screen resolution on a PC 1

[angler2229]

I do educational "How To's" for my school using PageMaker using my PC. When I place a tif file of a screen shot into my file, the graphics is really blurry and "blocky."

If I select the object and send it to the back it becomes so clear that I can read the text on the object. If I move it or resize the object, it reverts to a blurred state.

This never happens on my Mac where I take a screen shot and simply paste the graphic into the file. The graphics are always crystal clear.

But since our school is making the switch from Mac to PC, I am now making all my screen shots using SnagIT and saving them as Tagged tifs. I use the File> Place command and link big files to the publication.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

angler

 

[Nohjekim]

Go to...

File/Preferences/General.

Set the Graphics Display setting to high resolution.

The lower resolution displayed by default is just to speed up redraw times.

Mike

 

[angler2229]

Mike,

Thanks, I never thought to look for that. The resolution on my Mac was always very WYSIWYG. I have only been using this PC for a year.

angler

 

[viol8ion]

The image you see in PM is more of a place holder than anything. Even with High Res on the screen, you will not have the clarity that you would in say, Photoshop. As long as the graphics were designed properly and placed properly, they will output just fine. When in doubt, deny all terms and defnitions.

http://www.wuli.com

 

[angler2229]

viol8ion

I understand how the links manager works. My beef was not being able to see what the graphic showed so that I could make comments about it. I had to keep switching to the dummy document where I was making the screen shots in order to see details in the graphic.

Last night I increased the res in the prefs, and it works just fine now.

BTW, it always printed just dandy - I just couldn't see what I was doing in the document. I'm getting old. Blind in one eye and can't see out of the other!

Thanks again!

angler

 

[viol8ion]

angler,

Tell me about eyesight! I am only 40 and mine is going quickly. Hence the ability of PM to allow high rez... but it does slow down redraws. And EPS will still look funky, the TIFFs will look better but still may have different colors or less clarity than in photoshop, depending on the image.

InDesign has a better interface that allows clean viewing of all graphics. It is a bit more expensive, but works very much like PM and may be something you would want to exp[lore if you do a lot of DTP. When in doubt, deny all terms and defnitions.

http://www.wuli.com

 

[jimoblak]

To defend against any possible disparaging comments about DTP on PCs, the image display setting is available on both Mac and PC. Both platforms could have given the same problem.

Angler said:
"If I select the object and send it to the back it becomes so clear that I can read the text on the object. If I move it or resize the object, it reverts to a blurred state."

...I have noticed this willy-nilly switching of resolutions as well (even after you have selected a display setting). I believe it is a bug with the way PageMaker displays images. You can simply hit CTRL-0 (full page), CTRL-1 (1x zoom), or CTRL-2 (2x zoom) to refresh the page.


Although it is possible to paste images directly into PageMaker, it is always best to use the 'Place' command instead so that you can edit the image at a later point. This also makes a smaller PageMaker file if you choose not to embed the images.

 

[angler2229]

jimoblak,

I risk being kicked out of this forum, but here it is - I am a serious MacHead and have been using the PC for only about two years. I , gulp, usually use my Mac if I have to do something fast or difficult. But since my school is switching to PC,s (you're getting a Dell, dude!), I have to go through all my "How To's" I did on the Mac and make them reflect the PC desktop, menus, and dialog boxes.

On my Mac I take a screen shot and open it in Simple Text, crop the image, copy it and paste. I always get sharp images on screen that print like they were EPS's. I can still crop them using the tool.

I noticed right away on my PC laptop that when I took a screen shot I had to open it in Paint. Ten or twelve steps later all I "Placed" was a bitmap graphic. I have started using SnagIT and saving the files as Tagged Tifs. It is very quick, but I was concerned about the screen quality.

I am getting used to the PC, but miss some of the perks of the Mac like being able to close all the windows at a keystroke. Ah! Progress.

Thanks,

angler

 

[viol8ion]

>>Although it is possible to paste images directly into PageMaker, it is always best to use the 'Place' command instead

I recommend to NEVER copy/paste an image into PM. The only exception is when copy/pasting from one PM doc to another, in which case all links are maintained and the graphic is not embedded. When in doubt, deny all terms and defnitions.

http://www.wuli.com

 

[Kristin5]

Hello.
I have been using Snagit to pull screenshots and insert into Pagemaker. The easiest way I get clear screenshots: Snag pic and save as jpeg or bitmap. Then, insert
(file) into MS Word. I then copy and special paste into Pagemaker. Sounds silly, but it works well.
Good Luck.

 

[angler2229]

Kristin,

Thanks for your info. I have gotten really used to using SnagIt. It is a wonderful piece of software well worth the cost!

I still tag everything as a Tiff when I place items into PM. I never get a complaint from my service bureau. Since I complete yearbooks for schools that lack the software or know-how, my tight schedules don't allow for much wiggle room.

I also teach graduate classes to our faculty through the University of Dayton and have converted all my How-To's into PC format including all those pesky dialog boxes that don't look the same.

Thanks again for your add.

Daniel

 

[Eggles]

And for those of you thinking of trying Kristin's method - going via Word - DON'T!!! In another thread she admits she is having problems, and it's no wonder given that workflow. Sorry Kristin.