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Subject:Re: Word Graphics: 24 bit or 8 bit From:"Michael West" <mbwest -at- bigpond -dot- net -dot- au> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Sun, 26 Aug 2001 03:01:08 +1000
> What do folks use for placing graphics in Word Docs --
> 24 bit or is 8 bit/256 colors enough? I am thinking printability /
> Screen display in PDF, etc.
What type of output device are you using?
Let your output resolution and desired quality decide that
question. Word can handle 24-bit color, but if you don't
really need it you'll save time and space by reducing the
depth to what you really need.
For typical Windows screen captures (boxes and buttons),
you seldom need more than 256 colors, and 16 or even
one is often enough. If you need near-photographic quality,
then I don't know of any limitations imposed by Word itself --
aside from the obvious fact that it is a less-than-ideal tool
for layout and graphics.
Experiment with your output device and see what gives
you the best result with the least overhead.
As far as screen display in PDF -- if you don't know what
your user's display settings will be, you'll need to test
down to 8 bit and up to 24 to make sure the result is at
least acceptable in all cases. It is often difficult to strike
a balance between screen-optimization and print-optimization,
and I don't think any universal rules can be applied.
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