Hi everyone,
I’d like to export my black and white Intaglio drawing to a paint program (Pixelmator).
Does anyone know what the best format is? It’s something I’m going to print out.
Thanks
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Hi Dave.
I always use PNG files (size and transparency).
Don’t forget to set your resolution output too. You have low, medium and high dpi settings
You find resolution under the layout menu.
Tom
On 15 Feb 2011, at 21:11, dave m wrote:
Hi everyone,
I’d like to export my black and white Intaglio drawing to a paint program (Pixelmator).Does anyone know what the best format is? It’s something I’m going to print out.
Thanks
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Thanks Tom,
By size I assume you mean that it makes for a smaller file size?
DaveM
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No, not necessarily. What it means is you get more “dots per inch” (dpi), meaning much higher resolution, and less pixelation.
You have to remember that Intaglio is vector based meaning that what you see is based on a mathematical model, not lots
of little squares. When you convert from a vector, you get lots of these little squares. Increase the dpi, and those squares get smaller.
So yes you do get a bigger file, but you also get a far superior result (in print)
OTOH, if you are designing stuff for web based use, then 72 or 96 is what you’ll be using. But I highly recommend that you save at the
highest resolution that you can happily deal with. Magazine spreads are usually at 150dpi, whereas posters are set at 300 dpi. You have 3 options
in the resolution, 72,150 and 300 dpi.
PNG files are in my opinion the new TIFF file. They are more like jpeg, but without the loss in quality (but far higher resolution for pretty much
the same size, but, unlike jpeg but like tiff’s, retain their alpha transparency). TIFF on the other hand, I am using less and less because they are too big.
The only downfall with png is Microsoft Internet Explorer version 6 and below, which can’t read png’s. If you need to be seen on IE6, use jpegs.
(Stupid Microsoft! 
)
I always save at 300dpi.
good luck!
Tom
On 15 Feb 2011, at 23:47, dave m wrote:
Thanks Tom,
By size I assume you mean that it makes for a smaller file size?
DaveM
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Tom,
Thanks again! Your explanation is very helpful.
Could tell me what “alpha transparency” is? I’ve never understood what that means.
DaveM
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Sure. This explains it better than I ever could!
On 16 Feb 2011, at 16:24, dave m wrote:
Could tell me what “alpha transparency” is? I’ve never understood what that means.
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I guess there wasn’t an easy answer!
Thanks!
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It’s anything but easy!
Alpha stands for transparency or translucency. The transparency is contained on an extra opaque layer, or channel, that is added to the image. In Photoshop, this is called the Alpha Channel. This opaque layer is often called an Alpha Channel Mask.
Pixelmator does not have a Channels palette, but it displays images to which an Alpha Channel Mask has been attached. It can also create transparent areas, or masks. For example:
The Freeway logo on the Softpress front page is a PNG with an alpha channel mask. Save it and open it in Pixelmator. the area outside the black circle is a grey checkered pattern; this is the transparent background.
Transparent backgrounds can be created in Pixelmator’s Masks palette.
Open an image, create a new Mask and give it a name.
Select the Mask and cut some of it away with the Lasso selection tool.
Export for Web and choose PNG as the format.
In Intaglio, select Import and choose the PNG. The part that was cutaway will be transparent.
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Now things are starting to make some sense. I wish they’d call it a layer and not a channel.
Tom- The PNG looks great. Particularly once I figured out that I had to set the resolution in Pixelmator also.
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Pixlemator sadly is not a great program, it looks good but falls short in many ways, as you have found. I wish I’d purchased PS elements instead but then it is a lot more expensive. You get what you pay for.
This is from the PM forum: http://www.pixelmator.com/support/viewtopic.php?t=5458&highlight=transparent
s
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Don’t forget Graphic Converter. Once you get your head around the slightly quirky interface its actually an excellent bit of software to have around and if you go for the free 6.7.4 its even better.
s
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OMG! Graphic converter though, is awful!
How you can associate Pixelmator with GC!? :?
Actually Paint.net is really, really good- but it’s windows only. 
Pixelmator works fine for transparent backgrounds, as long as you delete the
extra layer it sometimes makes, and yes, unfortunately Photoshop is still king in terms of flexibility and features.
On 18 Feb 2011, at 00:19, seoras wrote:
Don’t forget Graphic Converter. Once you get your head around the slightly quirky interface its actually an excellent bit of software to have around and if you go for the free 6.7.4 its even better.
s
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I have no idea what the Pixelmator guy is talking about. Deleting the white background and exporting to TIFF will end in a proper alpha-channel TIFF.
And for a simple conversion use MacOSX Preview.app to change file formats (or even size or color correction) from say PNG with alpha to
A: PNG without alpha channel
B: TIFF with/without alpha channel compressed/non-compressed
C: GIF/JPEG//-2000/Microsoft BMP/OpenEXR/PDF/Photoshop/PICT/SGI the exact formats QuickTime supports.
Cheers
Frank
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Hi Tom,
How you can associate Pixelmator with GC!? :?
Well just for one its a lot better at exporting for web. Given that its original intention is clearly ‘written on the tin’ I think it has developed very well. A bit of a swiss army knife.
Clearly GC is not PM but it has its own hidden talents. PM has some way to go to smooth away its various workarounds.
Lets be honest; if we had the money we would all go for the full Photoshop.
s
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The Pixel team are very quiet right now, not replying to posts. Do you not reckon that they may be hard at work right now,
rising to the challenges of our requests? Because I reckon that’s what they are up to- or at least what I hope they are up to.
If the just fix the automator actions, they’ll be on to a killer app.
On 18 Feb 2011, at 11:47, seoras wrote:
Hi Tom,
How you can associate Pixelmator with GC!? :?
Well just for one its a lot better at exporting for web. Given that its original intention is clearly ‘written on the tin’ I think it has developed very well. A bit of a swiss army knife.
Clearly GC is not PM but it has its own hidden talents. PM has some way to go to smooth away its various workarounds.Lets be honest; if we had the money we would all go for the full Photoshop.
s
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Ha:-)
The Pixel team are very quiet right now, not replying to posts. Do you not reckon that they may be hard at work right now, rising to the challenges of our requests?
I hope so.
Or they just might be on holiday having made a killing after launching on the Apps store.
s
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