in Photoshop, including the inch dimensions. Then, in Flare I put a print-only version of the image in the topic with the height and width set to match the inch measurements from Photoshop exactly. This produces very crisp output, although it does mean having a screen-only and print-only version of the image in your source topic.tomjohnson1492 wrote:One thing to note about resizing images: If you plan to generate a Word target, resize your images in Flare rather than SnagIt. If you resize them in SnagIt, they'll look fuzzy. But if you load them into Flare and resize them in Flare, they'll look crisp in a Word target. Same deal in RoboHelp. Basically, images resized online don't look as crisp as images resized in Word.
Until next time....
Kevin Amery
Certified MAD for Flare
Kevin Amery
Certified MAD for Flare
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Re: GIF screenshots not readable
Why Capture can't do this is anybody's guess.KevinDAmery wrote:Another way to do this that I'd had success with is to set the size in Photoshop, including the inch dimensions. Then, in Flare I put a print-only version of the image in the topic with the height and width set to match the inch measurements from Photoshop exactly. This produces very crisp output, although it does mean having a screen-only and print-only version of the image in your source topic.
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- Propellus Maximus
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Re: GIF screenshots not readable
You got me--I'm still guessing myself, but every time I pick up the cup that darn peanut is under one of the other two....
Until next time....
Kevin Amery
Certified MAD for Flare
Kevin Amery
Certified MAD for Flare
Re: GIF screenshots not readable
One other thing to consider is your PC's screen resolution, windows settings, including windows display properties for active, inactive etc. title bars. I have been struggling and made some corrections to the resolution and to my fonts and windows settings and experienced a 500% improvement in my screen shots...
Darci
Certified MadCap Advanced Developer, v8
"Improving the world, one word and one pixel at a time."
Certified MadCap Advanced Developer, v8
"Improving the world, one word and one pixel at a time."
Re: GIF screenshots not readable
An oldie but a goodie (explains the pesky things about graphics you may not know and which format and settings to use to get the best result, every time).
http://www.efuse.com/Design/web_graphics_basics.html
http://www.efuse.com/Design/web_graphics_basics.html
"I" before "E" except after "C" or when sounded as "A" as in 'neighbor' and 'weigh'.
Re: GIF screenshots not readable
That seems to be slightly out-of-date, but it does give a good definition of the terms used, if not the more up-to-date values and file formats to use.BL_N wrote:An oldie but a goodie (explains the pesky things about graphics you may not know and which format and settings to use to get the best result, every time).
http://www.efuse.com/Design/web_graphics_basics.html
Lisa
Eagles may soar, but weasels aren't sucked into jet engines.
Warning! Loose nut behind the keyboard.
Re: GIF screenshots not readable
Yes, hence the 'oldie' reference.
"I" before "E" except after "C" or when sounded as "A" as in 'neighbor' and 'weigh'.