Matt's Macs

Images from A through Z

- 2001.05.10 - Tip Jar

This column was first published in the MUGOO Newsletter in April 2001.

Below are some ABCs of using images on a Mac. The list is a quick and dirty overview to cover file formats, what images are, and several ways to change image format. There is no test at the end!

A is for animated GIF (Graphics Interchange Format), a rapid display of images in sequence, creating the illusion of motion.

B is for BMP (Bitmap), a Windoze format that saves images as databases of high density dots.

C is ColorSync technology, an algorithm to match the colors of a file displayed onscreen to a printed file

D is for the disks you save your files on.

E is for enhance, by which information in an image is changed.

F is for file format, a choice made when saving or creating a file based on factors of size, use, and quality.

G is for GIF (Graphical Interchange File), a format originate by CompuServe which was created to facilitate cross platform display of graphics.

H is for Help on the Menu Bar when all else fails.

I is for images, a database of pixels, each assigned a color, that displays a graphic.

J is for JPEG (Joint Photographer Experts Group), a group that created a file format which takes advantage of the fact that an image file size can be reduced without sacrificing much quality by discarding information.

K is for command-K, a command used in GIF Builder to add a frame to an animated GIF.

L is for light, the amount of which displayed by an image can be increased or decreased by a graphics program.

M is for monitor, which displays black and white, 4, 16, 256, thousands, or millions of colors.

N is the fourth letter in SCRN, which is a type of PICT file that, when altered, can be used as a start up screen.

O is for object oriented graphics, such as a drawing in AppleWorks.

P is for PICT, a file format seen frequently on a Mac ( on a clipboard, for instance, or a desktop clipping of an image).

Q is for QuickTake, a device to capture images as files, to be sent to your Mac over a serial cable.

R is for resize, changing the height and width of an graphic, resulting in a change in quality.

S is for Save As..., a command that can be used to change a file format.

T is for Tagged Image File Format (TIFF), which creates large files, similar to a BMP.

U is for unit, a measurement which can be a pixel or a point, both of which are the same on a Mac.

V is for command-V, used to paste a graphic onto a page.

W is for width, a value used in HTML to display a graphic on a page.

X is for command-X, used cut graphics from page.

Y is for yellow, on of four colors used to print or display a graphic using a CMYK profile.

Z is for command-Z, a command to undo or redo choices made to alter or enhance a file. Used frequently!

Using images can be easy as ABC. With a little bit of knowledge, hardware, and software, you can spruce up your Web page or school report.

Next time: On the Web: Take One

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