Opening TIFFs from a Browser

["Boudreaux, Madelyn" <Madelyn -dot- Boudreaux -at- wolterskluwer -dot- com>]

Hi, all:

I am documenting a web-based product that provides TIFF graphic files as
a secondary format. The graphics are provided first as GIFs, but the
user is offered an option to view, download, and print a TIFF for
professional uses. We have run into the expected problems with this: we
cannot control what software and plug-ins the user can access, so we
cannot guess or offer specific suggestions on troubleshooting the TIFFs
if they don't work automatically. Instead, we offer them some suggested
programs or plug-ins. 

Question 1: What are the industry standard or, in your experience, good,
free products for viewing TIFFs? 

Question 2: Has anyone had any experience using QuickTime in this
fashion? Due to some limitations (some users will access TIFFs on their
own computers, but others will be on library computers and will not be
able to install software at will), a plug-in - particularly a free,
well-known, well-supported one from a trusted source - would be
preferable. Thus, I am leaning toward QuickTime as the primary suggested
solution, but has anyone had bad experiences with it, or other reasons
why this would not be a good choice? 

Obligatory "I checked the Archive First" notice: In the archives, I
found a similar question
(http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/archives/0002/techwhirl-0002-00899.ht
ml), but the only answer was to convert the graphics to GIFs instead of
asking the user to view the TIFFs. Sage advice in that case, but not in
mine. The TIFF format is hard-coded, and a change to the programming is
not an acceptable answer. (We are hoping to go to PNGs in future
versions of the product, but not yet.) 

Thanks in advance!

Madelyn Boudreaux
Technical Writer
Medical Research
 
Ovid Technologies
9350 South 150 East Suite 200
Sandy, UT 84070-2705
 
801.304.3435 tel
801.304.3001 fax
 
Madelyn -dot- boudreaux -at- wolterskluwer -dot- com
www.ovid.com
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