Skew of image when inserting into Word 2003

[Vladimir Kotlyarov]

I have one small image - see attachment (don't ask me where I got it ).
When inserting it into Word and seeng its properties, X- and Y-scale are not
100% from start, i.e. Word sets some dimensions are different from original.
It's significant Word shows source dimensions correctly. Then, I press
"Reset" button, and source dimensions are restored. But when I press OK
button on image properties window, and call this window again, nothing is
changed - skewed dimensions return again.

It's not only this image behaves so badly - there's whole family of them.

How can I deal with these iamges to prevent skewing? Is there a rule what
images are skewed or not?

 

[Tim Murray]

I have one small image - see attachment (don't ask me where I got it ).
When inserting it into Word and seeng its properties, X- and Y-scale are not
100% from start, i.e. Word sets some dimensions are different from original.
It's significant Word shows source dimensions correctly. Then, I press
"Reset" button, and source dimensions are restored. But when I press OK
button on image properties window, and call this window again, nothing is
changed - skewed dimensions return again.

It's not only this image behaves so badly - there's whole family of them.

How can I deal with these iamges to prevent skewing? Is there a rule what
images are skewed or not?

That's such a grainy low-rez circle I don't know you you can even see that
it's skewed. For something like that can you use a TIFF or an EPS, which
would give you the best circle?

And for the PNG have you done a good old Save As in your graphics app?

 

[Vladimir Kotlyarov]

The same effect for TIFF. No difference.

 

[Tim Murray]

The same effect for TIFF. No difference.

Are you resizing? As I said it's such a poor circle I can't fathom how you'd
know it is skewed. Can you post a screen shot?

 

[Tim Murray]

Tim,

I attach picture properties window screenshot from my Word here just after
insertion of previously attached picture (I have Russian version, you can
substitute English field names). I've set Word units in points.

I swear I didn't make any sizing - only inserted and called Picture
Properties window at once. Look at underlined dimensions; see how they are
differ.

But nevertheless, it seems to me I discover the reason of this behavior.
Word simply aligns desired picture width and height to display pixel size.
For example, normal screen resolution is 96 DPI; therefore, one pixel has
1/96 inch size, or 0.75 pt (1 inch = 72 points). Pay attention on final
sizes (blue-underlined) - they are multiple of 0.75!
Then, if you set bigger display scale so that screen resolution becomes 120
DPI, one pixel will be equal 1/120 inch or 0.6 pt. And the same picture will
have both 7.2 pt width and height.

So, it's display pixel alignment.

NB: Word 2007 inserts pictures correctly, as specified in it's size.

You may be on to something about pixel alignment, but your math is misleading
you even though it sort of works out.

In the following all pairs of dimensions are height x width.

The actual image is not square. It is 31 x 29 pixels, and that is the only
unit of measure that counts. At 300 dpi it is 2.62 by 2.46 mm.

What is wrong is the math is that the resolution of a display really does not
mean a whole lot -- for years people put this value of 96 or 120 or 72 on a
screen, but it is just a number. Your screen's actual DPI is no more than its
resolution (say, 1024 by 768) divided by the actual width and height. Change
your monitor's horizontal scan size and your DPI changes too.

But I still think you are correct about Word. Word is a horrible application
for desktop publishing: It makes assumptions about your goal, and tries to
force things into what it thinks is correct. This is evident when importing
larger images like screen shots. Word tends to size the image to fit the body
flow. In Mac Word, importing the original PNG came in a 2,47 x 2,47 and 94%
x 101%. Then at the bottom where it says "original size" it shows 2.62 x
2.46.

So it looks like Word made the assumption that I wanted a square image.

In any case, I think you would save headache by creating a true square
canvas.