i have a question about gif images!

[crazymew]

i dunno if this is in the right place er not but i couldnt find anywhere else it would fit... my question is if you make something in paint er something how do you save it as a GIF image without messing up the colours?

 

[Minkoff]

Gifs only use indexed colors so they'll be messed up no matter how you save them. If you save using something other than Paint though it'll probably do a better job dithering.

 

[crazymew]

really... what other programs can i use other than paint?

 

[Dopples]

Graphics Gale is good for sprited GIFs, but if it's a picture GIF, then I'd use The Gimp. Google them since I don't remember where to d/l them

 

[crazymew]

ah... i think i found a good way to make them... but thanks anyways guys! i really appreciate it...

edit: you could see the result of my made/sprited gif on my avatar, hehe

 

[Wings]

Gifs only use indexed colors so they'll be messed up no matter how you save them. If you save using something other than Paint though it'll probably do a better job dithering.

Actually Adobe ImageReady has an option to preserve exact colours when saving as a .gif. I never had loss of colour when saving an image with that file extension.

 

[crazymew]

Adobe? you sure? how do i save it as a GIF? i have adobe image ready 7.0... but how do i save as a GIF?

 

[darkiewonder]

File >> Export >> GIF

I think that's under imageready. not sure but most will be like if it's An adobe program.

 

[crazymew]

ok thanks...

edit: it doesnt let me export as a GIF...

 

[Japa]

Image ready only let's you usec exact colurs of you actualy have less than 255 colours, in which case, any program other than paint should work.
(Paint only used the default pallet, but any good graphics prog will make one suited for your pic.

 

[crazymew]

but how do i make an animated image... a GIF image without screwing up the colours?

 

[darkiewonder]

oh yeah. It only have Save Optimized as. What I usually do is in conjunction with making single images and putting the images together to make a Gif, i would use Jasc Animation Shop.

 

[BlueScope]

ImageReady is the perfect program for making GIFs IMO. I haven't found out how to export them yet :P, but you can click on File => Web Preview (or something like that, just raid that menu point) and save the image with a right click from there ^_^

PS: Read my graphics guide (check my signature) for a list of programs that fit several needs... the best free program I know to save GIF images properly (without the support of animation, though, but Microsoft's GIF Animator - which is available for free on microsoft.com - can take this job) would be IrfanView.

 

[crazymew]

could someone post a link for IrfanView?

edit: nevermind... i found it... this program will save my gif image with the right colours?

 

[BlueScope]

Well, GIFs are limited to 256 colors no matter what, minus one color for transparency setting, leaving you with 255 colors at the picture palette (all pictures within an animated GIF need to have the same palette or else it'll screw the colors while converting). IrfanView tries to calculate an avarage color of all colors there and makes a palette for the GIF to make every color above 255 a color that matches one of the existing ones best... kinda hard to explain...

In short: You won't have problems with sprites like your avatar image is, but you most likely will with pictures (like JPEG conversions or something), because they usually have more than 255 colors.

 

[Wings]

I use ImageReady CS2 so hopefully the same process for making .gifs would be the same as in earlier versions of the program.

Anyway...

1. File > Save Optimized As
2. Make sure the extension is set at: Images Only (*.gif)

 

[crazymew]

allright, thanks guys, this REALLY helped, now i know how to make GIF images without completely screwing the colours! IF it screws up the colours at all! yay! thanks again

 

[Kraft]

gimp is good for the graphics converting.

other than that, I find it wimpy against Adobe Photoshop.

the only reason I still have the Gimp is because it can make gifs (Adobe Image Ready can, but I am still learning how)

and I use the gimp to convert Icons for my computer and games and other things. (I make then in photoshop, save as a PNG and then convert it.

kraft

 

[crazymew]

ok, thank you very much, this is will help out my future GIF images... (and current ones)