Annoying Problems Working & Saving to GIF

N
Posted By
noone
Jun 27, 2006
Views
400
Replies
3
Status
Closed
This is an annoying problem I’d like for someone to explain to me, and preferably solve.

Here’s my problem:

I’m scanning several pages of text that I want another person to look at and print out. I scan each page as follows:
B&W scan (1-bit) at 100% and 250 dpi.

Then I "Save" it as a GIF. I want resolution/print size FIXED so anyone opening the file will have it print to the same size.

Yet, when I open the file in any program, it opens as either 96 ppi (in MS Photo Editor) or 72 ppi (in CS2), and the print size at 100% is obviously way larger than I want it to be.

WTF? (Pardon my French)

Why can’t Photoshop create a specific ppi/print size GIF file of my choosing?

When I open the file again, and go into Image…Image Size, uncheck Resample Image, then change 72 ppi back to 250 to restore the print size I want, and then close the file, Photoshop asks if I want to save the changes I’ve made, and I say "YES" and either overwrite or rename; still, when I reopen the file, it goes back to 72 ppi! So frustrating!

I’m choosing GIF over JPG because I don’t want JPEG artifacts. GIF is the right choice for plain, black-on-white text.

———————————-

A related, equally annoying problem with CS2 and all earlier versions of Photoshop, is Photoshop’s inability to rotate a 1-bit B&W image in increments (using the measuring tool and Rotate…Arbitrary). What’s the big deal? In the free MS Office app Microsoft Photo Editor, I can rotate a 1-bit image in 1-degree increments. But in Photoshop I can’t.

What’s up with that?

Thanks
Joe

How to Master Sharpening in Photoshop

Give your photos a professional finish with sharpening in Photoshop. Learn to enhance details, create contrast, and prepare your images for print, web, and social media.

TT
Tom Thomas
Jun 27, 2006
JAckASs wrote:

This is an annoying problem I’d like for someone to explain to me, and preferably solve.

Here’s my problem:

I’m scanning several pages of text that I want another person to look at and print out. I scan each page as follows:
B&W scan (1-bit) at 100% and 250 dpi.

Then I "Save" it as a GIF. I want resolution/print size FIXED so anyone opening the file will have it print to the same size.

You can’t do that. The GIF file specification does not support print resolution. It is going to print based on the number of pixels. There is no such thing as DPI in the GIF file format. Why not use PDF instead?

Yet, when I open the file in any program, it opens as either 96 ppi (in MS Photo Editor) or 72 ppi (in CS2), and the print size at 100% is obviously way larger than I want it to be.

Yes. See above.

Why can’t Photoshop create a specific ppi/print size GIF file of my choosing?

Because the GIF format does not support it. It has nothing to do with Photoshop.

I’m choosing GIF over JPG because I don’t want JPEG artifacts. GIF is the right choice for plain, black-on-white text.

Neither GIF nor JPG are really intended for print. They are compressed formats intended for sending/viewing via computer where file size is an issue.

——————
Tom

Unsolicited advertisements cheerfully ignored.
T
Tacit
Jun 27, 2006
In article ,
JAckASs wrote:

Then I "Save" it as a GIF. I want resolution/print size FIXED so anyone opening the file will have it print to the same size.
Yet, when I open the file in any program, it opens as either 96 ppi (in MS Photo Editor) or 72 ppi (in CS2), and the print size at 100% is obviously way larger than I want it to be.

WTF? (Pardon my French)

Part of the GIF file format specification.

The GIF file format specification does not allow you to save resolution information in pixels per inch. It simply isn’t part of the spec; GIF doesn’t allow it. You can’t do what you want to do using GIF.

Use TIFF or some other format instead.


Art, photography, shareware, polyamory, literature, kink: all at http://www.xeromag.com/franklin.html
Nanohazard, Geek shirts, and more: http://www.villaintees.com
N
noone
Jun 27, 2006
On Tue, 27 Jun 2006 15:30:02 -0400, Tom Thomas
wrote:

JAckASs wrote:

Then I "Save" it as a GIF. I want resolution/print size FIXED so anyone opening the file will have it print to the same size.

You can’t do that. The GIF file specification does not support print resolution. It is going to print based on the number of pixels. There is no such thing as DPI in the GIF file format. Why not use PDF instead?

Thanks, I had no idea that GIF didn’t support print resolution.

You’re right, PDF would be a better choice.

Thanks again and to tacit (PDF would work better than TIFF, since there are 3 pages I want to send, one .pdf would be easier.)

Master Retouching Hair

Learn how to rescue details, remove flyaways, add volume, and enhance the definition of hair in any photo. We break down every tool and technique in Photoshop to get picture-perfect hair, every time.

Related Discussion Topics

Nice and short text about related topics in discussion sections