Microsoft Image Composer

[swash]

I am creating text grapics so that my heading font can show in all browsers.
I have 2 issues that I'm wondering if anyone else has had or have suggestions
for.

1. I couldnt find a way to make the composition area transparent so I
changed the color to match the background of my website. I've tried doing
the color picker as well as typing in the RGB value of the color I want (it
doesnt have an option for hex) but the color is always a little off. When i
save the image and go back and reopen it, the number has changed slightly
(like if i put in 255,51,153 it may show 253,51,151) so the match is not
exact.

2. When I save the graphic as GIF, the image comes out very grainy. Saving
as a jpeg gives it a bit better quality but since it's not a photo I would
have though gif would work.

3. The words come out a bit fuzzy. You almost don't notice it but of
course I do.

Any suggestion? Or do I need a different graphics program? I'm using
FP2003 but I was able to find my 2000 disk to get image composer.

Thanks

 

[Funkadyleik Spynwhanker]

1. Change the composition color to something easy (like pink) and then use
that RBG value when you save the file as a gif. There's a setting in the
save box you can use to get aside and set values, one of which is the
transparent color for the file. Also note, gifs have 256 colors, so there
is a very high probablity you picked a color that is not in the pallette, so
it's making a best guess and making a slightly off color one result. To
pick exactly, you need to customize the pallette of the gif with your RGB
value first, then pick that slot off the pallette.

2. You need to get some more advanced understanding of file formats. "jpg is
for photos" is what techies say when the person they are saying it two cant
or wont understand the real answer. Since you are finding flaws in this
rule, you are now ready to learn more. (Try Wikipedia.) Really though,
if it looks best as jpg and is reasonably small, use that format and don't
worry about it.

3. Yes. Jpg is a lossy format. Also note, in your save as box there are
ways to modify how lossy it is and adjust the quality.

4. Yeah. You probably need a new program... at the very least the folks that
remember Image Composer probably want to forget it. Try Photoshop Elements
or Paint Shop Pro for relatively inexpensive image editing for the web.

 

[Andrew Murray]

A different Graphics program - there are others like IrfanView (Free) and
Paintshop Pro (pay-for) and various others.

For myself, I've found Photoshop Elements saves GIFS very well (not grainy
like with MIC) with great quality and reasonably small file sizes.

I still use Image Composer to *make* the graphics (I find the layout of of
MIC to compose an image much easier to use) and copy & paste into PSE to
save the image as jpg/gif and also save the psd image.

 

[swash]

Hey. Well I took your advice and downloaded both irfanview and a trial
version of paintshop pro to test. I do agree that the interface for creating
graphics is easier with MIC. Here's the problem I'm having. My web
background is a very dark gray and the color of the text images is pink.
When I save as a GIF and set background color as trasparent and import into
my web, the the grapic looks spotty like it has white specks throughout it.
When I save as jpeg and set the background to blend into my web the words
appear slightly blurry. I tried sharpening the image but the letters dont
look as smooth when i do that. Now I'm thinking it has to do with my
background color because when i changed it to white the GIF doesnt appear
splotchy. I know that I've seen website with darker backgrounds so I know
there has to be something that I can do.

 

[Bob Lehmann]

When I save as a GIF and set background color as trasparent

the grapic looks spotty like it has white specks throughout it.

Set the background color of your gifs the same as the background color of
your page, and use that color as the transparency.

Bob Lehmann

 

[swash]

Thanks! looking much better by setting the color to the same as my
background and creating the image in MIC then pasting in irfanview to create
the GIF because it still looks crappy when creating the GIF in MIC.