Adobe Fireworks CS3 Tutorials
Optimizing Images / Optimizing GIFs/PNGs/TIFFs/BMPs
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Subtitles of the Movie (Adobe Fireworks CS3 / Optimizing Images / Optimizing GIFs/PNGs/TIFFs/BMPs)
Each of the graphic file formats in Fireworks has it's own set of optimization options. However, for the most part, only the 8-bit file types including GIF, PNG8, TIF8, BMP8, and PICT8, offer a significant amount of optimization control with the one exception being the JPG file type, which I'll talk about in the next movie. Fireworks optimization settings are similar for all of these 8-bit graphic file formats. For Web file formats, such as GIF and PNG, you can also specify the amount of compression you want on the graphic. So in this movie, let me focus in on some specific optimization techniques and skills for working with all of these file formats, except JPG, which I'll cover, again, in the next movie. You can optimize all of these 8-bit file types by adjusting their color palettes. Fewer colors in the palette generally means fewer colors in the image, resulting in a smaller file size. The drawback to reducing colors is that it can also diminish image quality. You tend to get banding, and not a good gradient of colors when you start to reduce a lot of the colors in the image. As you experiment with different optimization settings, you can use the two-up and four-up views to test and compare the graphic's appearance and estimated file size. Now, something that's new from previous versions of Fireworks is that all the file types mentioned here, except for PICT, which is only supported on the Macintosh version of Fireworks, can be saved in their original formats. You do this from the File, Save As dialog here, and notice on the bottom you have PNG, as well as GIF, TIF, and WMP, right there, for Windows bitmap. Now to reduce file sizes you'll probably want to remove unused colors. Removing unused colors from an image before exporting will make the file size smaller. However, this option is only available for GIFs and other of these 8-bit graphic file formats. To remove unused colors go to the Optimize Panel in the contextual menu in the upper right-hand corner. Make sure there's a checkmark next to Remove Unused Colors. To include all colors in the palette, including colors that are not present in the Export or Saved image, deselect that option. Let me now say a few words about interlacing. When viewed in a Web browser, interlaced images appear gradually while they're downloading. You may have noticed these on a Website with a slower connection, for example, in which the images gradually kind of get into focus. They display at a low resolution first, and then transition to a full resolution by the time the download is complete. This option is only available for GIF and PNG, or ping file formats. You can get similar results with a JPG by making it progressive, which I'll talk about in a little while. To set up interlacing from the contextual menu here in the Optimize Panel, make sure there's a check mark next to Interlaced. That'll set up this progressive kind of visualization, or interlacing, when this image loads into the browser. Again, this option is only available for GIFs and PNGs. If I change my file format to TIF, notice that the interlaced option is grayed out. Let me now move on to the next movie and give you some specific optimization techniques for JPG files.
Tutorial Information
| Course: | Adobe Fireworks CS3 |
| Author: | James Gonzalez |
| SKU: | 33836 |
| ISBN: | 1-934743-42-9 |
| Release Date: | 2008-01-25 |
| Duration: | 8.5 hrs / 93 lessons |
| Work Files: |
Yes |
| Captions: | No |
| Compatibility: |
Vista/XP/2000, OS X, Linux QuickTime 7, Flash 8 |
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