Research into Different File Formats
From my research so far I have found out about the different file formats, JPG, Bmp, PSD, TIF and GIF.
Bmp (also known as Bitmap) is a product of Microsoft Windows and is operated by Windows and is one of the simplest file formats.
This file format is best used for icons and simple graphics, as this file format is not used for pictures as such, (such as the Apple Icon)
Most formats contain different parts within them, containing important information for the file to run properly. BMP has 4 parts to its format which include:
- File Header: Includes initial information such as the file type, its size and the layout, this is important for the format to function properly, as without this information it may not be able to work properly as this format.
- The Bitmap Information Header: Includes features such as the colour, compressions and dimensions of the image file, which are all features and information which is needed again, to help the file function.
- Colour Table: Contains information on the colours within the file format and contains the RGB data for the file.
- Image Data: Bytes Which Defines the Bitmap: Includes the image data for the file and are shown as scan lines of the file format itself, these are showing the pixels within the scan line.
Within this format it includes the RGB Data within the BMP File, which are the colours used throughout the file format
- 1 Bit: 2 Colours
- 4 Bit: 16 Colour
- 8 Bit: 256 Colours
All of this data is stored within the BMP file and the colour format of RGB is showing the colours within this file and how on different bit rates colours are used and how the difference between 4 Bit is a huge impact on the colours.
PSD Format:
This file format is mainly used within designing programmes, such as Photoshop, this format will only open within Adobe Photoshop itself, with all the layers. This file format is used within Adobe programmes, as this helps protect the file as it can only open within one programme, being Photoshop.
When saving file in this format it saves layers which were created within the programme, it keeps the file exactly how you last left it. Therefore you are able to add or take away any layers when you open the file again, as it is as though you have never left the image you were editing as you can carry on editing it, as the format has not changed.
This file format supports all available image formats within the Photoshop. Although, this file formats can be very large as there are layers within the file, so therefore these use a lot of space and a recent image which I have edited in Photoshop was 11.4 MB. This was because it had been edited within Photoshop and contained many layers which take up space.
The maximum size for a PSD File Format is 30,000x30,000 Pixels and is saved with 16 Bit of Colour within the file.
This file format includes 5 Sections:
- First Header: Includes the size and colour, which is the same as the BMP format for the first header in the format.
- Second Header: Contains the colour mode data, which is needed for the colour within the file, for the image to appear in colour.
- Third Header: Includes the image resources
- Fourth Header: Contains the Layer information, which is important for this file format as this is the main aspect of this format, as the layers are kept within the format, so they can be changed and edited, when the file is opened.
- Fifth Header: When the Layer information is programmed the Image Data is stored in the fifth header, like the BMP format these are shown in scan lines, which stores the information and like BMP these are shown as Pixels.
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| Screenshot of my own image from Photoshop, showing the layers and how they are presented as a PSD. |
The next file format is JPG Format:
This format is the most popular format for pictures and most pictures you will see will most probably be JPG images.
This format uses the ‘Lossy Technique’, which means that this format discards of any unwanted or un-needed information from the picture. With this technique the image file can be cut down in size to a smaller size, therefore this may be the reason why this is one of the most popular image file formats.
This file is also compressed, as the image itself is split into minute pixels, therefore this is splitting the file in size, and can be split many times, which therefore shows that the file is being compressed and that this is how the compression affects the file. Up to 90% compressed, the images are in comparison to BMP or TIF file formats which do not use compression within their file formats.
JPG images can use up to 16.7 million colours within the file images which is 24 Bit colour, and this is used without the different colour palettes available. This is a very high use of colour and the resolution on these image files will therefore be high quality. An advantage of using a JPG format is the fact that when you are downloading an image from an e-mail or on the internet, the image will be quicker to download as the file size itself is smaller as it is a compressed file format.
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| One of my own images saved as a JPG Image |
TIF File Format
This file format is supported many platforms including Windows and Mac, therefore this format can work in these platforms and is able to be opened with these platforms.
The information fields within the format itself contain the copyright information about the image and you can also has ‘Private Tags’ which means you are able to change any information within the file if you wish and you can add specific information into the file, for it to be protected.
Lossless compression is also used within this format as well, this is so that the image or file can be cut down in size but the quality of the pictures stays the same, as the compression does not affect the resolution or quality of the image itself.
TIF is able to expand and support data types and one data which it supports is specific scientific data, and this format supports many different data types and is reliable in supporting the data it is given.
GIF Format:
This format is supported by all Web Browsers, such as Internet Explorer.
The colours used within this format is a maximum of 256 colours, therefore this file format is unsuitable for images with continuous colours throughout the image. Images which will format well with this format are coloured Clip Art images, Black and White Line Drawings; these are the best suited images for this format. Although, these are most probably not the most interesting or high quality images which can be seen, this shows how this format may not be the best file format for images.
There are two versions of GIF File, and the second version allows an image to be animated, the version for this is 89a.
The maximum image size is 64kx64k Pixels within the file.
Through this research it has helped me in finding out about different file types and how they are used.
Research Into Raster and Vector Images
Raster Images:
Raster Images are also known as Bitmap Images. These images depend on the resolution itself for the quality of the image, therefore they need a higher resolution to be able to keep their quality if the image is re-scaled.
These images will be seen in elements such as Web Graphics and Scanned Graphics. Such as this logo to the right, shows a Raster image, which has been created on the computer, then in the format of a Raster Image.
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| A low resolution Raster Image of a logo. |
The files which are used with the Raster image are JPG, PSD, TIF and GIF File formats, all these formats are the most well known and reliable file formats, therefore this may show that Raster Images may not be the best quality images as they are supported by these formats, which can be used within most images.
If the size was to be changed within the Raster Image, if you were to increase the image in size dramatically you would lose the quality of the image itself. The resolution for a Raster Image is on average printed at 300 dpi which stands for dots per inch, this is the resolution on a standard desktop printer and a higher quality printer in dpi will produce a better quality image.
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| This is a Raster Image made up from Pixels. |
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| This is a Vector Image made up of paths, to create a higher quality image. |
Vector Images:
Also Resolution Dependent.
Like Raster Images, this image type is used by Designers to create images, this Image type has a higher resolution than those of Raster Images. These images are used in such features as Page Layout and Line Art, such as writing and Fonts, as every font letter is created as a Vector image first .
This image type can be changed and re-scaled as much as you like and the quality will stay the same. This is because of the method which is used for the creation of the Vector images, which is that the Format uses math to create the images itself, and therefore if the image is re-scaled, the image can work around this and with the paths it can easily create the image again, larger, but it has not lost any quality within the image itself.
Like Raster Images, Vector Images can be used for the use of Logo Design, although, comparing the two images, the image which shows to have the most quality within the image.
The file formats which are most commonly associated with Vector images are completely different to the File Formats which Raster Images use. The formats used by Vector images are formats such as WMF, Al and PLT are a few of the formats used, these formats are not the most well known file formats, which could suggest that this format is a better format, as it is using higher quality file formats for the image.
Research
How images are displayed on computer screens, compared to on paper
There are two different colour formats which are different from one another as CMYK is colour scale which is used to print and RGB is the colour scheme in which we see on the computer.
Information on RGB Colour:
RGB stands for Red, Green and Blue and these colours are combined together and are the colours which appear on the computer screens and electronic displays, such as I pads.
RGB is used for websites and designs; the website must be in this format for the image and colours to co-ordinate together and become one image on the screen. Files which are also included within websites must be in the format of RGB for this to appear and work properly within the website and to appear on the screen.
RGB is not a format which is used for printing and is for view on computers and screens only. RGB cannot be used within colour matching as, if this was to happen the colours would most probably appear differently on one computer screen compared to another computer. As all computer screens can be set at different colour contrasts and therefore by having one format that can be used on every computer, without worrying about the manufacturer and how that might affect the outcome of the colours, RGB can be used on every computer screen or gadget.
The RGB, Red, Green and Blue are lights which are contained within the format and are the amount of light within the format. RGB can also be seen as an Additive Colour Model, which means that the colour model uses a display colour of transmitted light which produces the colour which appears on the screen.
To create colours such as white, the RGB is that as each colour has a component, the component scale is 0-255. To make the colour white the components must be at the value of at least 255 and with all the RGB at the same value this makes the colour white. If the colour black was to be created all the components would be at the value of 0 and therefore this produces pure black. This shows how different colours are created by three colours alone and shows how this presents them on the screen.
Not many printers wish to receive file in RGB as the printer may not support this profile, as most printers nowadays are in the format of CMYK and this is the format for printing on printers.
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| CMYK Profile Colours |
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| RGB Profile Colours |
CMYK Colour: This format is for printing purposes and most printers are set to this and will print in this format.
The colours which are used for the printing within CMYK are Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black; these four colours work together and can various colours on a page. As these four colours work together for printing they mix to get the right colour to appear on the page, which is very much like mixing paint to form a certain colour.
CMYK is used for digital printing, although CMYK does have its disadvantages as it may not be able to re-produce every colour identically to what appears on the screen, as it is only capable to a certain standard of making the colours with the four colours them self, So therefore when printed the colours may not be identical because of this.
The four colours are the four components which work together to produce the colour, Cyan ink which is blue, Magenta ink which is pink, Yellow ink which is yellow and Black ink (abbreviated as CMYK). These colours are subtractive colour models and produce certain colours by using reflected light for the colours to display on the page when printed.
With CMYK to produce the colour of white it works in the complete opposite way, the components are to be at the value of 0, so when CMYK is to produce black the value is to be at one of its highest of 100 (as CMYK is measure 0-100). This is the complete opposite way to the way in which white is made in RGB, so therefore this shows how the two profiles, RGB and CMYK work differently to produce colours on screen and on paper.
Hue and Saturation:
The Hue and Saturation of images can be adjusted on programmes such as Photoshop. The Hue and Saturation affects the image and the contrast, Hue and Saturation are in the form of RGB as they are features of RGB and are presented as on screen colours. As this is used within programmes on the computer this is in the form of RGB as the colours are being changed and created on screen.
All three colours RGB have an equal amount of hue and therefore contain the same amount of information and equal amount for the colour and Hue to be produced.
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| This image show the level of Hue and Saturaion change within an image and the effects the tool can have on an image. |
Research into ways to capture an image
Information Gathered From My Own Pictures and Knowledge
There are many ways in technology to capture and image nowadays, and such features include, memory cards within cameras, cameras themselves, mobile phones and scanners. These all require certain resolutions within the image to create an image on screen which is clear and good quality.
· Memory Cards can be used in many different cameras and mobile phones, as they can be use in Professional Nikon Cameras, 4.0 Mega Pixel Cameras and even 2 Mega Pixel Mobile Phones. An image which is captured within a memory card is very easy to copy onto a computer or hard drive, which can then be uploaded onto the internet through this process.
· To upload the images from the memory card you simply take out the memory card from the camera or mobile phone and insert the memory card into the computer and then once it detects the memory card you can simply copy the photos from the memory card to a folder within your computer. If the computer you are using does not have a memory card slot built in, then the USB lead will have to be connected from the camera itself with the memory card inside to the computer and this will do exactly the same process and will detect the memory card and you can select the pictures on the computer.
· On a mobile phone which was an LG Mobile and I used this to take pictures it was using a two mega pixel camera, this took reasonably good pictures and the resolution which was used for these pictures was 72 dpi which is dots per inch. This was the horizontal and vertical resolution, and this was the resolution which was needed for the photo to upload onto the computer from the memory card to produce a good quality image. The resolution unit for this image was 2 and this is the same in nearly every image format.
· Pixels Used: 1600x1200 Pixels were used for this image on a 2 mega pixel camera.
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| This image was taken on a mobile phone and used the resolution of 72 dpi on the computer. |
Scanner:
· Scanners can be used to scan any pictures which you would like to use on the computer or within a document; scanners such as HP Scanners can deliver good quality scans of documents and images. If you wish to scan a document into your computer you place the image in the scanner and there should be a tool on your computer which connects your computer with the scanner and then the picture or document will appear within a folder with your pictures or documents you have scanned in and they are automatically saved to your computer.
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| This is an image which I have recently scanned into my computer for my mood board and uses the resolution of 200 dpi. |
Images can be imported straight from a camera via a USB Cable:
A camera using 4.0 Mega Pixels:
· Resolution used on images from a camera of 4.0 Mega Pixels is 96 dpi. This shows how from a 2 mega pixel camera the resoltion is increasing within the Pixels increasing.
· 2272x1704 Pixels are used on the camera and onto the computer for this image.
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| An Image taken with a 4.0 Mega Pixel Camera and the resolution for this image was 96 dpi. |
Professional Camera: Nikon D-60, 18-55 II
· The resolution for images on this camera is 300 dpi, which has dramatically increased from the camera which was taking pictures in 4.0 Mega Pixels and the difference between the two cameras is 206 dpi. This shows how as the cameras increase in Pixels and quality the resolution becomes higher and the quality of the pictures is higher.
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| This is one of my images taken with the Nikon Professional Camera and this used a Resolution of 300 dpi. |
Through researching the resolution and how the images appear on the computer, I have learnt how Mega Pixels and different cameras can change the resolution which is seen on the screen. I have shown and learnt about the resolutions which should be used for different images for upload onto the computer and internet and shown these by using my own pictures. This also shows how the development of new cameras with higher resolutions will affect how the images appear on the computer.
