Software: Ulead PhotoImpact 7
Author: Kellie C. Fry
Home Page: Hummingbird Designs
Terms of Use: Click here to read
Released: September 1, 2002

SAVING YOUR IMAGES IN PHOTOIMPACT

Summary: I created this page to explain the various files types you can use when saving an image in PhotoImpact.  The terms in bold are described below.

You might be wondering what the difference is between a .gif and .jpg. And if you’re like me, the first thing you think of when you see .ufo is “unidentified flying object”. Now, some of my earlier creations resembled such *S*, so it would have been appropriate. Below are some of the most commonly used file extensions for saving your images. I’ve tried to explain which extension is best for your particular image, and why.

 

Name/File Extension Why use it?

.gif

Graphic Interchange Format

Saving a file as a .gif  is ideal if your image contains text or lines, and/or is small in size. .gif images can only be images made of up to 256 colors, so if your image is not loaded with color and detail, you may want to save it as a .gif. When an image is large in size, it sometimes needs to be compressed, and doing so can reduce the clarity of your picture. You can sometimes avoid that if you're image can be saved as a .gif.  Think of it this way: When you have an image that is made of many different colors, it becomes “bigger” in file size. The larger a file, the longer it takes to load on a web page.

The .gif file format is also best used for animation. Files in .gif format contain attributes that are excellent for animating an image such as their ability to keep their layers transparent when an image is going through its animation.

Last but not least, when you want to make an image with a transparent background, saving as a .gif is the way to go. For help with saving images with a transparent background, see the excellent tutorial written by Debbie Hardisty at http://www.debisty.com/

 

Name/File Extension Why use it?

.jpg

Jpeg Interchange File Format

Saving a file as a .jpg is perfect for images that you will display on the internet, and also for images that contain a great deal of color and detail. The only thing to keep in mind is that the more you compress an image, the more quality is lost. It can become blurrier, and less colorful the smaller you make it. As you learn more about PhotoImpact, play around and try to strike a balance between compressing your images without forsaking its quality and color scheme.

 

Name/File Extension Why use it?

.ufo

Ulead File for Objects

Saving an image as a .ufo is ideal when you want to save a file that you can re-open it to edit or modify. When saving as a .ufo, it saves each object in the image as a separate layer so that the layer(s) can be changed.  A good example of a .ufo image would be an image of a background tile. Say you want to make several different tiles in different colors and textures. You would save your basic tile as a .ufo, and it would retain the layers of your image allowing you to alter the color and texture. ** If you save the image in any other file format, the layers will be merged upon saving and closing the file, so that you will not be able to edit them individually again.

 

The rule of thumb is this: if your image is text-based, or contains mostly clipart, line art, or other drawings, then you should save it in the GIF format; however, if your image contains mostly photo-realistic information, your best bet is JPG.

TERMS I’VE USED HERE:

Compress, Compressed, Compressing
Reducing an image to a smaller size through reduction of the byte rate or percentage rate.

Layer, Layers:
Each separate image contained in a file

Merge, Merged:
Combining the layers in an image into a single layer

 

For more information on each tool and where to find them in PhotoImpact, please visit Debbie's page titled "Where Is It In PI7?"


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