Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
DIGITIZING YOUR ART
BY SERGIO J. A. RAGNO III
SYSTEMS LIBRARIAN AND COMIC ARTIST
THE NATURE OF DIGITAL IMAGES• Lossy VS Lossless
• GIF: Graphics Interchange Format
• Lossless
• Supports a palette of 256 colors and transparencies. Transparencies allow the 256 colors to function as 1859 colors and for animations.
• Ideal for: The Internet
• JPEG: Joint Photographic Extensions Group
• Lossy
• Compresses by discarding high frequency hues and the degree to which this is done can usually be controlled. Often the deleted hues are not detectable by humans. Files tend to be very small compared to their resolution.
• Ideal For: The Internet
• PNG: Portable Networks Graphics
• Lossless
• Designed to be an improved version of the .GIF (namely the limited palette), supports more colors and transparencies, but not animations.
• Ideal For: The Internet
THE NATURE OF DIGITAL IMAGES (CONTINUED)• TIFF: Tagged Image File Format
• Lossless
• Is able to contain both image and meta data, providing great detail and color depth but very large file sizes. Designed for digital photography and publishing on a professional level.
• Ideal For: Print
• BMP: Bitmap
• Lossless
• Among the most basic means of saving a file, saves 1 bit per pixel of an arbitrary 2D image. About as lossless as you can get, but among the largest file sizes you’ll find.
• Ideal For: Storage for future edits or conversions
• PDF: Portable Document Format
• Not really an image format, but versatile enough to be included in a conversation about them. Includes decryption data within the file itself, making it very accessible and durable.
• Ideal For: Publishing or displaying images as a collection (such as a book).
THE NATURE OF DIGITAL IMAGES (CONTINUED)
BMP TIFF GIF PNG JPEG0
5000000
10000000
15000000
20000000
25000000
30000000
35000000
400000003.36MB 3.36 MB
8.41 KB 7.57 KB
3.36 KB
Size of File After Save
File Type
Size (in bytes)
Rough example: a single color featureless image at 8.5 x 11 is scanned in at 600 DPI (Dots per Inch).
Resolution=(600 X 8.5) X (600 X 11)Resolution=33660000 pixels
Estimated Compression RatesBMP = 1 pixel per byte33660000 bytes (3.36 MB)
TIFF = 1 pixel per byte33660000 bytes (3.36 MB)
GIF = 4 pixels per byte8415000 bytes (8.41 KB)
PNG= 3.6 pixels per byte7573500 (7.57 KB)
JPEG= 10 pixels per byte3366000 (3.36 KB)
DIGITAL MIGRATION: DIGITAL PHOTOS
• You can capture digital photographs with a number of devices including digital cameras, cell phones, and tablets.
• The resolution of these images are predetermined by the hardware of the device, although some devices include a High Definition Setting.
• Digital photographs are usually saved onto an external drive (such as an SD card). Again, this depends on your device.
• Digital photographs are always saved into the folder DCIM (Digital Camera Images).
• Images are uncompressed and saved as either .BMP or .TIFF.
• This means that these images are usually very large.
• Your means of accessing your photos depends on your device
• If photos are stored on an eternal hard drive you can remove it and insert the drive into the desired device
• Use a USB cord to connect a computer to the device
• Device must be on
• Sometimes the device needs to be in USB mode.
DIGITAL MIGRATION: SCANNING
• Scanners exist as stand alone devices but these days you can commonly find them on Multi-Function Printers.
• You can usually scan straight from the device using factory defaults, but scanners often come with software that allow you to define more settings, and these are often important.
• Image/ Color Mode
• Color
• Gray Scale
• Black and White
• Resolution (DPI)
• Scope
• Automatic
• Entire Glass
• Save to/ As
• Often differentiates between documents and photos.
WHAT DO I DO ONCE I HAVE A FILE OF MY ART?• For print and publishing:
• Keep it large (still shrink it)
• Print and publishing prefers uncompressed files, usually TIFFs or PDFs containing TIFF images.
• For the internet:
• Reduce, reduce, reduce.
• The smaller the better
• Loads faster
• Causes fewer issues by avoiding time outs.
• PNGs and JPEGs are best for static images
• Use GIFs for animations.
• For either case you will need a digital imaging program
• Allow you to edit the features of your digital image
• Size
• File Type
• Color
• Transparencies
• Crop
• Much, much more!
WHAT CAN DIGITAL IMAGING PROGRAMS DO?
PUTTING YOUR ART ON THE INTERNET
• Method 1: Upload directly to a website
• Applies to social media, blogs, digital portfolios and more.
• Uploads usually put a limit on how large an image can be (usually in terms of KB)
• Some uploads will automatically crop and reformat your image.
• This may break some animations or remove transparencies.
• Often uploading an image will allow you to attach metadata (labels/tags) to the image. It is a good idea to do this in order to make your work visible and retrievable by search engines.
• Method 2: Manually code the image
• Applies to personal websites and blogs, anything where an upload button is not involved.
• <img src=“http://DOMAIN.EXTENSION/CONTAINERFOLDER/FILENAME.FILETYPE” width=“X” height=“X” border=“X”>
• Do not do this unless you control the image.
EXAMPLE: UPLOADING TO TUMBLR
STEP 1: FIND THE UPLOAD BUTTON
STEP 2: FIND YOUR IMAGE
STEP 4: PROVIDE INFORMATION AND TAGS
• Tags allow audiences to find your work with searches or by browsing related work.
• Tags will often prompt the service to share your work with artists who work in the same field or on the same subject. This can foster cooperation and cross promotion.
IMAGE SOURCE
• Computers recognize all objects by their location on a machine.
• This picture’s source (address) is: https://41.media.tumblr.com/fcd0b44877bfbac117e35f65719dabee/tumblr_nuon419Za81qfstc9o1_540.png
• Note that this is not the best example as this source is not permanent.
HOW SHOULD I DISPLAY MY ART?• What You Should Consider Before You Commit to a Platform (Platforms ideally)
• How often do you create a product?
• Copyright and the potential for your art to be shared.
• User agreements.
• Control over where your art is shared and displayed.
• Do you want there to be a discussion?
• Do you want to make money off of this and how?
• How big of a digital presence do you want?
• How much time can you invest in this project?
• Tips From Me to You
• Make a game plan before you do anything. Think long term and be thorough.
• Only put something on the internet if you are willing to sacrifice a level of control.
• Have an exit strategy. Remember that once something has been uploaded to the internet it is technically there forever.
• Be active.
• Create frequently (but not too frequently)
• Promote yourself!
• Free.
• Not easy to monetize.
• Very visible (pending on your profile and privacy settings).
• Facebook pages are excellent for promotion and creating a dialogue between you and your patrons (and for the patrons amongst themselves).
• Your art is displayed in a newsfeed.
• “Newsfeed Burn” Fear the algorithm!
• Keep the user agreement in mind. Technically, Facebook owns what you upload to it.
• Very unstable, content hidden if not new (in terms of days or so).
TUMBLR
• Free.
• Not easy to monetize.
• Very active artistic community.
• Your art is displayed in a newsfeed.
• Your art can be shared by other members to their followers.
• Uploads can be patched into other social networks.
• Tags are very effective.
• Great platform for animated .GIFs.
• Audiences almost exclusively view your work from their newsfeed.
• Very unstable. Easy for your work to be buried in newsfeeds.
• Easy for your work to be missed entirely.
• Excellent promotional tool.
TWITTER• Free.
• Very difficult to monetize.
• Content is limited (this is both a pro and a con)
• Tags are extremely effective.
• Very active artistic community.
• Your art is displayed in a newsfeed.
• Your art can be shared by other members to their followers.
• Twitter moves extremely fast!
• Uploads can be patched into other social networks.
• Audiences almost exclusively view your work from their newsfeed.
• Very unstable. Very easy for your work to be buried in newsfeeds.
• Very easy for your work to be missed entirely.
• Excellent promotional tool.
• Extremely effective in forming a dialogue with your audience.
• You are intended to use Twitter frequently within a day.
• Free.
• Very difficult to monetize.
• Intended for photography.
• Difficult to use and access with anything but a smart phone.
• Small audience.
• Your art is displayed in a newsfeed.
• Uploads can be patched into other social networks.
• Audiences almost exclusively view your work from their newsfeed.
• Very unstable. Easy for your work to be buried in newsfeeds.
• Your work must fit a specific canvas.
• Guys, this is really bad you guys.
• Provides filters (but you already did that, right?).
• Okay promotional tool.
• Will most likely not reach new audiences.
A BLOG
• Can be free or premium.
• A good place to start is Blogger (Google) and Wordpress.
• Very easy to monetize.
• Ad revenue.
• Lots of control over how content is displayed and retained.
• Audiences usually can follow your blog.
• Audiences can discuss your work (if you design it that way).
• Very stable. Nothing is going to be hidden or deleted unless you do it.
• Very easy to track stats.
• Tags are very important.
• Promotion is critical!
PATREON
• New!
• Intended to compliment other digital presence or offline work.
• Audiences pledge money to fund your projects
• In return you are expected to provide incentives.
• Pledges are the exclusives means for monetization.
• A lot of competition.
• Not very visible.
• Not easy to organize your work. As of this writing there is no support for albums or folders.
• Planning and preparation is crucial.
• Promotion is crucial!
YOUR OWN WEBSITE• The most control you’ll ever have over how your art is displayed, if and
how there is a discussion, how you’ll receive revenue, and every other conceivable aspect of your digital presence.
• It’s the best option.
• It also will require the most work, time, and tech literacy.
• A stable as you can get, the only reason that your work will be hidden or deleted is because you designed it to do so.
• Easy to monetize.
• Ad revenue.
• Easy to track statistics.
• Google analytics.
• Create a short and succinct URL.
• Promotion is a MUST.
• You’ll need to do a little work to allow audiences to follow you.
• RSS feed.
• Join a indexing service (usually free)
• Owning a domain VS a free website.
• Tip: Wordpress is an excellent place to start.
MY ADVICE FOR SUCCESS ON THE DIGITAL CANVAS
• Do not take the social aspect of the internet for granted. Communicate with your audience, and communicate with other artists too.
• The internet moves fast! Do your best to keep up!
• Collaborate and they will listen!
• Being promoted by another artist is among the best publicity there is.
• Branch out!
• You should not ignore video (YouTube), and independent video games are in a boom right now.
• Explore what new things your art can do that was not possible with the physical medium.
• Learn from trends but do not patronize them.
• Promote yourself in the real world.
• Do not be discouraged by failure. The digital frontier is just that. A frontier. A place to discover and learn.
