DIGITAL GRAPHICS & ANIMATION

Complete LESSON 2Importing and Exporting Graphics

Copyright Laws p. 41

Although many sources allow you to download or scan images for your personal use, in other cases acquiring images without permission is illegal.

Copyright laws protect artists and photographers just as they protect authors.

Copyright Laws In addition, even original photographs

may cause problems if they include other people or other people’s property in the picture without their permission.

You may need to have people who appear in your photographs sign a release, allowing you to use the picture, particularly if it will appear in a publication or website.

Copyright Laws For images from other sources,

sometimes you can obtain permission to use them by writing or e-mailing the owner.

In some cases, you may be asked to pay a fee.

Even when you obtain permission, you should always site the source of the image.

Copyright Laws You can do this by adding a caption to

the image or by creating a list of sources similar to a bibliography.

You should include the name of the artist, the title of the image, the source where you obtained the image, the copyright date, which is the date the was originally published, and the date you downloaded or acquire d the image.

Importing & Exporting Graphics You can acquire graphics files in a number

of ways without having to draw original artwork.

You can use clip art files, which are images already saved in a graphics file format.

You can scan printed material, capture original photographs with a digital camera, or even draw on a graphics tablet.

Importing & Exporting Graphics

You can insert the images into other documents or files, or import them for use in your graphics program.

Importing makes a file available for editing.

Importing & Exporting Graphics

Before you can use any hardware device to acquire pictures, the device must be correctly attached to your computer – or your computer network – and installed

Attaching the device usually means physically connecting the cables from the device to your computer.

Importing & Exporting Graphics

Installing the device also means installing the software that comes with the device and making sure the device driver works.

The device driver is a software program that enables your computer to communicate with the hardware device.

Importing & Exporting Graphics The driver usually comes on a CD with

the device, or you can download it from the manufacturer’s website.

Once you finish editing your graphics files, you can export them for use in other programs.

Exporting stores the file so that it can be opened and used by other types of computer programs.

Scan Images

When you have a printed image that you want to convert into a graphics file, use a scanner.

A scanner is a hardware device that uses light to capture a digital version of a picture, which is then stored as a graphic file on your computer.

Scan Images Most programs support scanning and

TWAIN, which is the software language that is used to control scanners, you can probably import the image directly into the program of your choice.

For example, you can scan an image into your desktop publishing program so you can include it in a publication.

Keep copyright laws in mind when selecting images to scan.

Scan Images

Scanners usually include settings for scanning in color, black and white or grayscale, as well as for scanning text.

When the scan is complete, the image is displayed as a new, unnamed file in the program window, if you fail to name it.

Acquire Images from a Digital Camera Digital cameras make it easy to take

original photographs that you can transfer as files to your computer.

When a digital camera is correctly connected to a computer, most operating systems read the camera as just another disk drive.

That makes it easy to use the copy and paste commands to transfer the files from the camera to your hard disk

Acquire Images from a Digital Camera

Then, you can use the open command in your graphics program to open the file

“My Computer” displays the storage devices installed on your computer system, including the camera

Open Different File Formats

Most graphics programs are associated with a default file format or file type.

The file format is the way the data in a file is stored.

Sometimes, the default file format for a particular program is called the native file format.

Open Different File Formats Most programs also let you open files

that have been saved in a compatible file format.

A compatible file format is one that a program can open, read, and save, even if it is not the default.

Sometimes compatible files are referred to simply as readable files.

Acquire Clipart Many programs come with clip art

collections or you can buy clip art on a disk or CD.

You can also download some clipart from the Internet.

If you want to edit or modify a clip art image, you can open the file in your graphics program.

Acquire Clipart

If you want to use the image as is, simply insert it directly into a file of your choice. For example, you can insert clip art

into a report, web page, or presentation file.

Download images from the Internet Downloading copies the file from

the web site to your computer. To find a list of clip art sites use your

favorite search site and search for the key term “clip art”.

A search site is a web site that helps you locate a web page even if you don’t know the page’s address.

Download images from the Internet Some sites have download procedures for

copying clipart files to your hard disk, or you can use your browser’s Save As command to save the image as a graphics file on your computer.

You must have access to the Internet in order to locate and download clip art files.

Your computer must be connected to the Internet and you must have an account with an Internet Service Provider

Optimize and Export Images When you want to convert a file to

a different format, you use the export command.

Exporting converts a copy of a file to a different format, while leaving the original file intact.

There are many reasons to export files to a different file format.

Optimize and Export Images

If you plan to insert the file on a web page, you want to use a small file that is supported by most web browsers, such as GIF.

If an image has solid colors, or very few colors, GIF is also appropriate

If you want to insert a file in a newsletter that will be printed, you want to use a file type such as TIFF, which reproduces well on paper

Optimize and Export Images

Color photos usually are best saved as JPEG, but some grayscale and lack and white photos can be saved as GIF without loss of quality.

Before you can export a graphic, you should optimize it for the export file format.

Optimizing involves selecting options for the best combination of file size and quality, depending on the export format you select.

About Optimizing a file In general, the goal of optimizing is to keep

the file size as small as possible, while maintaining the highest possible quality.

If you are working with 8-bit graphics file formats such as GIF, TIFF, BMP, PICT, or PNG, the optimization options include color palette, color depth, dither, and loss settings

A color palette is a set of up to 256 colors that may be used in a file.

About Optimizing a file

Some palettes use websafe colors, which are colors that are displayed the same way in all web browsers; to ensure that all visitors to a web page see the same colors in images.

About Optimizing a file Color depth refers to the number of

colors in an image or on a screen. The depth of an image is usually

measured by the number of colors in the image.

The depth of a screen is usually measured in bits per pixels

The higher the color depth in an image, the larger the file size is, but the better the quality as well.

About Optimizing a file Dithering is a process a program uses

to approximate colors that are not part of its color palette.

The colors displayed may be similar to those in the original image, but not exactly the same

Dithering usually increases file size Use dithering to offset the way some

monitors display gradients as separate bands of color instead of as a gradual change

About Optimizing a file

The loss setting is used to control compression.

Increase the loss setting to allow more compression, which results in a smaller file but lower quality.

About Optimizing a file If you select the JPEG file type, you

should set the quality and smoothing options.

Smoothing is the degree of sharpness in edges.

When you increase the smoothing setting, you decrease the sharpness, which results in a smaller file, but a less focused image.

About Optimizing a file

When you compress a JPEG file, some quality is lost.

Set the quality percentage higher to maintain quality and minimize compression

Optimization settings are applied to the exported file, not to the original file

Use an Export Wizard Not all graphics programs offer an export

wizard, but if yours does, you may find it a quick and easy way to export files.

A wizard is a series of pages or dialog boxes that step you through a process that may otherwise be confusing or complicated.

An Export Wizard provides prompts that help you select the appropriate file type based on the image quality and file size needed

Lesson 2

Daily Grades

FAST FACTS

Most graphics programs can import pictures directly from a digital camera

Graphics programs can open compatible files.

Many Web Sites let you download clip art for free.

FAST FACTS You can insert clipart pictures into

document files, or you can open them in your graphics program for editing.

You can export files from your graphics program so you can use them in other programs.

When you export a file, you have the opportunity to optimize the file by selecting options from the export file format

FAST FACTS You can import graphics images from a

a variety of sources, including scanners, digital cameras, and the Internet.

In order to import graphics using a hardware device, you must make sure the device is correctly attached and installed to work with your computer.

Fast Facts

You can scan images directly into a graphics program or into a document file.

You can use your operating system to copy files from a digital camera to your computer.

Lesson 2T/F Questions

1. The only way to acquire a graphics image is to draw it yourself.

2. A scanner uses light to capture a digital version of a printed picture.

3. TWIX is th software language used to control scanners.

4. Most computers can read a digital camera just like another disk drive if it is attached correctly to the computer.

5. Most graphics programs can open only files saved in their native file format

Lesson 2T/F Questions

6. Before you can insert clip art into a document, you must open it in your graphics program.

7. Use the Save Picture As command to download clipart.

8. When you export a file to a different format, it overwrites the original file.

9. When you use a wizard to export a file, you do not have the opportunity to optimize settings.

10. Dithering usually increases file size.

Lesson 2Written Questions

1. What are some of the different hardware devices you can use to acquire graphic images?

2. What are some reasons for exporting a file from your graphics program?

3. How might you find clip art pictures on the Internet?

4. Why might you want to scan a picture into your graphics program instead of directly into a document file?

5. What operating system commands can you use to transfer files from a digital camera to your computer?

Lesson 2Fill in the Blank Questions

1. If a program supports the _____ software language, you can use it to import pictures from a scanner.

2. To open a file in a different program, ______ it from the graphics program

3. If a digital camera s correctly attached to your computer, you’ll see it listed as a storage device in the ____ window

4. The default file format for a particular program may be referred to as the _____ file format.

5. A(n) _____ format is one that a program can open, read, and save, even if it is not the default.

Lesson 2Fill in the Blank Questions

6. A(n) _____ helps you locate a We page, even if you do not know th page’s address.

7. Use your browser’s _____ command to save a clip art image on the Web as a graphics file on your computer.

8. In order to download clip art, your computer must be connected to the Internet and you must have a(n) _____ with an Internet Service Provider (ISP)

9. If a graphics file retains its resolution no matter what type of screen it is displayed on, it is suitable for use on a(n) _____.

10. A(n) _____ is a series of pages or dialog boxes that step you through a process that might otherwise be confusing or complicated.

Lesson 2 Vocabulary Define the following terms

1. Clip Art2. Color Depth3. Color palette4. Compatible5. Device Driver6. Dithering7. Download8. Export9. File Format10. Import

11. Key term12. Loss13. Native File format14. Optimize15. Scanner16. Search Site17. Smoothing18. TWAIN19. Websafe Colors20. Wizard