Writing Effective ALT Text For Images

Writing Effective ALT Text For Images

by: Trenton Moss

Anyone who knows anything about web accessibility knows that images need alternative, or ALT, text assigned to them. This is because screen readers can’t understand images, but rather read aloud the alternative text assigned to them. In Internet Explorer we can see this ALT text, simply by mousing over the image and looking at the yellow tooltip that appears. Other browsers (correctly) don’t do this. The HTML for inserting ALT text is:

But surely there can’t be a skill to writing ALT text for images? You just pop a description in there and you’re good to go, right? Well, kind of. Sure, itกs not rocket science, but there are a few guidelines you need to follow…

Spacer images and missing ALT text

Spacer images should always be assigned null ALT text, or alt=กก . This way most screen readers will completely ignore the image and won’t even announce its presence. Spacer images are invisible images that pretty most websites use. The purpose of them is, as the name suggests, to create space on the page. Sometimes itกs not possible to create the visual display you need, so you can stick an image in (specifying its height and width) and volià, you have the extra space you need.

Not everyone uses this null ALT text for spacer images. Some websites stick in alt=กspacer imageก. Imagine how annoying this can be for a screen reader user, especially when you have ten of them in a row. A screen reader would say, ขImage, spacer imageข ten times in a row (screen readers usually say the word, ขImageข, before reading out its ALT text) now that isn’t helpful!

Other web developers simply leave out the ALT attribute for spacer images (and perhaps other images). In this case, most screen readers will read out the filename, which could be ‘newsite/images/onepixelspacer.gif’. A screen reader would announce this image as ขImage, newsite slash images slash one pixel spacer dot gifข. Imagine what this would sound like if there were ten of these in a row!

Bullets and icons

Bullets and icons should be treated in much the same way as spacer images, so should be assigned null alternative text, or alt=กก. Think about a list of items with a fancy bullet proceeding each item. If the ALT text, ‘Bullet’ is assigned to each image then, ขImage, bulletข will be read aloud by screen readers before each list item, making it take that bit longer to work through the list.

Icons, usually used to complement links, should also be assigned alt=กก. Many websites, which place the icon next to the link text, use the link text as the ALT text of the icon. Screen readers would first announce this ALT text, and then the link text, so would then say the link twice, which obviously isn’t necessary.

(Ideally, bullets and icons should be called up as background images through the CSS document this would remove them from the HTML document completely and therefore remove the need for any ALT description.)

Decorative images

Decorative images too should be assigned null alternative text, or alt=กก. If an image is pure eye candy then thereกs no need for a screen reader user to even know itกs there and being informed of its presence simply adds to the noise pollution.

Conversely, you could argue that the images on your site create a brand identity and by hiding them from screen reader users you’re denying this group of users the same experience. Accessibility experts tend to favour the former argument, but there certainly is a valid case for the latter too.

Navigation & text embedded within images

Navigation menus that require fancy text have no choice but to embed the text within an image. In this situation, the ALT text shouldn’t be used to expand on the image. Under no circumstances should the ALT text say, ‘Read all about our fantastic services, designed to help you in everything you do’. If the menu item says, ‘Services’ then the ALT text should also say ‘Services’. ALT text should always describe the content of the image and should repeat the text wordforword. If you want to expand on the navigation, such as in this example, you can use the title attribute.

The same applies for any other text embedded within an image. The ALT text should simply repeat, wordforword, the text contained within that image.

(Unless the font being used is especially unique itกs often unnecessary to embed text within images advanced navigation and background effects can now be achieved with CSS.)

Company logo

Websites tend to vary in how they apply ALT text to logos. Some say, ‘Company name’, others ‘Company name logo’, and other describe the function of the image (usually a link back to the homepage), ‘Back to home’. Remember, ALT text should always describe the content of the image so the first example, alt=กCompany nameก, is probably the best. If the logo is a link back to the homepage then this can be effectively communicated through the title tag.

Conclusion

Writing effective ALT text isn’t too difficult. If itกs a decorative image then null alternative text, or alt=กก should usually be used never, ever omit the ALT attribute. If the image contains text then the ALT text should simply repeat this text, wordforword. Remember, ALT text should describe the content of the image and nothing more.

Do also be sure also to keep ALT text as short and succinct as possible. Listening to a web page with a screen reader takes a lot longer than traditional methods, so don’t make the surfing experience painful for screen reader users with bloated and unnecessary ALT text.

About The Author

This article was written by Trenton Moss. Heกs crazy about web usability and accessibility so crazy that he went and started his own web usability and accessibility consultancy ( Webcredible http://www.webcredible.co.uk ) to help make the Internet a better place for everyone.

This article was posted on March 31

by Trenton Moss

Playing With The Color And Image

Playing With The Color And Image

by: Blur Loterina

Does your image appear good on the screen, but looks blurred, jagged or fuzzy when you print it?

To clearly see the difference of the quality of image on screen and on print, take an image from the internet. Zoom it out or make it larger. Can you see how series of little squares appear on the image? Try to print it and you’ll see that the color will fade. There will be a change in the resolution.

Resolution is, basically, the sharpness or crispness of an image. When an image is shrunk, the color looks lively. When you blow it or enlarge it, the color will fade and the image will look unclear.

Resolution is defined as the number of pixels contained in the monitor. Pixel, from the words ขpicture elementข, is the basic unit of programmable color in a computer image. The resolution is measured by the number of dots per inch (dpi), which is equal to the numbers of squares of color in an inch. A standard resolution for an image should be 300dpi and 400dpi for images containing text.

The resolution of an image is inversely proportional to the size of the image. In other words, when you increase the size of the image the resolution decreases, and vice versa. For example, if you enlarge an image, the size, of course, increases. But the quality or sharpness of the image decreases, giving you a blurred image.

When you extract images from the internet, most probably, you will have a poor quality image. Internet images are mostly saved in GIF or JPEG file format, which only consumes 72dpi. The purpose of saving image files on this resolution is to make the image easy to extract. Meaning, these images are not for print use.

Scanners, digital camera, computer monitor and other display devices use the RGB (red, green, blue) color mode, while in the printing process CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow and black) color mode is used. Meaning, you have to expect change in the color of the image when you print it. To reduce the problem, you must convert your image from RGB to CMYK. There are image editing programs that offer color conversion, such as Photoshop or Corel PhotoPaint.

Do not expect to get good images from the internet. You must resort to other sources like real photos or pictures from magazines. When you scan, compare the size of the photo to the size of your layout. If the photo is larger than your layout, scanning at 300dpi is enough. If it is smaller, adjust your scanner’s resolution setting and percentage size. If there are texts over the image, lighten the image so the text will be readable. If you do not know how create good prints, you can resort to a printing press.

About The Author

Blur Loterina

You may wonder why I write articles. Besides from the fact that it’s my job, I used to write short stories when I was younger. I think it would be helpful if I said I’m a big fan of Zach de la Rocha and Rage Against the Machine. This would explain my own views about a lot of things. Their songs were about national issues, politics and human rights. They support the American Indian Movement and Che Guevara, the face you see on tshirts. Not that it concerns me. I only like their music and idealism.

I’m not an artist, I’m not a poet. I just love writing anything I want. I wasn’t born a genius, I just want to know and understand something I don’t. I like to find the difference between similar things. It’s like counting birthmarks on each identical twin.

For additional information and comments about the article you may log on to http://www.printingquotesonline.com

[email protected]

This article was posted on February 07

by Blur Loterina

iPhoto 5 Magnified

iPhoto 5 Magnified

by: Jelaine Macaraig

Want a userfriendly, efficient and versatile digital imaging software that allows you to be creative and produce professional projects? Then you’ll definitely love iPhoto 5.

It has the standard functions one can expect from an image editing application – the RedEye button for well, red eyes, the Retouch Brush for removing blemishes and other unwanted ขdirt,ข freehand Crop Tool to capture only the best elements of your photo in one frame, the Straighten tool to level horizons using the handydandy grid, and the Advanced Editing Dashboard for precise adjustment of black and white points using the Levels tool, adjustment of exposure and color saturation, modification of color temperature and for finetuning tint, as well as brightness and contrast. While editing a photo, iPhoto 5 even allows you to compare it with the original image simply by holding down the Control key. You can also reset all the adjustments you’ve done with the different sliders using a single button. Yup, iPhoto 5 has all these… and so much more.

It supports not only the ohso famous JPEG file format, but even the RAW file format, which has become a favorite among professional photographers and higherend enthusiasts who wish to preserve the maximum image quality. It also supports the MPEG4 file format for video clips and if you’re concerned about file size, don’t worry – iPhoto 5 imports them just as fast and easy as it would JPEGs and from almost any data source too. With a USB cable, simply plug in your gadget to your Mac, whether it’s your digital camera or your memory card reader or your iPod and iPhoto would automatically launch. It would then give you a dialog box where you can put in information about your images like name, subject, keywords and other metadata, which you can later on use for fast and easy search of photos, albums or digital roll. You can also import images stored in CDs or your hard drive in two ways – either you select and add your image folders to the library from the File menu or simply drag the folder into the iPhoto window.

Lastly, one of the many features that iPhoto 5 prides itself of is the intelligent and advanced slideshow feature. First off, the slideshows are separate from the albums. Therefore, you can modify the contents of one slideshow, like maybe add a few images from another album, without affecting the albums themselves. And since iPhoto 5 supports MPEG4, you can create slideshows consisting of both still images and video clips. It also has a lot of fantastic transitions, which you can control the speed and direction of, and even allows you to adjust the slide duration on a perimage basis. You might be thinking, a good soundtrack would be lovely too – but setting the perfect timing may be difficult to achieve. With iPhoto 5, you wouldn’t have to worry about that as it has a tight integration with iTunes. Simply select a song or an entire playlist from your iTunes library and iPhoto will do the math for you and synchronize your music with your slideshow! Now how’s that for a total viewing experience? Your family and friends might think that you had a professional do all these creative work for you!

About The Author

Versatile and hardworking. Two words that clearly describes Gemกs work attitude. She can just write and talk about everything. Her green thumb for writing can turn seeds of ideas into excellent writing pieces She loves to read books especial novels that are set back into the Medieval Period.

For comments and inquiries about the article visit http://www.ucreative.com

[email protected]

This article was posted on March 03

by Jelaine Macaraig

Toner Cartridges How They Work

Toner Cartridges How They Work

by: Martin Smith

In the past computers and their accompanying printers were huge. Toner reservoirs and toner cartridges were used instead of ink cartridges like the ones in use today. Toner cartridges were difficult and messy to fill. The toner cartridges were an advancement. Some printers ran on print wheels and some used ribbons.

Computers are compact and printers now do more than just print on some cases. Cartridges with selfcontained reservoirs are used in printers. Refilling some cartridges is possible and it isn’t as messy as adding toner was. Two types of printers cartridges now exist. HewlettPackard and Epson printers primarily, used the first type the Peizo Electric.

An electric current is applied to a small crystal causing it to expand about every five microseconds (20,000 per second). The ink, because of the expansion, squirts through the print heads rapidly and precisely. Piezo Electric can do more precise action and tend to last longer because it has fewer print heads than do bubble jet/ thermal printers.

Bubble jet printer cartridges heat the ink into a bubble and is squirted through the ink nozzles thousands of times a second. The printer that is quieter than Piezo based printers is the bubble jet. It prints with exceptionally high resolution color printing. Ink is squirted through the nozzles as they move over media in the inkjet method not the mega pixel method.

Liquid ink, is squirted, in various colors on the paper to create an image. A motor assembly is used to enable the print heads to scan the page horizontally while the page is rolled vertically. A narrow band of an image is printed and the paper moves on ready for the next step. For speed it prints a strip across the page while it also prints vertical rows of pixels in each pass.

There are several types of inkjet technology. DODdrop on demand squirts small drops of ink on to the paper through tiny nozzles. It is akin to a hose being turned on and off 5,000 times per second. The amount of ink dropped on the paper and which nozzle fires and when is controlled by the driver software. The ink tends to smear right after printing in inkjet technology.

This is getting better as new ink compositions are developed. The Thermal Technology of printing allows the ink to shot onto the paper. This is a three stage process. The squirt begins in stage one when the ink gets heated to create a bubble. The initial pressure breaks the bubble and hits the paper. The vacuum that results pulls the ink from the reservoir to replace what was ejected.

In the past printers were highly priced because the print head that would imprint the image on paper was contained within the printer. Printers are fairly low in price, but the expense comes when you have to buy cartridges for it. It would almost be worth it to buy a new printer rather than the cartridges because the cost of cartridges is often more than the most basic inkjet printer.

Although cartridges are expensive they have some complex technology in them that would make them cheaper overall than it would be to keep replacing printer heads. Cartridges now have print heads contained within in themselves. If you use the correct cartridges in your printer, you could have the printer for a long time. Black cartridges work by squirting the ink through tiny nozzles onto the paper as they move back and for the page as do color cartridges.

Color cartridges have three reservoirs; one is filled with magenta, one with cyan, and one with yellow ink. A lot of things can have a bearing on the image quality. The quality of the paper you choose could determine the image you get. The two main influences on image quality are brightness and the absorption of ink. The vividness of an image describes its brightness while how effectively ink is put to the paper is absorption.

It is best to use paper specifically designed to be used with an ink jet printer. Using the proper type of paper will result in the best possible image. The settings of your display properties and/or printer settings can affect your printing project. The type of paper you use and the printer may suggest leaving your documents to dry for awhile. Check your printer for settings that may save ink by putting out less ink allowing documents to dry faster and provide you with a near perfect print image.

Knowing your printer and how it works is important.

About The Author

Martin Smith is a successful freelance writer providing advice for consumers on purchasing a variety of Discount ink cartridges which includes Cheap ink cartridge, if you have time drop by his site for some tips and information. http://www.bestpriceprintercartridges.com.

This article was posted on August 22

by Martin Smith

Selecting Good Stock Photography in the Age of Dig

Selecting Good Stock Photography in the Age of Digital

by: Beth Brodovsky

The business of stock photography has drastically changed over the last few years. Ten years ago, selecting photographs for your brochure or newsletter meant spending hours pouring over stock photography catalogs and ordering photo research to find the exact image. When the order came in a giant overnight package, designers would spread transparencies out on the light table, squinting through a magnifying loop to check every detail.

Enter the digital age.

High speed Internet connections. CD’s. Searchable Archives. Royaltyfree stock. These elements have changed the face of communication design forever. The quality, quantity, affordability and accessibility of stock imagery have made it the resource of choice for many organizations.

The advantages of instantaneous access to searchable archives of good images are numerous.

Speed :: We can never have enough of it. Search. Download. Import. It’s remarkable.

Choice :: Searching กstock photographyก on Google delivers 1,470,000 results. You can find pretty much anything out there.

Price :: While there are free resources, unless you are doing a school report, you may need something slightly more exclusive. Also, many of the free images are only good enough for online display and the selection is very limited. Royaltyfree images are reasonably priced, you pay for only the size you’ll use and images can be used as needed with no extra charges.

Flexibility :: Image selections can be grouped, saved and emailed to others in the review cycle. People in different locations can simultaneously review ideas.

Archiving :: Some companies even keep a record of your buys that you can redownload whenever you need them. To use this resource effectively, there are a few things you need to keep in mind.

Plan ahead :: Will you ever need the picture to be printed? The low cost of กlow resolutionก images can lure you into costly mistakes. Images need to be 300 dpi (dots per inch) at the size they will be printed.

Lowcost tradeoff :: Pictures are now so affordable, everyone’s buying them. That means your image could show up in your competitor’s brochure. Some projects call for more exclusive imagery.

Imageenhancement :: When you need something totally unique, such as your product in the shot, it may be more economical to hire a photographer than to have your designer spend countless hours in Photoshop trying to get it just right.

Availability :: Good images still cost money. While many firms have images on file, don’t expect your designer to have a database full of images right for your project.

When searching on the web, search for กstock photographyก rather than doing an image search in Google or another search engine. Google returns all images from the web including those that are the property of others and not legally usable.

About The Author

Beth Brodovsky is the president and principal of Iris Creative Group, LLC. Brodovsky earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communication Design from Pratt Institute, New York. Before launching her own firm in 1996, she spent eight years as a corporate Art Director and Graphic Designer, providing a sound foundation in management and organizational standards and structure. Iris Creative specializes in providing marketing and strategic communication services to clients in service industries and small businesses. For more information contact Beth at [email protected] or 6105672799.

This article was posted on September 08, 2003

by Beth Brodovsky

Easy Editing Using Microsoft Image Suite 10

Easy Editing Using Microsoft Image Suite 10

by: Blur Loterina

Are you fond of digital photography? Are you looking for a new tool that will let you organize, edit, enhance, share and archive your digital image? Read on.

Microsoftกs Digital Image Suite 10 is a package that offers you the advantages of both Digital Image Library 10 and Digital Image Pro 10. This upgraded image editing software is ideal for digital photos. With added features from Digital Image Library 10, you will be able to organize your photo collection. It helps you upload your photo easily. You can even rate images or flag them for future use. Library also allows you to add captions on your images and categorize them using some keywords. You can classify your images according to date, size, favorites, ratings and more. It has an automatic backup reminder to safeguard your photos in the right places.

This software will enable you to edit images with ease. Just launch the Digital Image Pro 10. It logically arranges your tools and enables you to make changes using the Auto Fix commands. Although, it offers fewer options and requires complex commands, it will provide you with excellent results.

Digital Image Suite 10 allows you to create a movie out of your photos. It’s a sort of a stop motion animation that’s commonly used in cartoon movies and clay animation. A stop motion animation is a process in which pictures are arranged and shown in such a way that it looks as if the motion is continuous.

Also, it features an easytofollow wizard that lets you to create a video out of your photos. Not only that, you can also add background music, narration and title pages.

It contains flags that will remind you of the next steps, such as which photos need to be printed or sent. With Auto Fixes, your camera phone images can now be adjusted. This feature helps you edit the color, exposure or any ‘imperfection’ automatically. You can also use the Color and Exposure toolsets to balance brightness, washedout colors, and the like.

This program also allows you to adjust curves including red, green, blue, saturation and luminosity. Also, you can eliminate noise, red eye effect, and faded or bright color pixels.

Another remarkable feature is the Smart Erase tool was added so that you can remove unwanted images or backgrounds. Its Panoramic Stitching feature enables you to put together vertical and horizontal photos to show the whole story in one single scene. It also allows you to burn images to CDs or DVDs.

Microsoft’s Digital Image Suite 10 is your complete tool for editing images, as well as adding life to your photos. One drawback is that it only allows you to edit images one at a time, which means that you cannot have two or more copies of an image when editing.

About The Author

Blur Loterina

You may wonder why I write articles. Besides from the fact that it’s my job, I used to write short stories when I was younger. I think it would be helpful if I said I’m a big fan of Zach de la Rocha and Rage Against the Machine. This would explain my own views about a lot of things. Their songs were about national issues, politics and human rights. They support the American Indian Movement and Che Guevara, the face you see on tshirts. Not that it concerns me. I only like their music and idealism.

I’m not an artist, I’m not a poet. I just love writing anything I want. I wasn’t born a genius, I just want to know and understand something I don’t. I like to find the difference between similar things. It’s like counting birthmarks on each identical twin.

For additional information and comments about the article you may log on to http://www.printingquotesonline.com

[email protected]

This article was posted on March 10

by Blur Loterina

Making your Websites More Compelling

Making your Websites More Compelling

by: Andrea J. Lee

The Internet is a remarkable publishing medium. With just a little effort, you can make your web pages visually irresistible by playing with color, shapes and text. Whether your websites are already launched or you’re ready to create your first few, use the 3 simple steps below to kick things up a notch and make your sites professional and appealing.

Step 1: Grab Peopleกs Attention with a Photo or Graphic.

Without a logo or visual image to represent the central offering on your web page, you are asking potential clients to immediately take a big leap and dive into your text. Why risk the possibility of them not reading your important message? People browsing the web are notoriously impatient. Capture their attention with a photo/graphic before they click off your site.

Choose the perfect image from Photodisc, ClipArt or Corbis for as little as $9 to $90 per image. Human beings are visual creatures. Consider your favorite magazine for a moment. Would it still be your favorite if it used only text on its cover this month?

Step 2: Boost the credibility of your service or product by using a professional color scheme.

Using the image you selected in step one, itกs easy to go the next step and pull together a professional looking color scheme. ColorSchemer is a small, inexpensive software (US$25) that helps you choose a color scheme thatกs eyecatching and unexpected, even if you’re colorchallenged. When picking colors, don’t be afraid to let your personality show through. Check out http://www.colorschemer.com/.

Step 3: Use graphical กsignpostsก throughout your material to help readers absorb your message.

As you browse the web, start making mental notes about sites you enjoy visiting. Iกm willing to bet itกs the ones that break up text with colored bullets, numbers and other signposts that mentally engage you the most. Iกll even go so far as to say that a website that does not use graphical signposts shows a disregard for the needs of the reader, intentionally or not.

Think of these minigraphics as a way of showing consideration to your reader. They want to read your material and you help them make it easy by providing mental white space and places to rest their eyes.

Just a few NoNoกs:

Don’t overdo.

The power of visual communication can be diluted if too many images are used on each page. There is both art and science to finding the right balance since too many images on a website can be just as ineffective as too few. The key is to work at finding this balance by studying other websites.

Don’t use Flash or other animation.

More often than not, flash/animation comes across as cheap rather than professional and has only been shown to be effective in very specific circumstances. Moreover, web pages created with Flash don’t rank well with search engines. If you must use it, do so very sparingly and be sure to have it professionally designed.

Whatever you do, don’t be bland.

With millions of websites published every day, you must stand out in order to be noticed. Graphics that reflect you, your offering and your personality will help you become more attractive to clients quickly, affordably and with style.

One of the challenges of working online is to alleviate your clientกs natural reservations in a new and unfamiliar environment the virtual world. Making things more comfortable for them is your number one priority and graphics will help you achieve that. By going the extra mile to make your websites look 100% professional, you become more credible in your own eyes as well.

About The Author

Andrea J. Lee coaches entrepreneurs and online business owners. As Thomas J. Leonardกs General Manager, she helped build and manage the largest network and trainer of personal and business coaches in the world. Now the CEO of Andrea J. Lee Group of Companies, she writes, speaks and consults on Marketing, Internet and Business systems. For more helpful tips, visit www.39lessons.com

[email protected]

This article was posted on May 04, 2004

by Andrea J. Lee

Top of the Line Digital Cameras

Top of the Line Digital Cameras

by: Warren Lynch

If you think that digital cameras are for snapshots only, then you obviously haven’t heard about SLR (Single Lens Reflex) digital cameras. SLR is a type of camera which has one lens for composing the frame and capturing the image. SLR cameras are also known as TTL (throughthelens) cameras.

An SLR camera displays an image through the viewfinder that is exactly the same image as the camera sees and is exactly the same image that the camera is going to record when you release the shutter.

An SLR camera provides a much more accurate image through the viewfinder than a digital camera produces on its LCD because the LCD does not faithfully reproduce the colors and light intensity that is actually entering the camera.

The top of the line SLR digital cameras rival the best filmbased SLR cameras and are designed for serious hobbyists and professional photographers. Digital SLR cameras are much larger, bulkier, and heavier than traditional digital cameras.

The SLR uses a mirror that is located behind the lens as well as an optical device known as a pentaprism to channel the light that enters the cameraกs lens to the optical finder. When you release the shutter the mirror moves out of the way and the image is captured in the same way as any digital camera.

The better digital SLR cameras let you mount different lenses just like their filmbased counterparts do. Many of your existing 35mm lens may be compatible with a digital SLR. If you have a large lens collection then you should definitely look for a digital SLR that is compatible with them.

Because the digital SLR cameras are more professional, they come with a hefty price tag. A 6megapixel Nikon D100 runs around $2,000 and the 11megapixel Canon 1D runs near $8,000. This is for the camera body only and does not include a lens! This is why I mentioned earlier that you should look for a digital camera that will mount your existing lens collection. Just a good quality zoom lens can run you at least $3,000 and can climb as high as $10,000 depending upon the features!

Of course, there are also starterpriced digital SLR cameras available. The Olympus E20N, a 5.0megapixel SLR camera, which includes a nonreplaceable lens that is capable of duplicating a 35 mm to 140 mm lens, runs around $3500.

These prices are not out of line if you make your living shooting pictures. You can actually create additional revenue streams when you shoot digital pictures, instead of filmbased ones, by offering image enhancement options and all sorts of digital FX options for thee prospective bride and groomกs on their treasured wedding album.

If all of this sounds a bit too expensive for your blood, then youกll probably find all of the digital camera that youกll ever need way down in the $99 to $500 price range and youกll never have to worry about buying extra lenses. Digital SLR cameras aren’t for everyone but, if they’re for you, then there are plenty of models to look at. SOme of the best are made by Canon, Olympus and Nikon which are familiar names in the photography world.

Warren Lynch has been shooting commercial photography since 1979. Clients include Makers Mark Bourbon, Heaven Hill, Yum Brands, GE, Fruit of The Loom and many more highly recognizable brands. Have him make your product more recognizable too. Visit his website at www.wlynch.com or just him a call at 15025877722 to quote on your next project.

กSignup for his syndicated Digital Photography newsletter at

http://www.photopheed.com The Digital Doseก

About The Author

Warren Lynch is a Professional Commercial Photographer located in Louisville, Ky. Sign up for ‘the Digital Doseก and receive Digital Photography tips every other week absolutely FREE! http://www.photopheed.com.

[email protected]

This article was posted on April 25

by Warren Lynch

Light and Depth of Field

Light and Depth of Field

by: Jakob Jelling

With such a fantastic device as the digital camera for the recreation of magic in arts, a lot of care needs to be taken so as to maintain the perfection of the end product. This perfection is not only obtained by the artistic feeling of the photographer but also with the intricate knowledge of every minute aspect of the medium of creation of art (in this case the digital camera). And these minute aspects play a vast role in defining the ultimate perfection. The digital camera, light and depth of field are one such factor that would come into light in this subsequent discussion. Basically, the depth of field is a measurement of the acceptable sharpness. Yet this is very strictly a personal preference, and varies from person to person. Thus to be more formal, the depth of field can be defined as the area inside an image that demonstrates an ample sharpness that can be considered more or less in focus. So the depth of field is the range of distance, measured along the lens axis, as per which the image is caused to be sufficiently well and sharp in the photograph. The rest is as follows!

The depth of field defines the zone where all elements show clearly from foreground to background. Three factors control the depth of field in an image, they are the distance of the subject, the focal length, and the aperture used to capture the photograph. For people using compact digital cameras, one of the subjects of out of the ordinary interest is the depth of field because depth of field is more easily said than done to control with a compact digital camera than with earlier conventional analog film cameras. The minute imaging sensors of compact cameras need the use of short focal lengths, and this in sequence gives these compact digital cameras an extraordinarily long depth of field when compared to other cameras. Thereby, with intent obtaining a shallow depth of field is more complicated.

Considering a general acceptable fact, the depth of field decreases, as the image gets nearer to the camera. This means that as the focal point reaches closer to the lens, the achievable scope of the depth of field ebbs. On the other side, if the image is far enough distant from the camera, and for digital cameras, this must not be very far, the depth of field approaches out to infinity. Another important point to be noted is that the depth of field is proportional to the lens opening.

Having discussed the above important aspects of the light and depth of field of a digital camera, it is clear that the minute details make such great subjects whose knowledge becomes equally important for making appropriate use of the fantastic device, the digital camera! And the digital camera, light and depth of field comes out to be such important factors that can make all the difference if a photographer remains oblivious about this knowledge. A small factor thus can meal a big divergence!

By Jakob Jelling

http://www.snapjunky.com

About The Author

Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.snapjunky.com. Visit his digital camera guide and learn how to take better pictures with your digicam.

This article was posted on October 20, 2004

by Jakob Jelling

A Closer Look at Image Resolution

A Closer Look at Image Resolution

by: Nashville

Image resolution refers to the size your image appears on a computer monitor rather than the physical dimensions an image will print. The pixel dimensions of an image identify the resolution. Many digital cameras let us change image resolution. So, before we take a picture, we must determine the quality of an image first by using the highest quality setting available on the camera. Therefore, set your camera for the best image quality if you want to obtain high quality photos.

According to the article ขImage Quality – An Explanationข by Julian Foster which was posted at www3.teleplex.net, a truly highresolution digital photo can be anywhere from 12MB (for a 4by5inch image) to 70MB (for a twopagespread photo). The CD ROM photo collections currently on the market have files ranging in size from 500K22MB. He added that image resolution, the amount of information in a digital file, is measured in dots per inch. Screen frequency, the density of the lines of dots used to print a continuoustone photograph, is measured in lines per inch. Newspapers typically use a coarse line screen of 85 lpi; inhouse publications, 100 to 120 lpi; and glossy magazines & good quality offset lithography, 133 to 155 lpi.

Proper resolution is truly important for good printing. And to achieve this, you must always remember some rules that include the following: the text must be 400dpi at the final size in the layout; the images must be 300dpi at the final size in the layout; the dimensions of the resolution and size are inversely proportional to each other so, if you enlarge an image, you lower its resolution and if you reduce an image, you increase its resolution; how an image is originally acquired will determine its resolution and thus, the size it can print at for clear and crisp printing; and low resolution images print with jagged edges and appear fuzzy.

Indeed, when deciding on the print size of your image, you must choose a size that is appropriate to the resolution of the image you are supplying. The size to which your image can be printed without a loss in quality depends on the resolution of your image. Remember that the higher the resolution of your image is, the better the quality of the image when printed.

Most digital cameras allow you to select a combination of resolution and quality from the settings menu. In order to obtain an optimal print out, you must set your digital camera at the highest possible resolution and quality. Always remember that the higher the quality, the larger the image file will become. So folks, make sure you have sufficient room on the memory card!

About The Author

Nash Ville

Well, I must say that I am not a born writer. I didn’t acquire this gift hereditarily either. However, I’m an adventure book lover and used to read everything that I come across in the Internet that sounds interesting. I think, I only developed it through constant practice and exposure to numerous writing stuff. I was chosen to compete in press conferences that showcased my needsowelldeveloped writing skills. I became part of our school publication staff. I started as a news writer and photojournalist of the school paper. Soon, I was appointed editorinchief. It was during this time when I realized that I needed to be more efficient in writing because duty called for it. I should say that this event in my life opened me wholly to the wonderful world of writing.

With all these, I can’t say that I have mastered writing because of these writing experiences. I believe that this craft is also a continuous learning process. I’ve been working hard to become amore efficient and competent in writing, most especially now that I’m working as a content writer for this company. I’m doing articles for printing companies, medical sites, legal sites, and many more.

For additional Information about the articles you may visit their website at http://www.brochuresprintingonline.com

[email protected]

This article was posted on February 09

by Nashville

Using ‘title Tagsก With Your Web Links & Images

Using ‘title Tagsก With Your Web Links & Images

by: Martin Lemieux

Using ‘title Tagsก for your web links & images is an arsenal many companies fail to utilize when planning out their web site optimization.

These tags will help search engines to navigate through your information.In the last topic we talked about Meta Tags within your web site source code. We also discussed how important it is to use the same words in your content that you included within your meta tags.

Another tip for your to complete your web page optimization is to include title tags for your relavant images & web links.

Title Tags For Your Links: Performing this task will help search engines to determine what your links are about and what to expect. Title tags with your links also gives a user a description of what to expect!

Hereกs an example of this: Put your mouse over the > X

How to create a title for you link… If you already know how to create a link, all you or your web designer have to do is add a small amount of code before the link, like so…

Ex: ( Example Link )

Example Link

<a title=กExample Titleก href=กhttp://www.smartads.info/ก>Example Link</a>

The <a title=กIs were you add your titleก

Tip #2 When Considering Image Links:

When using an image for a web link to another page, give your image a name that is meaningfull to your service or product.

Ex.

Iกve linked the image button to this page called กUsing Title Tagsก

Iกve named the image button กusing_title_tags.gifก

The title of the image is: กUsing Title Tagsก

All of these steps will let the search engines know exactly what the image is about! Yes, I agree all these steps seem like a lot of work but in the end, when your sales are up, you won’t be thinking about how much work it took but how successful you have become.

Hereกs the code for that image…

<a href=กhttp://www.smartads.info/articles/se/using_title_tags.htmlก><img src=ก../using_title_tags.gifก alt=กUsing Title Tagsก height=ก24ก width=ก135ก border=ก0ก></a>

Notice how all these steps have given 3 กKey Phrasesก for search engines to look at to determine the meaning of the image.

( a href= ) The web link command to another page

( img src= ) Where to find the image and what itกs called

( alt= ) The title of the image

One Last Web Site Optimization Tip:

One last tip I want to include is about your กHeadingsก. It is said that the size of your heading will also help the search engine determine your rankings by looking at your headings for the page content. Try to use the command for your headings.

About The Author

Martin Lemieux

Smartads President

http://www.smartads.info

Affordable web site design & Web Site Marketing Tips

http://www.flyinggelatingames.com

ASES Affordable Search Engine Specialists

GOING TO PUBLISH THIS ARTICLE?

Send us a note of the location so we can add a link on our site to where you have used the article! http://www.smartads.info/contact

This article was posted on November 12, 2003

by Martin Lemieux

Photorealism With Bert Monroy

Photorealism With Bert Monroy

by: Blur Lorena

Do you find it hard to distinguish between a real photo and a digital image?

Bert Monroy, one of the pioneers of digital art who created many software products such as Photoshop, ImageStudio and PixelPaint, introduces another break through in computer graphics, Adobe Photoshop’s ขPhotorealismข.

From the word itself you can define photorealism as something that is realized in photos. Imagine yourself in Atlantis, draw the scene and make it look like a picture. Think it’s impossible? It can be made possible through Photorealism.

Photorealism is not a new term. It came from a movement which began in the late 1960’s. The movement specializes in painting scenes or objects in a style closely resembling a photograph. The true subject of a photorealistic work is not the image but the interpretation of the observer on the image. Richard Estes, who does street scenes and Chuck Close, who is known for his enormous portraits of neutral faces are examples of leading members of the photorealist movement. Another method in photorealism is the oil painting. Unlike Monroy’s photorealism, it is done manually. From the name of a movement, the word photorealism now became a computer term.

Photorealism showcases Monroy’s personal methods in creating ultrarealistic images. It demonstrates a combined technique of Adobe’s latest releases of Photoshop CS and Illustrator CS in addition to paint or vectorbased drawing tools. One of the techniques used is the setting of objects in Illustrator and dragging them in Photoshop for stroking and styling. It also includes techniques for creating smoke, grass, lighting, fire, reflections and mold. It is basically a tool for photorealistic imagery.

Photorealism teaches you how to make images like metallic logotypes, fireworks, 3D illusions, icy letters, underwater scene, antique photos, a speeding bullet, shadows, rusty text and a lot more. It will also enhance your ability in using pen tool, layers, alpha channels and masking.

Photorealism is a very reliable computer graphics tutorial created by one of the true masters of digital graphics and an accomplished illustrator who serves clients like Apple Computer, Adobe Systems and American Express. A renowned artist, Bert Monroy also worked in the motion picture industry and authored books which have received critical acclaim around the world.

According to Monroy, his motivation is the challenge in recreating reality. The instinct for realism is the powerful drive to reproduce oneself, a replication of life. With Photorealism your image will look like a real photograph.

One of the advantages of the photorealism is that it allows you to create photographs of products or situations that cannot be captured with a camera. In other words, you can draw everything and anything even if you haven’t actually seen it or you are aware that it does not exist and make it look real.

About The Author

Blur Lorena

For questions and comments about the Artcile you may contact The Postcard Printing Moderator at 888 888 4211 or visit http://www.mypostcardprinting.com

[email protected]

This article was posted on January 24

by Blur Lorena