This is more of a reference than a tutorial, but it belongs in here either way ... it should show people how to get their graphics in the game and which filetypes to use for which purposes.
I hope this tutorial was somewhat helpful to all you graphic newcomers or inexperienced Paint-spriters
See you on my next tutorial ^_^
Different programs are capable of different functions in graphic editing. While you could perfectly design a whole tileset in Paint, you'd have to draw it pixel-by-pixel and fiddle around with the included palette only capable of a few colors at the same time.
Other programs are capable of different filters and tools to make your life easier. You can create a nice image in less timethan the programs need to boot, sometimes ^_^
Here's a list of programs you might use for graphic editing. It might be the case that you have them on your harddrive and don't know about it (though it's rather improbable, but you should check out either way).
Adobe Photoshop
The any-way-you-want-it-bitch of graphic programs can handle most filetypes, and for almost every other (for example DDS, a texture format which isn't needed for RMXP, by the way) you can download plugins. It handles all options you can dream of, but it might need some time to get used to Adobe programs, if you never worked with one.
I use this program and can absolutely reccomend it, but only if you have way too much money on your hands, because it's the total opposite of freeware, if you might say so ...
Website: http://www.adobe.com (free trial version downloadable)
JASC PaintShopPro / COREL PaintShopPro X
I never ever used that program, but it's said that it's similar to Adobe's Photoshop series. What I know is that it's capable of palette support and it's a little cheaper in price than Photoshop.
Website: http://www.jasc.com (free trial version downloadable)
The GIMP
The first freeware tool in here. I also almost didn't use this at all, but I've heard that it's almost the same as Photoshop. This is a good alternative for you if you don't have much money to spend, though I personally dislike the whole way the interface is done...
Website: http://www.gimp.org (free download)
Macromedia/Adobe Fireworks
The few times I worked with this program, I really learned to hate it ... I guess the only good thing Macromedia ever put on the market is Flash and Dreamweaver, but that doesn't belong in here ... There are some people that can't live without this program (most likely they don't know Photoshop exists ^_^ ), so I list it here so you can decide on your own.
Website: http://www.adobe.com/products/fireworks/ (free trial version downloadable)
IrfanView
This is not a graphic creation or editing program, but a helpful tool. It allows picture conversions in many file formats with many options, and it's also free. It's a good replenishment to a professional graphic program.
Website: http://www.irfanview.com (free download)
Microsoft Paint
This should really be the last alternative, but of course it's also possible to do graphics with Paint. It ships with any Windows version, but maybe it's available to download on http://www.microsoft.com ... it can't use most advanced file formats and is really no alternative to ANY other graphic program, so use it maybe to paste your screenshots in to cut them
Paint.NET
This is a free program that once based on Paint, but now is simply an amazing alternative to Photoshop or GIMP. It's also freeware and much easier to use than Photoshop, but it doesn't has all of it's features ... yet ^_^
Website: http://www.eecs.wsu.edu/paint.net (free download)
iDraw
Not really fitting for RMXP, as it only supports 256 colors, but it's capable of palette handling and grid settings, which is helpful for spriting. It's also free, but for everything beyond sprites, use more advanced programs, especially because of the color limit.
List of programs I haven't used in the past and therefore can't provide anything but their name and a URL to come with... check back later to see if I updated one of them with a 'whole' description.[/Center]
GraphicsGale
Website: http://www.humanbalance.net/gale/us
COREL Painter
Website: http://www.corel.com
Artweaver
Website: http://www.artweaver.de
Other programs are capable of different filters and tools to make your life easier. You can create a nice image in less timethan the programs need to boot, sometimes ^_^
Here's a list of programs you might use for graphic editing. It might be the case that you have them on your harddrive and don't know about it (though it's rather improbable, but you should check out either way).
Adobe Photoshop
The any-way-you-want-it-bitch of graphic programs can handle most filetypes, and for almost every other (for example DDS, a texture format which isn't needed for RMXP, by the way) you can download plugins. It handles all options you can dream of, but it might need some time to get used to Adobe programs, if you never worked with one.
I use this program and can absolutely reccomend it, but only if you have way too much money on your hands, because it's the total opposite of freeware, if you might say so ...
Website: http://www.adobe.com (free trial version downloadable)
JASC PaintShopPro / COREL PaintShopPro X
I never ever used that program, but it's said that it's similar to Adobe's Photoshop series. What I know is that it's capable of palette support and it's a little cheaper in price than Photoshop.
Website: http://www.jasc.com (free trial version downloadable)
The GIMP
The first freeware tool in here. I also almost didn't use this at all, but I've heard that it's almost the same as Photoshop. This is a good alternative for you if you don't have much money to spend, though I personally dislike the whole way the interface is done...
Website: http://www.gimp.org (free download)
Macromedia/Adobe Fireworks
The few times I worked with this program, I really learned to hate it ... I guess the only good thing Macromedia ever put on the market is Flash and Dreamweaver, but that doesn't belong in here ... There are some people that can't live without this program (most likely they don't know Photoshop exists ^_^ ), so I list it here so you can decide on your own.
Website: http://www.adobe.com/products/fireworks/ (free trial version downloadable)
IrfanView
This is not a graphic creation or editing program, but a helpful tool. It allows picture conversions in many file formats with many options, and it's also free. It's a good replenishment to a professional graphic program.
Website: http://www.irfanview.com (free download)
Microsoft Paint
This should really be the last alternative, but of course it's also possible to do graphics with Paint. It ships with any Windows version, but maybe it's available to download on http://www.microsoft.com ... it can't use most advanced file formats and is really no alternative to ANY other graphic program, so use it maybe to paste your screenshots in to cut them
Paint.NET
This is a free program that once based on Paint, but now is simply an amazing alternative to Photoshop or GIMP. It's also freeware and much easier to use than Photoshop, but it doesn't has all of it's features ... yet ^_^
Website: http://www.eecs.wsu.edu/paint.net (free download)
iDraw
Not really fitting for RMXP, as it only supports 256 colors, but it's capable of palette handling and grid settings, which is helpful for spriting. It's also free, but for everything beyond sprites, use more advanced programs, especially because of the color limit.
List of programs I haven't used in the past and therefore can't provide anything but their name and a URL to come with... check back later to see if I updated one of them with a 'whole' description.[/Center]
GraphicsGale
Website: http://www.humanbalance.net/gale/us
COREL Painter
Website: http://www.corel.com
Artweaver
Website: http://www.artweaver.de
No matter what programs you own and what amazingly named filetypes you have, you need to consider that RMXP can't use all of them. The RPG Maker is able to use BMP, PNG, GIF, JPG, JPEG, and possibly others, that shouldn't be used because the ones mentioned before are better to use or better known :P
Next is a list of which filetypes include which features or specialities, and also for what purposes to use them in RMXP.
BMP
It's Paint's default format, do I have to say more? ^_^ No, this is really a bad choice for a filetype if you're able to proper save PNG files. The only good things about it are that it supports 24bit colored images and doesn't compress the files (that's good for the look of the graphic, but not for the filesize of course, which is incredible large for this filetype).
This filetype shouldn't be used in RMXP unless you go for the biggest project in the history of RPG Makers, at least in filesize ... It's also bad for most other media types, like the internet or whatnot, as there are better alternatives for every kind of media you can think of...
GIF
First thing to say: RMXP doesn't support animated GIFs because of this whole freaking copyright thingy that is around this filetype (you know, Compuserve bought it). Well, you can use the first frame, though, so use it ^_^ The obvious downpoints are that GIF only supports 256 colors, which means that you'll most likely get bad results converting anything into GIF; and even worse if you use Paint for that (IrfanView has a very good color depth change feature, so use this instead).
If you have background images for scenes with less than 256 colors, using GIFs might save you some space. You might also create sprites with it if you can't use PNG, but that shouldn't be the case.
PNG
A very pleasant filetype to use. It's rather small, compresses the image without loosing quality and supports 24bit color. It also supports interlanced colors, which means you can include an alpha layer in the file to define transparency. Unfortunately, this alpha layer isn't usuable for websites as most browsers won't display it correctly (thanks to ccoa for the hint on that one)... besides that, there is no real downpoint (and this isn't really a downpoint of the filetype, but of the browsers).
The undoubtedly best file format to use with RMXP. Use it for everything but backgrounds, mainly for sprites. With the built-in alpha layer, you can pre-define up to 255 tranparency levels (just for comprehension, RMXPs import manager supports 2 ^_^ ) and import them without needing to define them.
JPG/JPEG
Join the Photographers Expert Group and use this file format for lange images that don't need transparency. JPG and JPEG are nearly the same, so it doesn't really matter which of them you use. Most programs contain a save option for JP(E)Gs to change the quality from 1 to 100. A higher number means larger quality but also larger filesize, and vice versa. Even on highest quality, it's smaller than other filetypes, if you have large backgrounds or something similar.
The - in my opinion - best filetype to create backgrounds. It's smaller than BMP or PNG (and in 75% of the cases GIF) and supports 24 bit. Use it for every background that has detail in it. You shouldn't use it for sprites, though, as it won't save pure [insert any color here] that faces another color nearby (thanks to Paradox for reminding me of this) and also can't save transparency; if you ever see a JP(E)G with transparency in it, it's most likely the program that set a specific color - most of the time 0-0-0 (black) transparent.
Next is a list of which filetypes include which features or specialities, and also for what purposes to use them in RMXP.
BMP
It's Paint's default format, do I have to say more? ^_^ No, this is really a bad choice for a filetype if you're able to proper save PNG files. The only good things about it are that it supports 24bit colored images and doesn't compress the files (that's good for the look of the graphic, but not for the filesize of course, which is incredible large for this filetype).
This filetype shouldn't be used in RMXP unless you go for the biggest project in the history of RPG Makers, at least in filesize ... It's also bad for most other media types, like the internet or whatnot, as there are better alternatives for every kind of media you can think of...
GIF
First thing to say: RMXP doesn't support animated GIFs because of this whole freaking copyright thingy that is around this filetype (you know, Compuserve bought it). Well, you can use the first frame, though, so use it ^_^ The obvious downpoints are that GIF only supports 256 colors, which means that you'll most likely get bad results converting anything into GIF; and even worse if you use Paint for that (IrfanView has a very good color depth change feature, so use this instead).
If you have background images for scenes with less than 256 colors, using GIFs might save you some space. You might also create sprites with it if you can't use PNG, but that shouldn't be the case.
PNG
A very pleasant filetype to use. It's rather small, compresses the image without loosing quality and supports 24bit color. It also supports interlanced colors, which means you can include an alpha layer in the file to define transparency. Unfortunately, this alpha layer isn't usuable for websites as most browsers won't display it correctly (thanks to ccoa for the hint on that one)... besides that, there is no real downpoint (and this isn't really a downpoint of the filetype, but of the browsers).
The undoubtedly best file format to use with RMXP. Use it for everything but backgrounds, mainly for sprites. With the built-in alpha layer, you can pre-define up to 255 tranparency levels (just for comprehension, RMXPs import manager supports 2 ^_^ ) and import them without needing to define them.
JPG/JPEG
Join the Photographers Expert Group and use this file format for lange images that don't need transparency. JPG and JPEG are nearly the same, so it doesn't really matter which of them you use. Most programs contain a save option for JP(E)Gs to change the quality from 1 to 100. A higher number means larger quality but also larger filesize, and vice versa. Even on highest quality, it's smaller than other filetypes, if you have large backgrounds or something similar.
The - in my opinion - best filetype to create backgrounds. It's smaller than BMP or PNG (and in 75% of the cases GIF) and supports 24 bit. Use it for every background that has detail in it. You shouldn't use it for sprites, though, as it won't save pure [insert any color here] that faces another color nearby (thanks to Paradox for reminding me of this) and also can't save transparency; if you ever see a JP(E)G with transparency in it, it's most likely the program that set a specific color - most of the time 0-0-0 (black) transparent.
Graphics may not be the most important part of a game, but they contribute to the first impression someone gets when viewing your project. You should always go for the perfect result rather than for 'ah, doesn't looks that bad' point of view.
I hope this tutorial was somewhat helpful to all you graphic newcomers or inexperienced Paint-spriters
See you on my next tutorial ^_^