Re: How to Resize GIFs

["Rick Bishop" <bishopr -at- jcdc -dot- jobcorps -dot- org>]

Hi Ellen:    I don't use Webworks, but I can tell you of a process for resizing gifs to get a good result. The reason the resized GIF does not look good is that it only has 256 colors to work with during the resize process and can't dither the image properly.
I like the free Irfanview tool for batch resizing using a 3 step process.
http://www.irfanview.com/
(be sure you have a backup of your original GIFs or set it to create backup images elsewhere)

1) Use File, Batch Conversion, Select and add files to be converted, Check Output format to BMP, Click Advanced options, Uncheck Resize, Check Change color depth, Check 24 BPP, OK,  and Start.

This will change images to 24 bit bitmaps without resizing. When you resize next it will allow dithering which improves the appearance of the image.

2) Run the same procedure only resizing and replacing the bmp images in their respective directories. 

3)  Run it again to only reduce color depth and format to GIF. Then search for *.bmp and delete all found.

This entire process only takes couple of minutes or so and should result in acceptable quality images.

Rick



>>> <egorlow -at- hotmail -dot- com> 02/03/04 08:12AM >>>

If there a way to change the size of GIF files, so that they do not have
the Webworks default DPI?

I wrote a one-line macro for the keyword "GIF", checked the "use macro"
checkbox, unchecked the "import by reference checkbox", and regenerated
the project. Nothing I do has any effect on the size of the output GIF
files.

I have searched all over the web for a solution to this. The only solution
I have found involves creating a new Rasterizer marker in Framemaker,
which involves a lot of handwork. I also tried to batch resize all the GIF
files using various freeware tools I found on the web, but the quality was
not very good.

Any reasonable suggestions are welcome.

Ellen