BodyShots Business User Guide - 2 Modes and File Formats

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Online User Guide - BodyShots Business
For additional information, please see the BodyShots Frequently Asked Questions.

~~2. Modes and file formats~~

Among the most confusing aspects of outputting image files for printing is that of knowing which format to use for the right purpose. "Mode" refers to the method in which color is stored within a file, whereas the "format" of a file describes the structure in which it is saved on disk Common modes and formats are described below:

TIFF (Tagged-Image File Format)

The BodyShots image files are in the TIFF format. A TIFF image is composed of tiny individual squares called pixels, each of which can represent up to 256 levels, or shades, of gray or individual color. With normal viewing these pixels merge to give the illusion of a continuous tone photograph. TIFF images can be black & white, grayscale, RGB, or CMYK.

RGB mode

A monitor uses red, green and blue (RGB) light to produce a screen image. Each of the RGB colors consist of eight "bits" of data, which can represent 256 shades. When all three colors are combined, they use 24 bits, and can represent 16.7 million colors. The BodyShots images are 24-bit RGB TIFFs. Use them in RGB until you are ready to convert them to CMYK.

CMYK mode (Cyan, magenta, yellow, black)

Although increasingly more applications are able to separate RGB files for printing, most page layout packages require image files to be in the four printing process colors of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black (black has the acronym K deriving from the term "key" plate to avoid confusion with blu).

CMYK.EPS (Encapsulated PostScript)

A version of CMYK optimized for imagesetter output. Some imagesetters, when outputting TIFF files, tend to render the edges as "jaggies" (undesirable bit-mapped blocks), so if you intend outputting images through an imagesetter it is advisable to convert them to EPS files before doing so, particularly if you are outputting them in a single color, such as black.

CMYK.EPS.DCS (Desktop Color Separation)

As above, but this format saves the image as five separate files one for each of the four process colors, plus an extra file for monitor display until imagesetter output is required.

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