LadyCrimson Posted December 31, 2005 Share Posted December 31, 2005 (edited) Not being an expert in this area, I'm wondering if there's any major quality difference between .bmp and .tga. The file size is almost the same, so they both contain approx. the same amount of information...does that mean they're about equal in quality? And...on my screen, I don't see a lot of visual difference between .psd and .png files, despite the .psd's major file-size difference, even when blown up 500% - seems like .psd is mostly if you want to save files seperate layers. Any expert input on what is the best to use for your "original" file? I've tried googling it a bit but haven't yet found a satisfactory answer (for my non-techie brain...), if indeed there is one. There's a lot of artists here so I thought I'd ask opinions... Edited December 31, 2005 by LadyCrimson “Things are as they are. Looking out into the universe at night, we make no comparisons between right and wrong stars, nor between well and badly arranged constellations.” – Alan Watts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hell Kitty Posted December 31, 2005 Share Posted December 31, 2005 (edited) I keep all my original files as .psd, though I don't have space concerns. What are the images for? I'm afraid I'm not much help, dealing only in print media. Edited December 31, 2005 by Hell Kitty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyCrimson Posted December 31, 2005 Author Share Posted December 31, 2005 I'm concerned with both the master-file one uses to work/edit from, and the final-master that you actually send to the printer. The minor issue I have with .psd is that while it's currently very popular, it's a proprietary format and assumes whoever you might send it to has a program that can read it. After much googling and a mild headache from too many numbers/on-line reading I think .tif sounds like it's still the best and most universal for printing/final version archive concerns, particuarly with photos. .psd is good for the working copy if you have layers and if you're concerned with space it's slightly smaller than a .tif for the print-master. “Things are as they are. Looking out into the universe at night, we make no comparisons between right and wrong stars, nor between well and badly arranged constellations.” – Alan Watts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morgoth Posted December 31, 2005 Share Posted December 31, 2005 (edited) Always keep your original works as PSD with all the layers, adjustment layers, etc. Difference between BMP and TGA? Well, the BMB only saves the Color information (24 bit), while the TGA supports Alpha channels as well (24bit color + 8 bit Alpha = 32 bit). HTH. Edit: For printing, you might want to use Post Script (*.eps) and try to adjust your colors via Color Proof, because Printers usually use the CMYK color scheme. Edited December 31, 2005 by Morgoth Rain makes everything better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyCrimson Posted December 31, 2005 Author Share Posted December 31, 2005 (edited) Sigh. Well I was trying to compare .psd vs. "hi-quality" .jpg vs. 8-bit tif and it was interesting because the psd definitely showed the slight beginnings of more artifacts. In the pic you can see it at the top portion of the eye stalk, little more grey in the middle of the brown. Not much tho. And actually, the .jpg didn't fare too bad considering, even tho it's obviously far inferior at that magnification. It's all so confusing. Sometimes I think there's really not enough difference between the 'expert' formats to really matter beyond a certain point. Each has a little failing in one area vs another. Edited December 31, 2005 by LadyCrimson “Things are as they are. Looking out into the universe at night, we make no comparisons between right and wrong stars, nor between well and badly arranged constellations.” – Alan Watts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaftan Barlast Posted December 31, 2005 Share Posted December 31, 2005 For important photographs or graphic works like digital paintings, use PSD or TIF. For successful proffessional printing they also need to have a resolution of atleast 300 DPI TGA is primarily used for textures with alpha channels. DISCLAIMER: Do not take what I write seriously unless it is clearly and in no uncertain terms, declared by me to be meant in a serious and non-humoristic manner. If there is no clear indication, asume the post is written in jest. This notification is meant very seriously and its purpouse is to avoid misunderstandings and the consequences thereof. Furthermore; I can not be held accountable for anything I write on these forums since the idea of taking serious responsability for my unserious actions, is an oxymoron in itself. Important: as the following sentence contains many naughty words I warn you not to read it under any circumstances; botty, knickers, wee, erogenous zone, psychiatrist, clitoris, stockings, bosom, poetry reading, dentist, fellatio and the department of agriculture. "I suppose outright stupidity and complete lack of taste could also be considered points of view. " Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diamond Posted January 1, 2006 Share Posted January 1, 2006 What they said. Just don't use file formats with "lossy" compression (JPEG) for master files. Summary on file formats Another one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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