• Compare the advantages and disadvantages of file types and characteristics

Compare the advantages and disadvantages of file types and characteristics.


File Types

JPEG
JPEG stands for the Joint Photographic Experts Group, which is a committee and aims to create graphics standard.

Advantage
JPEG is the one of the most popular format for photographic image. Because it gets high compression without lose much image quality. For example, one big image which has 300 kb of file size, compressing to this format, the file size may reduce 20%, but the quality did not have any difference in visual.

JPEG supports 16.7 million colours. Therefore, the image by using this format possesses a good quality, and also because the compression ratio can adjust by users, the file size is variety.In the modern time, with the broadband getting heavier and heavier and the raster Graphics being necessary keys for web site, JPEG has become to widely use on internet to improve the internet speeds.

Disadvantage
JPEG is a lossy compression which means when an image get compressed, the information will be getting lost as well as the compression getting more. When users want to a small file size of their images, the detail on the image will lose so that the images may get jerked and dizzy.

JPEG is not a very good format to store vector graphics because it will treat them as rastor graphics in order to possess a large file size and the picture will get a jagged edges.

Another disadvantage is that once the image gets compressed, the information which lost can not be restored again.

It does not support transparency and interlacing.

PNG
PNG is short for Portable Network Graphics, which is the native file format for Adobe Fireworks.

Advantage
PNG supports 24-bits colour and loseless compression; it means the raster image saved as PNG has a good quality without loss any pixels. Therefore, as the native format, it is used in Fireworks to store layers and more details.

It could use to store interlacing image by a special algorithm, called Adam7, which uses seven passes and operates in both 2D and 3D, compared to only four passes in the vertical dimension used by GIF. This means the whole image can be perceived much more quickly in the early passes, which means it is using a progressive loading.

It supports gamma-correction.

Free of patents

The compression ratio also can adjust by users, the file size is variety.

Disadvantage
Due to the compression method is lossless, the file size saved as PNG format will not be small as the JPEG's.

It comes with a number of extension formats, which may not access on the web sites.It does not support animation in Firework so that it have to transfer to animation format, such as .swf.

GIF

Advantage
Graphic Interchange Format（GIF）is used for image with monotone colour and clarity. GIF offers lossless compression to reduce file size, at present, most software support it, which means it can be read on most web browsers.

GIF supports transparency and interlacing, and it also used for some kinds of GIF graphic animation.

Disadvantages
Limited colour GIF provided, 265 colours, so that the still image will lose their quality if store in this format, especially big still image.

Compression algorithm is patented

No gamma-correction - colored backgrounds

It takes a quite big memory for store animation on hard disk.

TIFF
TIFF is Tag Image File Format, widely used as bitmapped file format, which store graphics in CMYK or RGB colour model.

Advantages
It is a good format for store information for printing,

Most software support this format and it could be across a lot of platforms, such as Windows and Mac ox.

It supports different levels of bit depths from 1 to 32 bits.

Disadvantages
Due to it supports different types of graphics, when users scan line art which is black-and-white images, save hard disk space by saving the TIFF as bi-level “bitmap”, rather than saving them as greyscale or colour TIFF.

BMP
BMP represents Bitmap, whch is an image file format created by Microsoft and IBM.

Advantages
Widely used on most platforms and applications.
It is good to store small image, because the compression is lossless, the detail of the raster image will be all stored.

Disadvantages
It possesses a large file size. Therefore, it is not suitable to use on line.

PSD

Advantage
PSD is native format for Adobe Photoshop, which is used for image with RGB and CMYK mode.

It take easy for creating customer colour.

It does not only keep every detail of an image and reproduced the detail, such as layers and filter, but also supports all colour mode of the image.

It can be used internal on most Adobe software, such as Fireworks and Illustrator.

Disadvantage
Huge file size.

Discuss image manipulation sources

Scanners
Scanner is a computer input device, which aims to capture a digital representation of an analogue images. The image can be printed photograph, text from a book, journal, newspaper or magazine, a drawing on a sheet of paper.

The scanned digital representation can be stored, manipulated, incorporated into other pieces of work by the computer.

They are a number of types of scanner, such as Flatbed scanners, sheet-fed scanners, Handheld scanners and drum scanners. A flatbed scanner is most common one used in the office, school and home.

Digital Cameras
Digital camera has a series of lenses that focus light to create an image of a scene, but instead of focusing this light onto a piece of film, it focuses it onto a semiconductor device that records light electronically. Then, the computer breaks this electronic information down into digital data.

Photoshop versus Fireworks

Similarity
Photoshop and Fireworks are software applications, belonging to Adobe System. They are both graphics editing packages, which all can edit raster graphics and draw vector graphics. Most of the tools are similar as well as the interface, such as pencil, brush and crop.

Differences
Photoshop
It is premier photo manipulation program, using to color correct and sharpen scans. Photoshop gives users the ability to make great looking reproductions. Photoshop works by manipulating each individual pixel. However, it has a disadvantage which when user manipulate layers of one image, they have to pay attention to which layer they are working.

Fireworks
It aimed at web designers. It is designed to integrate easily with Adobe Dreamwaver and Flash. It provides a range of result when they are going to save to which format and compression ratios. It supports to add links on the photos, so that a simple web page can be created in Fireworks.

Discuss the flow process in establishing the development of multimedia assets

Flow process
To get a efficient multimedia work done, firstly, the designer should have a clear mind, organizing a good order for work.
e.g.
Analysing, planning, designing, manipulating, testing, evaluating and maintaining.

Using folders
Gathering different material into different folders, it will help recognize the information which is needed fast.

Good naming conventions
A good naming will tell the content clearly, a sensible file name is better.
Do not put any space in file or folder names, especially the file is used on the internet.

Noticing version of hardware and software
New version of hardware and software is releasing quite fast, paying attention to compatibility of the products, make sure when the work run on different machine, it can be open up.

Organising assets
Put the same type of work in the same folder in case forgetting the things which will be needed after a long time. For example, editable images(PNG file), Publication image(JPEG file)

Making regular backups

How might you develop an efficient approach to target audience definition?
Navigation system is good or bad decided the efficient approach to target audience. Good navigation helps target audience to get the information they want quickly. Using buttons, contrast colours, clear text hints and help user to right place.