Sunday 7 November 2010

Optimising Images + Storing Image Assests

Optimising Images

Optimising images is when you change an images quality or size to make them fit better purposes. For example optimising an image for a smart phone version f a website, You would reduce the image size and quality for fast download times. Reducing the DPI and colours shown in pictures to reduce the file size even further.When optimising images there are many possible things to change such as: Size of image, quality of image, DPI of an image, file types or the number of the colours in an image. Before optimising an imgage you MUST save your origanal file as you nomaly save them in lossy compression.

Storing image assests and other files

Having good organized files is good when coming to store your files, having clearly labelled folders and sub-folders can help locate your files. when saving the files its good to give extra information in the filename like the DPI or how many coulours are shown.

Monday 1 November 2010

Scanners + Cameras and Graphics Tablets

What is a graphics tablet

A graphics tablet is a tool that is connected to a computer via USB and they allow you to draw into the computer They come in many different shapes and sizes and the costs can vary from £80 to £3000 depending on size and sensitivity. Graphics tablets can detect pressure so it can tell when you're pressing hard/soft to create thick or fine lines. Expensive graphics tablets can detect around 300 levels of  pressure where as a cheaper one would maybe only be able to detect 20 different pressures.
The cost of graphics tablets is dependent on the size of the tablet (sizes can vary from A5+) and the sensitivity of it.

Cameras

There are 3 different types of cameras. Phone cameras, Point and shoot, and DLSR. Cameras produce images using pixels, 1 Mega Pixel means 1,000,000 pixels.

DLSR - Digital Single Lens Reflex Camera
These cameras are used by professionals. They're very expensive (ranging from £300-£3000) but produce very good pictures because they can display 20+ mega pixels and have very good optics which help create the professional images that it creates. This camera would be used to take pictures of textures or anything that needs a high quality image. You wouldn't carry these cameras around because they can be very heavy, prone to breaking, and it's possible that they could be stolen.
Point and Shoot
These cameras are the ones in the middle. They produce good images, displaying around 5-15 mega pixels, they use optical zoom and they can cost around £75-£300. These cameras are used to take images of ideas that can be used in the future. They're not as good as DLSR cameras but they are cheaper and lighter making them more efficient if you want to take them around with you.

Camera Phones
Camera phones are a good portable camera. Most cameras on phones can create images consisting of 2-8 mega pixels but because they are not designed to be cameras then the images aren't as good as dedicated cameras. They use digital zoom instead of optical, this is not as good as it can pixelate the image. However camera phones are convenient if you forgot your main camera and you need to take a low detail snap shot of something.

Scanners
A scanner is a device that allows you to scan images on paper to a computer to be altered. There are 4 types of scanner: Flatbed scanners, Hand scanners, Negative scanners and drum scanners.

Flatbed Scanners
These scanners come in A4 size so they're perfect for scanning pieces of A4 paper but anything bigger you'll have to scan 2 or 3 times. A flatbed scanner can produce images at about 4800dpi. These scanners can cost around £30-£300 and can be inconvenient if you want to scan 50 pieces of paper because you would have to do them all separately.

Hand Scanners
These scanners produce poor quality images at around 300dpi but they're very cheap and they can scan more weird shapes. They can cost around £20+

Drum Scanners
These scanners are very expensive at around £5000+ but they create high quality images at around 10000dpi. These scanners are also good for scanning bulks of paper as you can put them all in at once and it will scan them all for you.in one go where as with other scanners you would have to do them all separately.

Negative Scanners
These are scanners that scan old negative images, they can cost around £100 and they can create images with 4800dpi and it can scan 4-5 images at once.