General Questions Thread

[Sephi]

Originally Posted by Zaku Hyuga

What is the best file type to save a picture as to keep the image quality high but the file size low?

Depends if you want lossy or lossless. And perhaps it's easier to just say what your going to use it for.

If you want lossy and for web(signatures). I would say JPEG. there are other formats that do better than JPEG iirc. But there not very common or well supported.

Lossless would be PNG-24. But odds are you will break the sig rule if you use a PNG-24. Of course there are other formats like TIFF and so. But not recommended to use for web.

[-KarumA-]

if you want to use it for.. lets say websites, animation or want to add it in a video of some sort.. then it is best to use png
not saying for sigs but for makign a website.. soemtimes jpeg can be a handfullf or those kind of things (mostly when you want to animated it)

[Aoie_Emesai]

Of couse if you wanted quality, go PNG 24 like Sephi said, but like me I cannot fit a 400x120+ PNG format into my sigs so it has to be either jpeg or gif. I had a hard enough time fitting a 4 frame gif into the 50kb limit.

[Ledgem]

Originally Posted by Zaku Hyuga

What is the best file type to save a picture as to keep the image quality high but the file size low?

JPEG, easily. JPEG offers you the most versatility with regard to this. It allows you to choose quality on a scale of 0 to 100. If your image is 1 KB too large, just knock the quality down by 1. You probably won't even be able to tell the difference, but the filesize could be reduced by a fair bit.

PNG-24 is lossess and also offers you transparency. Because it is lossless you have absolutely no control over the file size. Arguably you can have some slight control by choosing different PNG compression engines, but the differences aren't that great. Don't use PNG-24 for the web.

PNG-8 is lossy and similar to GIF, with the exception that GIF supports animations. Both PNG-8 and GIF are decent fileisize-wise, but the quality can't compete with JPEG because they're much more limited in what colors they can use (I think the max number of colors they can use is 256, whereas JPEG can use thousands or millions). The colors make a big difference if you're working with pictures that have subtle color gradients or wide varieties of color. Using GIF or PNG-8 in those situations results in a grainy appearence. The control you have over GIF and PNG-8 file sizing generally has to do with choosing the appropriate amount of colors to use and adjusting the dithering level (dithering being how it adjusts the pixels to make the appearence of smooth colors).

Use them appropriately. If you just want a regular image with maximized quality, JPEG. If you want to use transparency, GIF or PNG-8. If you want to make an animation, GIF. PNG-24 really has no place among regular web images unless file size/bandwidth isn't a concern and you're posting up camera shots that have been converted from RAW format (thus ensuring absolutely no quality loss), posting original works, or want to preserve an image as completely as possible.

[KholdStare]

Originally Posted by Zaku Hyuga

What is the best file type to save a picture as to keep the image quality high but the file size low?

If you want a quick, straight to the point answer:

1) When in doubt, use JPEG.
2) If you want parts of the picture to be transparent, use PNG, but if you don't care or have no clue what this means, use JPEG.
3) If you want your picture animated, use GIF.

[felix]

Originally Posted by Zaku Hyuga

What is the best file type to save a picture as to keep the image quality high but the file size low?

And what is your definition of quality?

• Details: There is none which is good for the web. Go for png-24 or a Jpeg (at 90-95 quality; 85 sometimes, when not dealing with red tones).
• Decent Looks: Jpeg (quality: 60-80; maybe 50 sometimes)

For simple graphics try the SVG format etc.

[Whitemoon648]

How many hours usually do japanese students usually study/week or day?

1) One to get into a decent Highschool
2) to get into a Good university


Question mainly aimed at people who have actually been in japan. However if you have any Info about it, then please do tell .

[LiberLibri]

Originally Posted by Whitemoon648

How many hours usually do japanese students usually study/week or day?

1) One to get into a decent Highschool
2) to get into a Good university

Question mainly aimed at people who have actually been in japan. However if you have any Info about it, then please do tell .

I cannot give the answer for the first question because I skipped the highschool entrance exam. There are integrated mid+high schools in Japan.

And, as for the second question...

In old days, students were told the motto "pass for four, fail for five" (yon-tou-go-raku). It meant that if you want to get into a good university, you must not sleep for more than four hours a day. Babyboomers (born in 1947-49) and their children (born in late 60's - early 70's) suffered from the high competition.

Today there are less children and more universities, therefore the exam pressure is much less strict. I entered so-called one of the most eminent unis, but I had slept for more than six hours a day during the preparation period.
In my experience, I studied in the busiest term

6 hours at school + 2 hours jyuku + 2 hours self-learning (on weekdays)
6 hours self-learning (at weekends)

However it undoubtedly depends on each person's ability. If I had been a genius, I would have needed less studying time.

[Aoie_Emesai]

Originally Posted by Ledgem

JPEG, easily. JPEG offers you the most versatility with regard to this. It allows you to choose quality on a scale of 0 to 100. If your image is 1 KB too large, just knock the quality down by 1. You probably won't even be able to tell the difference, but the filesize could be reduced by a fair bit.

PNG-24 is lossess and also offers you transparency. Because it is lossless you have absolutely no control over the file size. Arguably you can have some slight control by choosing different PNG compression engines, but the differences aren't that great. Don't use PNG-24 for the web.

PNG-8 is lossy and similar to GIF, with the exception that GIF supports animations. Both PNG-8 and GIF are decent fileisize-wise, but the quality can't compete with JPEG because they're much more limited in what colors they can use (I think the max number of colors they can use is 256, whereas JPEG can use thousands or millions). The colors make a big difference if you're working with pictures that have subtle color gradients or wide varieties of color. Using GIF or PNG-8 in those situations results in a grainy appearence. The control you have over GIF and PNG-8 file sizing generally has to do with choosing the appropriate amount of colors to use and adjusting the dithering level (dithering being how it adjusts the pixels to make the appearence of smooth colors).

Use them appropriately. If you just want a regular image with maximized quality, JPEG. If you want to use transparency, GIF or PNG-8. If you want to make an animation, GIF. PNG-24 really has no place among regular web images unless file size/bandwidth isn't a concern and you're posting up camera shots that have been converted from RAW format (thus ensuring absolutely no quality loss), posting original works, or want to preserve an image as completely as possible.

I wish CS2 had an option like that. It only gives you a compression from 1 - 12 and each one the size jump about 10kb each

[Ledgem]

Originally Posted by Aoie_Emesai

I wish CS2 had an option like that. It only gives you a compression from 1 - 12 and each one the size jump about 10kb each

Photoshop CS2 and JPEG? It's had this option since Photoshop 7.0, if I remember right, and possibly even earlier. Just make sure that you're choosing to "Save for web & devices" (in Photoshop 7 I believe it was just "Save optimized" or "Save for web") instead of "Save as." The rest should be self-evident.

Edit: In case it isn't evident or people weren't aware of this feature, "save for web" lets you preview what your output will look like. The true strength of this feature in my opinion is the "4-up" view. This splits your window into four panes, each focusing on the same area of the image. Click one of the panes and adjust some settings - say, make it a JPEG at 85 quality. Now go to another pane and make it a JPEG at 70 quality. Move around the image in any pane and all panes move as well. Now you can really see the difference. You can also compare JPEG with other formats this way. When you're happy with one, click that pane and then use the save button to create the file. There is a Zoom and a Hand tool along the left side so that you can adjust your view in the preview panes (all panes are synchronized).

If 4-up is overkill for you, there is also a single view and a 2-up view. It's the same thing as 4-up, just with less preview panes. In other words, you can see more.

The views will also display the output filesize (along with an estimated download time on a 56k dialup connection) and you should have some more output optimization options than if you simply used "save as." If you haven't been using this feature, you should be! It's incredibly useful!

[Zaku Hyuga]

WOW!!!!Thanks for all of the responses I was mainly asking for the pictures to be used in signatures and I got my answer thanks.

[Aoie_Emesai]

Originally Posted by Ledgem

Photoshop CS2 and JPEG? It's had this option since Photoshop 7.0, if I remember right, and possibly even earlier. Just make sure that you're choosing to "Save for web & devices" (in Photoshop 7 I believe it was just "Save optimized" or "Save for web") instead of "Save as." The rest should be self-evident.

Edit: In case it isn't evident or people weren't aware of this feature, "save for web" lets you preview what your output will look like. The true strength of this feature in my opinion is the "4-up" view. This splits your window into four panes, each focusing on the same area of the image. Click one of the panes and adjust some settings - say, make it a JPEG at 85 quality. Now go to another pane and make it a JPEG at 70 quality. Move around the image in any pane and all panes move as well. Now you can really see the difference. You can also compare JPEG with other formats this way. When you're happy with one, click that pane and then use the save button to create the file. There is a Zoom and a Hand tool along the left side so that you can adjust your view in the preview panes (all panes are synchronized).

If 4-up is overkill for you, there is also a single view and a 2-up view. It's the same thing as 4-up, just with less preview panes. In other words, you can see more.

The views will also display the output filesize (along with an estimated download time on a 56k dialup connection) and you should have some more output optimization options than if you simply used "save as." If you haven't been using this feature, you should be! It's incredibly useful!

You are correct, Ledgem. Silly me, i don't use save as "web". But thanks for that info ^^.

[King Lycan]

lol have you mods ever got any Infractions ever be banned before

[NightWish]

Originally Posted by King Lycan

have you mods ever got any Infractions ever be banned before

Personally, no; generally, yes, some of the staff have infractions. I do not recall us ever needing to ban a member of staff.

[NoSanninWa]

Well, we haven't had to ban a moderator or give one an infraction AFTER they've become a moderator, but at least one moderator was a reformed troublemaker and a few moderators had some minor infractions on their record.

[Whitemoon648]

Originally Posted by NightWish

Personally, no; generally, yes, some of the staff have infractions. I do not recall us ever needing to ban a member of staff.

Who ?

Originally Posted by NoSanninWa

Well, we haven't had to ban a moderator or give one an infraction AFTER they've become a moderator, but at least one moderator was a reformed troublemaker and a few moderators had some minor infractions on their record.

Reformed troublemaker ? so curious now ?



So here is my silly question. Who was the reformed trouble maker ?

[King Lycan]

There not gonna answer that
But im think about making an Favorite Mod Thread in the General thread...is it ok ??

[Aoie_Emesai]

Originally Posted by King Lycan

There not gonna answer that
But im think about making an Favorite Mod Thread in the General thread...is it ok ??

that would be pretty much be nothing more than spam, i wouldn't recommend it.

[KholdStare]

Technically it could be in the feedback forum...but I don't think anything else would come from that.

[Whitemoon648]

Originally Posted by Aoie_Emesai

that would be pretty much be nothing more than spam, i wouldn't recommend it.

Spam all you want subforum would be soooo good . Well i guess it would be off-topic to mention it it here, so i shall ask a question and my question will no longer be a Off-topic post.


Does rep system works in a every 100 /one mark fashion? Is it the same when you get higher levels? like do you need to get 100 points to get from 5 to 6 marks or more?