RE: Illustrations in electronic publications and paper editions

Subject: RE: Illustrations in electronic publications and paper editions
From: "Jeroen Dekker" <jeroen -at- square1 -dot- nl>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Mon, 5 Apr 2004 14:10:09 +0200


From: Solena -dot- LEMOIGNE -at- fr -dot- thalesgroup -dot- com
Date: Fri, 2 Apr 2004 16:06:16 +0200

> The norm we use here requires .jpeg at 300 dpi and cgm
> files for the illustrations.

What seems to have been ignored in this thread thusfar is the fact that CGM is a metafile format that can handle both vector graphics and raster images, and that it can be used for print publications as well as for Web (HTML) distribution. As with the XML-standard SVG format mentioned by another poster, there are good free browser plug-ins available for end users to be able to render CGM inside their Web browser (e.g. ActiveCGM from Corel - formerly from Micrografx).

If Solena's illustrations start out as vector graphics (e.g. a CAD drawing of a Big Truck), this means that the whole discussion about resolution can be avoided altogether, since they will then automatically render at the native resolution of the display device, be it a 96dpi screen or a 1200 dpi printer. Should they be raster image (e.g. a photo of a Big Truck), then embedding it in a CGM shell means that the image will be scaled by the browser plug-in to fit within the window defined by the HTML page.

> When we generate a HTML output from our files, the .jpegs blow the whole
> thing up. We have normal text, and then the corner of a HUGE PICTURE way too
> big to display on the screen.

I would think that HTML enables you to have a JPEG images scaled on-the-fly to fit within a certain pixel space, so displaying at something else than 100% of its natural size.

In any case, it seems that it's impossible to calculate one optimal resolution for screen rendering, since the target audience is likely to use different screens with different resolutions. 72dpi, 81dpi, 96dpi, 150dpi... That also leads me to believe that you can have your HTML code fit raster images in your template. Having the browser scale down your 300dpi JPEG image will degrade the quality of on-screen rendering, but that's a fact of life with raster images.

Hope this helps. Regards,


Jeroen Dekker
--
Square One - The Graphics Connection
Visit http://www.square1.nl/index.htm
jeroen -at- square1 -dot- nl




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