[texhax] Achieving the optimum quality of rendering

[Dr A K Hannaby]

William
Yes, I have steered clear of all non-vector images.
So it looks to be quite straightforward.
I was just worried that the optimum tools needed might not be on my PC - and
I would not even know.
Many thanks
Keith



-----Original Message-----
From: William Adams [mailto:will.adams at frycomm.com] 
Sent: 04 March 2014 11:58
To: TeX List
Cc: Dr A K Hannaby; William F Hammond
Subject: Re: [texhax] Achieving the optimum quality of rendering

On Mar 3, 2014, at 11:20 PM, William F Hammond wrote:

> For pdf output I think it's a bit more complicated than that.
> 
> It depends on what is the original format for the image.  You want 
> both the image used for pdf output and the image used for dvi output 
> to be as close as possible to the original image.
> 
> For example, if the original is eps, then "epstopdf" (found on CTAN or 
> in many TeX distributions) will make good pdf for use with 
> \includegraphics toward pdf output.
> 
> But if the original image is png or jpeg, then \includegraphics will 
> use that with pdflatex (so long as no pdf file with the same stem name 
> is present).

That's why I said:

>> there's no reason not to just make good quality .pdf files for 
>> inclusion into your pages

A .pdf will be included and won't have its quality diminished by inclusion
into a .pdf generated directly by pdflatex.

It's more efficient, it's more direct, it's simpler and it's elegant (in the
sense of scientific correctness).

When you make a .pdf from a pixel file, set the compression appropriate to
the file's content --- that's part and parcel of making ``a good quality
file''.

When you make a .pdf from a vector image, ensure that the vectors / Bézier
curves are preserved (and that the image is not converted into a pixel file)
--- that's part and parcel of making ``a good quality file''.

&c.

William


--
William Adams
senior graphic designer
Fry Communications
Sphinx of black quartz, judge my vow.