Welcome to Apple® Media Image Disc. This document contains guidelines for working with the images on this disc. These are general guidelines, your needs may vary. For best results, you should consult your software manual or printing professional.
The images provided on this disc are saved in the Kodak Image Pac file format, the same format used on Kodak Photo CD discs. The Image Pac format offers users five resolutions per image compressed into one file. Depending on the software you use, you will see the resolutions referred to either by name or by pixel dimensions. Once you identify the appropriate resolution for your needs, select it and the software will extract the requested resolution.
The five available resolutions and their names are:
128 x 192 pixels Base/16
256 x 387 pixels Base/4
512 x 768 pixels Base
1,024 x 1,536 pixels Base*4
2,048 x 3,072 pixels Base*16
USING PHOTO CD IMAGES
1. Preview the images on Apple Media Image Disc and select the one you want to use.
2. Copy the file to your hard disk or work with the file directly off the disc.
3. Open the image in Apple PhotoFlash™, Adobe™ Photoshop, Equilibrium DeBabelizer, or any other image editing application capable of opening Photo CD files.
4. Choose the appropriate image resolution for your ad, brochure, or presentation. You can determine the resolution by identifying the reproduction size and reproduction media. Typically, the rule of thumb is that your image should be twice the resolution of your line screen. (Note: You may want to crop an image, which changes its dimensions and makes its file size smaller. If so, choose a larger Photo CD image size.) See the REPRODUCTION MEDIA section for information on how to determine the correct resolution for your materials.
5. Save the image as a TIFF, PICT, or EPS and place into your page layout or presentation document.
REPRODUCTION MEDIA
• On screen/presentation
This includes anything displayed on screen or used with a screen projection system. Images intended for on-screen use need to be converted to either 8- or 24-bit color, or 8-bit grayscale images. The preferred resolution is 72 pixels per inch.
For example, an on-screen image that is 2" x 3" would require an image of 144 x 219 pixels. That is:
2 inches * 72 pixels per inch = 144 pixels
3 inches * 72 pixels per inch = 219 pixels
In this case, you would select the Base/4 or 256 x 387 pixels image.
• Laser printer output
This includes any flyers, handouts, or other materials produced by printing on an Apple LaserWriter®, Apple StyleWriter®, Apple Color StyleWriter®, or any other black-and-white or color desktop printer. You will need to know the reproduction size of the image and at which line screen you will be printing.
For example, if you are printing a 4" x 5" image on your LaserWriter at an 85 line screen, the image will need to be 680 x 850 pixels. That is:
4 inches * 85 lpi * 2 pixels per line = 680 pixels
5 inches * 85 lpi * 2 pixels per line = 850 pixels
In this case, you would select the Base*4 or 1,024 x 1,536 pixels image.
•Black-and-White offset printing
This includes any item printed in one color by standard web or sheet-fed offset lithography. Again the rule of thumb is that your image should be twice the resolution of your line screen.
For example, if you are printing a 4" x 5" image in a one-color magazine ad at 133 line screen, the image will need to be 1064 x 1330 pixels. That is:
4 inches * 133 lpi * 2 pixels per line = 1064 pixels
5 inches * 133 lpi * 2 pixels per line = 1330 pixels
In this case, you would select the Base*16 or 2,048 x 3,072 pixels image, then convert it to grayscale.
• Color offset printing
This includes any piece produced by standard web or sheet-fed offset lithography. The requirements are the same as black-and-white offset printing except that you will need to convert the file to the CMYK color space instead of to grayscale.
For example, you are printing an 6" x 9" brochure cover in color at 175 line screen. For this printed piece, you will need an image of 2100 x 3150 pixels. That is:
6 inches * 175 lpi * 2 pixels per line = 2100 pixels
9 inches * 175 lpi * 2 pixels per line = 3150 pixels
In this case, you would select the Base*16 or 2,048 x 3,072 pixels image since it is the only file size that contains enough data for this image.
Be aware that the method of conversion to CMYK from RGB is determined by many factors including total ink limit, maximum ink density, method of printing (web or offset), dot gain, printing substrate, and others. If you are unsure of the proper settings for this conversion, consult with your printer or color separator.
Should you have any questions or suggestions regarding Apple Media Image Disc, contact our support team at AMTK@applelink.apple.com
OTHER REFERENCE MATERIALS
The Color Mac by Marc D. Miller and Randy Zaucha, Hayden, 1992.
