Image clarity problems (revisited for the 100th time)

[sdcinvan]

Happy Monday all,

Forgive me for rehashing a common issue that appears to go back to earlier than 2010. There are many posts about this but none of them appear to come to a definitive solution.

Because I have focus on the HTML version of my documentation, one of my reviewers just asked why my screen captures are all so fuzzy in the PDF format (at 100% or any other zoom rate). The HTML version images are exactly as captured.

The problems:
- Huge loss of fidelity when PDF is published (both resolution/clarity is lost and even color has changed)

Procedure (1)
This is my workflow (this method is necessary to ensure that Capture bubbles are always the same size):
1) Insert image into Flare topic
2) In the case of an over-sized image, leave size alone (in Flare)... but right-click and select Edit with MadCap Capture
3) In MadCap Capture, right-click on image and select Properties.
4) Image Effects tab, change background scale until the image fits correctly on page - in the example below, I used 0.6 to obtain the desired fit
5) Format tab - select Format: PNG, print DPI: 96 (this seems to be default and maintains a 1:1 ratio), Lock DPI (default)
6) Flare Print Format tab - Select Enable Print Format, Format: png, Print dpi: 96, Lock DPI
7) Save Image (Flare document immediately updates)

The resulting images are ALWAYS fuzzy!

Procedure (2)
An unacceptable solution:
Note: The only way I seem to get perfect results is by changing the following steps (changes in bold):
6) Flare Print Format tab - Select Enable Print Format, Format: png, Print dpi: 300, Lock DPI
4) Image Effects tab, change background scale until the image fits correctly on page - in the example below, I used 1.85 to obtain the desired fit

There are several problems with these changes:
A) The image in Capture is HUGE!
B) It is very difficult to accurately control the rendered size in Flare... Impossible to ensure 1:1 image size for those images that naturally fit!
C) The most egregious problem is that it seems impossible to ensure that text bubble size are consistent throughout a document!
D) For the bubble text, I need to use a font size of about 32 pts... everything needs to be overly large and the appearance isn't quite a nice as using normal sized fonts!

Here are examples:

image_resolution-01.png

image_resolution-02.png

Can I buy a clue?

Thanks for your assistance.

[kwag_myers]

Check the resolution of the PDF viewer. I'll bet you a donut it is not 96 dpi. See my thread on Adobe Reader for additional information.

[NorthEast]

It's fuzzy in (1) because you've set the background scale to 0.6, so you're losing image definition. The background scale is like resizing the image; e.g. a 1000x1000px image scaled to 0.6 will come out as 600x600px.

You only need to set the image dpi to control its print size; e.g. a 1000x1000px image at 300dpi will be 3.3x3.3in.

[sdcinvan]

It's fuzzy in (1) because you've set the background scale to 0.6, so you're losing image definition. The background scale is like resizing the image; e.g. a 1000x1000px image scaled to 0.6 will come out as 600x600px.

You only need to set the image dpi to control its print size; e.g. a 1000x1000px image at 300dpi will be 3.3x3.3in.

Good morning Dave,

I am setting the background scale to 0.6 so that the image fits on my page. The only way that I can ensure consistent bubble sizing is by scaling the images inside Capture. The caveat seems to be that I lose resolution by doing it this way.

*OR* perhaps I am misunderstanding?

[SteveS]

Couple of things you might want to consider or try...

I've found the Adobe reader sometimes works best with images at 72 dpi, the native resolution for Macs (conspiracy theory, anyone?).

If I'm resizing I find that a number like 50% sometimes is clearer than something slightly bigger, possibly makes it 'easier' for the resizing algorithm.

[sdcinvan]

Check the resolution of the PDF viewer. I'll bet you a donut it is not 96 dpi. See my thread on Adobe Reader for additional information.

Wow! I have no idea how my viewer changed. But you nailed a big part of the problem. Thank you.

The only concern left is that:
a) Images scaled in MadCap Capture are reduced in resolution. BAD
b) The only way to ensure consistent text bubble sizes, images must be reduced in Capture.
c) Many of my screen captures must be reduced to fit on the document page. I want to give the reader the option to see more detail by zooming in to the PDF. MadCap Capture's resize makes this impossible!

...that is, unless I am missing something.

[sdcinvan]

Couple of things you might want to consider or try...

I've found the Adobe reader sometimes works best with images at 72 dpi, the native resolution for Macs (conspiracy theory, anyone?).

If I'm resizing I find that a number like 50% sometimes is clearer than something slightly bigger, possibly makes it 'easier' for the resizing algorithm.

Hi Steve, sorry... I didn't refresh my browser until now. Yes, part of the problem was astoundingly the Adobe PDF reader. Huh!

Another problem was that many of my images were ALSO being resized in Flare (first resized in Capture). So...

Code: Select all

<div class="figure" style="width: 610px;height: auto;"><p><img src="Resources/Images/03_Snapshots_custom_sced04.png" class="webthumbnails" style="width: 625px;height: auto;" /></p><p class="figurecount" MadCap:autonum="<b>Figure 11 - </b>">Select the calendar icon to delete a Snapshot.</p></div>

One of the reasons for fuzzy images was that Flare was doing an addition resize here, "style="width: 625px;height: auto;" but if you have already resized in Capture, the Flare HTML should be, "style="width: auto;height: auto;"

Fixing that PLUS putting the default DPI, in Adobe PDF reader, back to 96DPI helped a tremendous amount.

Thank you everyone!

[NorthEast]

It's fuzzy in (1) because you've set the background scale to 0.6, so you're losing image definition. The background scale is like resizing the image; e.g. a 1000x1000px image scaled to 0.6 will come out as 600x600px.

You only need to set the image dpi to control its print size; e.g. a 1000x1000px image at 300dpi will be 3.3x3.3in.

Good morning Dave,

I am setting the background scale to 0.6 so that the image fits on my page. The only way that I can ensure consistent bubble sizing is by scaling the images inside Capture. The caveat seems to be that I lose resolution by doing it this way.

*OR* perhaps I am misunderstanding?

Don't use the background scale - it resizes the image, i.e. it changes its size in px.
Setting the scale less than 1 means you lose image quality (it has less pixels), and setting it above 1 increases the image size in pixels (and size on disk) without making any difference to its quality.

Setting the dpi alone will set the physical size of the image; i.e. dpi is dot (pixel) per inch, so 300px at 300dpi is one inch.

You might want to use 2 or 3 standard dpi settings across all images; e.g. large screenshots at 300dpi, or icons at 96dpi.
I think using consistent scales looks more professional.

Mind, I think the font size in bubbles may need to be changed according to the dpi; which might another reason for using a set of specific dpi values.

I think that is a bug, because although the bubble font size is set in points (pt), it seems to scale according to the image dpi; so in effect, Capture seems to be setting the font size in px rather than pt. A pt is a physical measurement (like cm/in), it shouldn't be affected by the dpi; e.g. a 12pt font should be the same physical size at either 100dpi or 1000dpi, it'd just have more dots at 1000dpi.

[Jess77]

I'm happy/sad to see that this subject is as painful for everyone else as it is for me.

The screenshots at my current company are HUGE. I have been playing around with this forever. I have tried DPI settings and various screen resolutions. Is there anyway to change the screen capture settings themselves?

MadCap Capture keeps crashing on me, so I use SnagIt. Is there anything - other than cropping and physically reducing the size of the screen - that can be done to make these screenshots smaller?

I have to reduce them so much that they are so blurry - even in the online output.

I have tried a bunch of resolutions and even a smaller monitor. The last time I solved this, it took the mighty power of Adobe PhotoShop.

[sdcinvan]

I'm happy/sad to see that this subject is as painful for everyone else as it is for me.

The screenshots at my current company are HUGE. I have been playing around with this forever. I have tried DPI settings and various screen resolutions. Is there anyway to change the screen capture settings themselves?

MadCap Capture keeps crashing on me, so I use SnagIt. Is there anything - other than cropping and physically reducing the size of the screen - that can be done to make these screenshots smaller?

I have to reduce them so much that they are so blurry - even in the online output.

I have tried a bunch of resolutions and even a smaller monitor. The last time I solved this, it took the mighty power of Adobe PhotoShop.

Greetings Jessabean,

I think I am getting reasonable results now. I say "think" because my result may vary again. LOL [nervous laugh]

Here are some lessons I am learning.
A) If you are going to edit your images in Capture, and plan to add stuff like text or other overlays, you cannot resize your images in Flare. That is, if you want to maintain size consistency of the added text or other elements.
B) Using Capture's TAB > Image Effects > Background Scale is generally a bad idea because it reduces the resolution of your image. This is especially bad for screen captures where reduction in size may render some text unreadable.

So how does one reduce the size of an image, while maintaining its full resolution?

Depends?
Are you adding stuff inside Capture, and what that stuff to be consistently sized?
Ans: NO
Skip Capture and just resize within Flare

Ans: YES
[okay, this is what I am doing but I am not 100% certain yet - despite initial good results]
Image Effects > Background Scale: 1.0 (this is important)
Format > Format: PNG (my preference)
Format > Print DPI: 160 (important to always use the same DPI)
Format > Flare Print Format: 160 (I'm uncertain about what the diff is between Print DPI and Flare Print DPI????

For me, doing this gives me a reasonable image, in the PDF at 100%, but also allows me to zoom to 200% without pixalization.

Caveat (I think): What happens when 160DPI isn't enough to fit a large screen capture on a project page? I don't know! In this case, the main problem with Capture and annotations is that they are not independent of each other... unlike competitor products (e.g. InDesign/FrameMaker). In other words, if you want to reduce an image, the annotations also reduce in size.

Hope this helps.

[NorthEast]

Caveat (I think): What happens when 160DPI isn't enough to fit a large screen capture on a project page? I don't know!

You just use a higher dpi.

As I mentioned, I find it's useful to stick to 2 or 3 standard dpi settings, e.g. depending on whether you're dealing with large images (screenshots) or small images (icons).

[sdcinvan]

Caveat (I think): What happens when 160DPI isn't enough to fit a large screen capture on a project page? I don't know!

You just use a higher dpi.

As I mentioned, I find it's useful to stick to 2 or 3 standard dpi settings, e.g. depending on whether you're dealing with large images (screenshots) or small images (icons).

Hi Dave,
I believe you are misunderstanding. If your image also includes Capture additions like text bubbles, everything changes in size... Having different sized text bubbles looks absolutely ridiculous in professional documentation. So, the question remains... if you are using Capture's text bubbles (or other annotations), how do you maintain a consistent size (i.e. text always 10pt), while having the freedom of to change the background image's size/magnification, without losing resolution?

This is never a problem with programs that do not flattened text bubbles to the background image.

[NorthEast]

As I mentioned, change the pt size of the bubble in accordance with the dpi; e.g. if you use 10pt for 150dpi images, try 20pt for 300dpi images.

[sdcinvan]

Allow me to restate (more clearly) what I am hoping to understand...

If I am adding text bubbles in Capture, I always want the text to appear as 10pt font size. How do I ensure consistent text size when my background images need to be resized to fit the page?

I can't use Image Effects > Background Scale because it unacceptably reduces the resolution of the the image.
I can't use Format > Print DPI or Flare Print Format > Print DPI because these settings change both the size of the background image AND the size of the text bubble.
[BTW, I am still not entirely clear about the differences between "FORMAT" and "Flare Print Format"]

This shouldn't be so difficult. I should be able to easily obtain my goals of:
- Text bubbles that are consistently the same size throughout my document, regardless of underlying background image size reduction
- Reduced size background images should appear somewhat readable at 100% and zoom to full resolution at about 300% in a PDF document.

This is all I want to learn how to do.

Thank you,
Shawn

[sdcinvan]

As I mentioned, change the pt size of the bubble in accordance with the dpi; e.g. if you use 10pt for 150dpi images, try 20pt for 300dpi images.

Sorry, just saw this message.

I understood this but I could not believe this was the 'solution' b/c it is ridiculous!

Why?
Because it makes it impossible to have the exact same text bubble look. The bubbles look slightly different between a 10pt model and a 20pt model... I have already tested this.

If this is it, I'll have to rethink whether or not I should use something that looks more consistent, regardless of dpi.

[sdcinvan]

Good morning all,

The apparent solution appears to suggest that working with only the DPI setting will solve this issue. Well, unless I am still not understanding something, that isn't entirely true. Allow me to demonstrate...

As a reminder, the primary issue is that I must maintain consistent 10pt font bubbles, regardless of the size and magnification of the underlying image. Otherwise, my documentation would appear utterly amateurish.

After some experimenting, this DPI solution is still quite unacceptable! Why? See below...

For example, I tested:
- 96 DPI - for normal size images (1:1)
Bubble parameters of: 10pt text, 1px border, and 2px shadow
- 200 DPI - for images reduced by about 50% their normal size. (1:2)
Bubble parameters of: 16pt text, 2px border, and 3px shadow
- 300 DPI - for images reduced to 1/3 their normal size. (1:3)
Bubble parameters of: 30pt text, 3px border, and 4px shadow

With the different bubble parameters, when printed, all the bubbles/text should similar with 10pt font.

The problems with this?
1) Adjusting the image magnification by only using the DPI setting means that I must limit the number of DPI settings used and create a Palette of specific text bubbles for each of those DPI settings.
2) The different text sizes required for each DPI setting DO NOT perfectly 'round' down to the equivalent of a 10pt point, nor do the characteristics of the bubble shapes!
3) Each DPI setting renders differently for different PDF magnification levels!
For example, 96 DPI only renders well at 100%, 200 DPI only renders well at 200%, and 300 DPI only renders well at an unknown size greater than 200%.

In other words, I cannot accomplish my modest requirement of maintaining consistency with my annotated images!

This is the source of my frustration. I am trying to produce a high quality document and Flare/Capture cannot help me accomplish this very basic task of annotating images. Am I really the only Flare customer that has facing this dilemma?

I have attached the following images to help explain the problem that I still face:
1) Shows the three palettes I had to make for the 3 different DPI settings that would use.

Annotated_images_custom_palettes.png

2) Flare PDF output, PDF reader is at 100% magnification - You can clearly see that the text bubbles are not consistent. Figure 11 text bubble is also oddly elongated and the pointers are rendered differently.

Annotated_images_PDF_at100.png

3) Flare PDF output, PDF reader is at 200% magnification - At 200% magnification, Figure 11 looks clearer but the text bubble for figure 10 is now pixelated (obviously a consequence of saving the *flattened* image at 96 DPI)

Annotated_images_PDF_at200.png

Now, let's look at what is reasonable to expect from any documentation tool. (i.e. consistent bubble text captions, text bubbles that do not pixelate (vector images))
4) Quickly done in Adobe (not important which Adobe tool b/c they all work this way). PDF at 100% magnification, all bubbles appear identical.

Annotated_images_PDF_at100_Adobe.png

5) PDF at 300% - All bubbles still look absolutely identical. I believe it is reasonable to expect this same quality from Flare! Adobe does it right by keeping the text bubble overlay as an independent vector image/text. MadCap Flare's method couldn't be more *WRONG*; that is, everything is flattened as a bitmap image at a selected DPI.

Annotated_images_PDF_at300_Adobe.jpg

I'm willing to work around MadCap Flare limitations, just tell me how to duplicate the quality achieved in the Adobe Publishing tool, please.

Thanks for your patience and assistance.

Thank you

[sdcinvan]

I just heard back from Madcap support and it isn't very encouraging news. Currently, there is no solution and a feature request, #91456 was made.

It's like I am the first person to want to incorporate annotations in documentation.

[Pernice]

I've just discovered this issue too. Sadly, still no fix (in Capture 7).