Graphic Degradation - JPG 300dpi -->PNG 150 dpi

[Corky1310]

I just finished a book and layout by using MS Word 2007; converted it to a
PDF (with all the appropriate setting to preserve the high resolution), and
the printer notified me all my graphics were between 150 and 96 dpi -- 300
dpi is required. All the Graphics that I inserted into the Word 2007 doc
were 300 dpi JPEGs! How can this be?

After doing so research this is what I found.

If I insert a 300 DPI JPG into Word, it is transformed to a 150 DPI PNG. If
I insert a 150 dpi JPG, Word turns it into a 96 dpi PNG.

How did I determine this? By copying the image from the PDF Conversion or
directly from the word document to a new file and then using the MS Office
Picture Manager to look at the picture properties. Picture Manager shows the
original files as either 300 dpi or 150 dpi JPGs. After inserting them in
Word, they are converted to PNGs at half the original resolution.

Can anyone explain what is going on? This is holding my project up.

 

[Corky1310]

Another clue. . . . I just coverted the JPG 300dpi image to a PNG 300dpi
image. When I insert into word it changes the PNG 300dpi to 150dpi.

How do I retain the original resolution of these images?

 

[Bob Buckland ?:-\)]

Hi Corky,

In this case the tool you're using, MS Office Picture Manager, where you're copying and pasting (i.e. using the clipboard) isn't a
reliable basis for determining the pixel per inch resolution of pictures put into a document using Insert=>Picture.

First check, open the graphics in a program such as http://irfanview.com and then look at Image=>Information to see if the PPI value
has in fact been saved in the document. Sizing a picture to a certain 'resolution' and embedding that value into the graphic itself
aren't always the same thing.

Second check, select an inserted picture in the document and then on the Word 2007 Picture Tools=>Format ribbon click on the
launcher at the bottom right of the 'size' group. Assuming that the picture was not larger than the margins of the page when
inserted, check the Height/Width and Scale values. Is it scaled at 100% and is the size the original one?

What is the brand and version of tool you're using to create the PDF files and what are the settings you're making there?

===================
I just finished a book and layout by using MS Word 2007; converted it to a
PDF (with all the appropriate setting to preserve the high resolution), and
the printer notified me all my graphics were between 150 and 96 dpi -- 300
dpi is required. All the Graphics that I inserted into the Word 2007 doc
were 300 dpi JPEGs! How can this be?

After doing so research this is what I found.

If I insert a 300 DPI JPG into Word, it is transformed to a 150 DPI PNG. If
I insert a 150 dpi JPG, Word turns it into a 96 dpi PNG.

How did I determine this? By copying the image from the PDF Conversion or
directly from the word document to a new file and then using the MS Office
Picture Manager to look at the picture properties. Picture Manager shows the
original files as either 300 dpi or 150 dpi JPGs. After inserting them in
Word, they are converted to PNGs at half the original resolution.

Can anyone explain what is going on? This is holding my project up. >>
--

Bob Buckland ?
MS Office System Products MVP

*Courtesy is not expensive and can pay big dividends*

 

[Corky1310]

Bob, thanks for your helpful suggestions. Using IrfanView, I verified the
orginal JPEG was 300 DPI. I resized the image with IrfanView to 3" x 3" and
maintained the resolution at 300 dpi, and saved it as a PNG (since it seems
like Word converts my JPGs to PNGs anyway. I verified the dimensions and
resolution with IrfanView.

I inserted that 300 dpi PNG image into Word and verified as you suggested
that the image was propertly sized and at 100%. I then copied and pasted the
image as a file, and examined it wit IrfanView - - it now showed up as a 150
dpi PNG.

For some reason, MS WORD 2007 is changing my images. This seems contrary to
most of the problems I am reading on forums where people complain that when
they insert a high resolution image that the Word file increases dramatically
and they are looking for ways to decrease the resolution. I need to preserve
the resolution of the images I am inserting.

 

[Bob Buckland ?:-\)]

Hi Corky,

If you're pasting it into the MS Office Picture Manager that would be where the reduction is occuring, you can't rely on the
clipboard implementation between apps to retain all of the graphics property. If you use
Start=>Programs=>Accessories=>Paint
and paste it from Word to MS-Paint the same PNG graphic (Image=>Attributes) may show that it's 81 PPI.

Create a new empty folder and use Office Button=>Save As=>
and choose 'Web Page' as the format. Then in Windows explorer, navigate to the folder you created and locate your graphic
(Image001.png) would be the default name Word uses as default. Open that .PNG file in Irfanview. Does it still show it's 300
PPI?

With the document open in Word check in
Office Button=>Word Options=>Advanced=>General=>[Web Options]
set the Picture resolution to 300 PPI by typing it in.

===========
Bob, thanks for your helpful suggestions. Using IrfanView, I verified the
orginal JPEG was 300 DPI. I resized the image with IrfanView to 3" x 3" and
maintained the resolution at 300 dpi, and saved it as a PNG (since it seems
like Word converts my JPGs to PNGs anyway. I verified the dimensions and
resolution with IrfanView.

I inserted that 300 dpi PNG image into Word and verified as you suggested
that the image was propertly sized and at 100%. I then copied and pasted the
image as a file, and examined it wit IrfanView - - it now showed up as a 150
dpi PNG.

For some reason, MS WORD 2007 is changing my images. This seems contrary to
most of the problems I am reading on forums where people complain that when
they insert a high resolution image that the Word file increases dramatically
and they are looking for ways to decrease the resolution. I need to preserve
the resolution of the images I am inserting.
--
Corky >>
--

Bob Buckland ?
MS Office System Products MVP

*Courtesy is not expensive and can pay big dividends*

 

[macropod]

Hi Corky,

The dpi figures returned by any graphics app is pure nonsense so far as actual print resolution is concerned. Images don't have a
dpi (dots-per-inch) value. All they've got is a certain number of pixels. What the dpi figures tell you is how the nominal print
size of the image is being worked out. Plus, dpi is a printer resolution, not an image resolution. To match a 300dpi print, you need
300ppi (pixels per inch), or a multiple thereof.

What you really need to know is that your image has enough pixels for its size to print at the required resolution. If you require
300ppi and you've got a 6*4in image, then the image needs to have 1800*1200 pixels. The important point to note here is that the
image size you have to work with is the size you've scaled the image to in Word. If your 1800*1200 pixel image from your graphics
app is scaled to 9*6in in Word, then it'll only have a 200ppi resolution.

The other point to note is that some PDF writers automatically downsample images when their resolution exceeds a certain threshhold.
With Adobe Acrobat Professional, you can vary the threshhold.

Copying an image from the screen to a grpahics app is a poor way to determine the displayed image's resolution - if you get the
actual resolution, it's probably pure luck.

FWIW, Word doesn't downsample embedded images - anything of that nature us up to the printer/pdf converter.