Which is best? Original Image x PSP Capture xOnenote Capture

[cadudesun]

Hello,

I am trying to understand image information to achieve the best results with my PSP projects.

- From internet, I saved a image in its original format (JPEG).
- I used PSP “Screen Capture” tool and saved images in two formats (JPEG, PNG)
- I used Microsoft Onenote “Screen Capture” tool and saved image (PNG)

The comparison among image information is attached (Image_comparison).

Some impressions I had is listed below and I would appreciate some help to understand better:

a) Original_JPEG is the best image. So, always it be possible to save original image, this is the way. Capture will always results in quality loss. Is it?

b) Considering PSP_JPEG and PSP_PNG, which one is the best to use? It seems PNG lost resolution…

c) Considering PSP_PNG and Onenote_PNG, which one is the best to use (my current capture toll is Onenote and I need to take confidence on PSP)? I couldn’t understand why the dimensions in “pixels” are equal and in “mm” are different (it seems PSP won in this parameter). And around resolution, Onenote seems to give better result than PSP.

d) An general issue: when image in screen is small, is there any gain if browser zoom is used to increase image size before capturing it? Or is better to capture image in the same size it appears in screen?

All images variations are available at http://www.4shared.com/file/k0R4RzXl/Ca ... mages.html

Thanks in advance,
Cadu

[teknisyan]

It is always best to work with the original image, since it has more information regarding quality and pixel per inches (PPI).

[flagpole]

everytime you save an image in a lossy format such as jpeg you lose information. you may not be able to tell. but you always do.

you are always better off taking the original image rather than using a screen capture tool. they are really for when there is no image available. the original image is, by definition the best quality image you have. further in this case it looks like the image was re-sized in the browser. which will never be as good as the complicated resize algorithms used in a graphics program.

png is lossless so it's a good format for images that you are working on. for your final save then you need to save it in whatever form you need it.

when you do save as jpeg, you should look at the jpeg optimiser it will allow you, live, to adjust the quality/size and see the results.

[cadudesun]

Additional information please:

a) Considering PSP screen capture tool in comparison to Microsoft OneNote tool, could I be confident with PSP and forget OneNote? My question it's because resolution through OneNote is better.

b) It seems that resolution is related to images created to be printed. But could I create a PSPIMAGE file with low resolution and in the future, considering needs to print, to increase the resolution of same PSPIMAGE file? Or the first step is to know the purpose (digital or printed image) and setup resolution definitively considering what one want when new file is created?

Thanks

[flagpole]

all screen capture tools are basically the same.

Resolution exists in two ways. The number of pixels by the number of pixels and the dots per inch. The number of pixels is the only thing that affects the picture quality. The dpi is just the suggested print size. You can still print it any size or change the dpi at any time. dpi is also meaningless unless you print.

[df]

OneNote likely uses a descreening algorithm in it's screen capture tool. If OneNote delivers the results you like and you don't mind using it or you find yourself using OneNote on a regular basis anyways I see no reason not to use it. I'm not familiar with it as I rarely open OneNote or even use the one computer I have it on, but nobody is really going to think less of you for using it. It's like that old saying, the worlds best camera is the one in your hand when you need it. You will make more of a difference with what you do with the image than which tool to capture with.

As for your resolution question, always retain the largest pixel count version of an image that you have with the least compression. If you do a screen capture thinking you're going to print a 4x6 from it then later decide to print 8x10 you'll be kicking yourself for not saving that higher pixel count image. Conversely if you plan on printing 8x10 then decide on 4x6 you'll be kicking yourself for cropping the image to a 4:5 ratio.

[JStanley]

deleted

[flagpole]

OneNote likely uses a descreening algorithm in it's screen capture tool. If OneNote delivers the results you like and you don't mind using it or you find yourself using OneNote on a regular basis anyways I see no reason not to use it. I'm not familiar with it as I rarely open OneNote or even use the one computer I have it on, but nobody is really going to think less of you for using it. It's like that old saying, the worlds best camera is the one in your hand when you need it. You will make more of a difference with what you do with the image than which tool to capture with.

As for your resolution question, always retain the largest pixel count version of an image that you have with the least compression. If you do a screen capture thinking you're going to print a 4x6 from it then later decide to print 8x10 you'll be kicking yourself for not saving that higher pixel count image. Conversely if you plan on printing 8x10 then decide on 4x6 you'll be kicking yourself for cropping the image to a 4:5 ratio.

i think we must be on different pages here. what has descreening to do with screen capture?

[Tim Morrison]

For the best image, save the original and forget about screen capture. In this case the image is being displayed at about half size. When you save the image, you get the full 1269 x 1259 pixels... or about 1.6 million pixels. The screen capture is giving only about 646 x 640 or about 400 thousand pixels. With a screen capture you're missing three quarters of the image.
It's also silly of the author of the page to do it that way. The browser wastes a lot of time downloading a file that's too big and then having to resize it on the fly. He should've resized a copy to the smaller size and had that load directly without the need for resizing.
Also, totally forget about inches and pixels per inch. Only pixels matter for on screen images. The inches and pixels per inch are irrelevant unless you're printing the image.

[cadudesun]

Considering the development of a software tutorial that will be printed, the only way to obtain image is through "capture tool" I would think. After capture the software screen, is there any image treatment to improve quality? What is recommended to make? The use I am referring is illustrated in attached image.
Thanks.