Use PNG instead of JPEG for control panel screenshots

DSC · 03-31-04, 11:44 PM

On the latest review on Nvnews, the XFX 5950U card:

http://www.nvnews.net/reviews/xfx_ge...ra/page2.shtml

I noticed that JPEG was used instead of PNG for the control panel screenshots. As you can see, the quality is bad, with nasty artifacts all around. Why not standardize on PNG, which has very good compression for these kinds of images and doesn't have the artifacts that are common on JPEG?

|JuiceZ| · 04-01-04, 12:11 AM

We use PNG on screenshots that compare/contast image quality between cards, see some of the older articles. JPG are sufficient for minor things such as ctrl panel screenshots although a couple of those shots could have used lower compression though as they were a bit grainy.

DSC · 04-01-04, 12:18 AM

JuiceZ,

PNG screenshots are smaller in size than JPEG screenshots, try saving a test screenshots in PNG and JPEG and compare.

Clay · 04-04-04, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DSC

On the latest review on Nvnews, the XFX 5950U card:

http://www.nvnews.net/reviews/xfx_ge...ra/page2.shtml

I noticed that JPEG was used instead of PNG for the control panel screenshots. As you can see, the quality is bad, with nasty artifacts all around. Why not standardize on PNG, which has very good compression for these kinds of images and doesn't have the artifacts that are common on JPEG?

Yeah that was my bad (I edited the review)...JPGs would have been fine for those like JuideZ said but the compression was whacky since it came out of a Word doc which can mangle JPGs at times. I was in a bit of a rush and decided to not worry about it this time.

**MUYA** · 04-04-04, 07:16 PM

I swear DSC u have some sort of fetish for PNG...it's unhealthy

Sazar · 04-04-04, 07:31 PM

sounds like an unhealthy fetish I might have to try out sometime...

Ratchet · 04-06-04, 12:06 PM

GIF would be much better for those types of screenshots.
PNG-8 would be good too, but IE has a gamma bug when using PNG so the color might be a bit off in that browser (no big deal in this case tho).

As for PNG-24, it's a lossless image format and has good things like alpha transparency (which IE doesn't support) but the file sizes tend to be very large. JPG is still best when you want to compare images and aren't too worried about minor artifacts.

Clay · 04-06-04, 12:41 PM

Yeah, GIF is best for non-photo based images. However, GIF also introduces dithering at times and you have to tinker with the pallete which is annoying. In this case the original screen shots were degraded from Word to begin with so GIF isn't going to do anything for you.

SuLinUX · 04-06-04, 02:07 PM

I always use PNG for screen shot's, Linux uses png by default anyway even the icons. Great format as it provies much better and quality than jpg or gif, transparency as well.

Example

619x402/32bit/87kb

Clay · 04-06-04, 02:31 PM

Absolutely, PNG is far superior in most every aspect...except for the IE bugs, you just have to be sure to use them correctly as ratchet mentioned. PNGs can be larger than is needed in some cases though (photos for example) so JPGs still fit that role well. The alpha channel feature in PNGs is awesome. I use PNGs all the time for use in fat client form design when developing systems.

mrsabidji · 04-08-04, 05:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SuLinUX

I always use PNG for screen shot's, Linux uses png by default anyway even the icons. Great format as it provies much better and quality than jpg or gif, transparency as well.

Example
[IMG]

619x402/32bit/87kb

I've optimized your png a bit, quality is still almost the same, just to show that PNG compression can be even more efficient.

619x402x8bit 48kB
One of the main advantage of the PNG format over JPG, in my opinion, is you can encode files in 8bit when 32bit is not needed (like here).

mrsabidji

03-31-04, 11:44 PM	#1
DSC Registered User Join Date: Nov 2002 Posts: 882	Use PNG instead of JPEG for control panel screenshots On the latest review on Nvnews, the XFX 5950U card: http://www.nvnews.net/reviews/xfx_ge...ra/page2.shtml I noticed that JPEG was used instead of PNG for the control panel screenshots. As you can see, the quality is bad, with nasty artifacts all around. Why not standardize on PNG, which has very good compression for these kinds of images and doesn't have the artifacts that are common on JPEG? Last edited by DSC; 03-31-04 at 11:58 PM.

04-01-04, 12:11 AM	#2
\|JuiceZ\| Registered User Join Date: Aug 1999 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 3,285	Re: Use PNG instead of JPEG for control panel screenshots We use PNG on screenshots that compare/contast image quality between cards, see some of the older articles. JPG are sufficient for minor things such as ctrl panel screenshots although a couple of those shots could have used lower compression though as they were a bit grainy. __________________ primary MBP Core i5 2010 \| HR \| OCZ 120GB SSD gaming Core i5-2500K @ 4.1GHz w/ CM Hyper212+ \| MSI N560GTX-Ti TF II/OC \| MSI P67A-GD55 \| Silverstone FT02 \| X360 250GB \| Kinect htpc IONITX-A-U \| 2GB \| M350 \| XBMC Linux \| SABnzbd, sickbeard, couchpotato \| NAS Synology DS411J \| 4TB hometheater KURO PDP-5020 \| HK AVR2600 \| Definitive BP2006TL(2) & CLR2300 \| Polk R50(2) \| Sony S470 \| HarmonyOne

04-01-04, 12:18 AM	#3
DSC Registered User Join Date: Nov 2002 Posts: 882	Re: Use PNG instead of JPEG for control panel screenshots JuiceZ, PNG screenshots are smaller in size than JPEG screenshots, try saving a test screenshots in PNG and JPEG and compare.

04-04-04, 07:16 PM	#5
MUYA Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Hong Kong Posts: 6,774	Re: Use PNG instead of JPEG for control panel screenshots I swear DSC u have some sort of fetish for PNG...it's unhealthy __________________ I5-2500k@4.7GHz - MSI Z77A-GD65 - 4GB X2 A-DATA DDR3 1600 - Corsair H100 - Antec Quatro 850W Gigabyte Windforce X3 GTX 680 OC - Dell 24" IPS Intel 320 300 GB SSD - 1 TB Hitachi HDD - 2x 250 GB WD HDD Corsair K90 - Corsair Venegance 2000 Headset - Razer Naga Epic Corsair 600T Case

04-04-04, 07:31 PM	#6
Sazar Sayonara !!! Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 9,297	Re: Use PNG instead of JPEG for control panel screenshots sounds like an unhealthy fetish I might have to try out sometime... __________________ Help to find cures for Alzheimer's, Mad Cow (BSE), CJD, ALS, Huntington's, Parkinson's disease, and many Cancers. Folding@Home - Is it in you?

04-06-04, 12:06 PM	#7
Ratchet The Tool Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 96	Re: Use PNG instead of JPEG for control panel screenshots GIF would be much better for those types of screenshots. PNG-8 would be good too, but IE has a gamma bug when using PNG so the color might be a bit off in that browser (no big deal in this case tho). As for PNG-24, it's a lossless image format and has good things like alpha transparency (which IE doesn't support) but the file sizes tend to be very large. JPG is still best when you want to compare images and aren't too worried about minor artifacts. __________________ "They don't like it when you shoot at 'em. I worked that out for myself." *Rage3D.com*

04-06-04, 12:41 PM	#8
Clay Registered User Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 4,992	Re: Use PNG instead of JPEG for control panel screenshots Yeah, GIF is best for non-photo based images. However, GIF also introduces dithering at times and you have to tinker with the pallete which is annoying. In this case the original screen shots were degraded from Word to begin with so GIF isn't going to do anything for you. __________________ SLI GeForce 7800 GTX 512MB @ 550/1700 \| MSI K8N Neo4/SLI \| A64 X2 4400+ Toledo \| CORSAIR XMS 2GB (2 x 1GB) TwinX PC 3500 \| Silverstone ST65ZF 650W\| 93.71\| XP SP2 and a Dell 2405FPW I personally believe that us americans are unable to do so because osama. People out there in our nation don't have that, And I believe that our education like such as south africa and such as the Iraq. everywhere "such as". And I believe our education should help the US should help the south africa and the iraq and the asian countries so we can build up our future. -- Miss Teen South Carolina

04-06-04, 02:07 PM	#9
SuLinUX Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: UK Posts: 847	Re: Use PNG instead of JPEG for control panel screenshots I always use PNG for screen shot's, Linux uses png by default anyway even the icons. Great format as it provies much better and quality than jpg or gif, transparency as well. Example 619x402/32bit/87kb __________________ AthlonXP 2600+ / nForce2 Asus A7N8X-X / PNY GeForce FX5900 Ultra / 1024Mb Samsung Ram /nForce Sound / Hansol 920D Plus 19" monitor / Lite-On 32x12x40 / 2x Maxtor HD 40Gb/80Gb / nVidia 7174 driver / Gnome 2.10.1 / Kernel 2.6.11.9 / Slackware 10.0

04-06-04, 02:31 PM	#10
Clay Registered User Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 4,992	Re: Use PNG instead of JPEG for control panel screenshots Absolutely, PNG is far superior in most every aspect...except for the IE bugs, you just have to be sure to use them correctly as ratchet mentioned. PNGs can be larger than is needed in some cases though (photos for example) so JPGs still fit that role well. The alpha channel feature in PNGs is awesome. I use PNGs all the time for use in fat client form design when developing systems. __________________ SLI GeForce 7800 GTX 512MB @ 550/1700 \| MSI K8N Neo4/SLI \| A64 X2 4400+ Toledo \| CORSAIR XMS 2GB (2 x 1GB) TwinX PC 3500 \| Silverstone ST65ZF 650W\| 93.71\| XP SP2 and a Dell 2405FPW I personally believe that us americans are unable to do so because osama. People out there in our nation don't have that, And I believe that our education like such as south africa and such as the Iraq. everywhere "such as". And I believe our education should help the US should help the south africa and the iraq and the asian countries so we can build up our future. -- Miss Teen South Carolina