Display of imported PNGs

Spectrum Writing continued this thread in a new one (due to unexpected forum behavior):
https://community.adobe.com/t5/framemaker/display-of-pngs-part-ii/td-p/12320765

Hi Tammy,

If the equation is appearing as you like in SnagIt, one thing you can rule out are the font issues. At that point, there are no fonts used, just pixels within the PNG.

Question: Why are you opening the images in SnagIt? In your current workflow, I would just import the PNG that was exported from MS Word. 

Now for the free advice (worth precisely what you've paid for it...): If the direct import of the PNG doesn't clear up the issue, I would recommend doing a direct screen grab of the content from the source, before exporting to HTML. Then go to Fm and directly paste into your content. Since you aren't modifying the screen grab, there is no reason to Import by Reference unless you're reusing the equations in a number of separate places. (also see below for recommendation on importing vectors, rather than bitmaps for your equations)

For reference, I had a career in commercial printing; managing screen shots this way results in the best possible quality, and with a minimal file size. The method has 2 things to be aware of:

• If you reuse images in multiple locations, you need to track where each instance is placed if/when you update the graphic. If importing by reference, then updating the source image would update all instances in your docs. This hasn't been an issue for me or my clients.
• When pasting, the placed image size will be dependent on the magnification of your Fm doc. Odd, but true. For whatever reason, viewing my docs at 160% gives me a perfect balance of size and clarity in my screenshots. 
  
  • Tammy: since your screenshots would be of MS Word content, you'd also need to be consistent with your magnification in MS Word.

So, if you "only use" equations in a single location, and don't want to use Fm's equation editor (I know you've had issues with the equation fonts not supporting what you need to do), try using the MS clipping tool or SnagIt (or other, like RoboScreenCapture, still included with Fm) to copy/paste.

Of course, since your scientific writing focuses on equations, I'd prefer you were using something (optimally, SVG) that produced vectors in the PDF, rather than bitmaps. SVG would also produce vectors for the HTML. This would provide the best rendering on screen and in the PDF/print.

-Matt

Just for giggles, I tried saving a Word file with an equation in it as an RTF and then using Frame to open the file. The equation came over okay, and when I save the file to PDF, it looks the same in the PDF file as in the Frame or Word files.

Perhaps what you can do is save the Word file with all the equations as RTF, then open it in Frame and just copy the relevant equations into place as you go? You won't be able to update them as they get imported as PNGs, but they look crisp enough to me.

Note: I am using Word 365 and FrameMaker 2020, fully patched. I do not know how or if this will work in earlier versions, but it surely can't hurt to try.

Ah, I was thinking that the equations get saved as images inside the Word doc - sorry about that. Your joboptions choices are probably the better ones. OR, you could use FM equation editor to produce the output OR capture actual images of the equations (which would take out any issues with fonts in them).

Try different Job Option settings when you create the PDF. Try High Quality Print or Press Quality.

Dov left Adobe a few months ago. We all miss him.

How do the png's look if you just extract them direct from the .docx using the old "make a copy of the doc, rename it .zip & extract to folder" method to get the \media\ images out?