Converting Images to BMP

[saratogacoach]

Hi,

Is there a way within FM 2015 to convert all images to BMP's when printing to PDF? I have an eLearning guide in FM with 50+ images, so converting each manually would be a time-consuming task.

Thank you in advance for your help, suggestions.

[Barb Binder · Accepted solution]

Not that I am aware of. Do you have Photoshop? You can create an action (aka macro) that you can run on a folder, and convert them all very quickly.

[saratogacoach]

Hi Barb,

Yes, have Photoshop, so may be able to batch convert the images using it.

Thank you for this suggestion.

Best Wishes,

[Barb Binder]

Let me know if you need a hand with the action. You can ask on this thread, or start a new one here: Photoshop General Discussion​. As a heads up, the Ps folks will ask the same question as Bob—why BMP.

[Bob_Niland]

What are you trying to accomplish with BMP? It has a number of shortcomings compared to other formats.

Adobe Illustrator can also be scripted (via an Action) to do batch conversions. I used to do that routinely for vector and mixed-format art generated as .ai or arriving as .pdf (for a version of FM in which PDF import was unstable).

[saratogacoach]

I thought that I would need to eventually import the PDF made in FM into LiveCycle Designer ES4 since Designer has more JavaScript scripting functionality (that I am familiar with using) than regular Acrobat Pro DC. But after trying a test image in Designer, which is "fuzzy" not sharp like the original, I think I have to go back to the drawing board, figure out a better way for this project.

[Bob_Niland]

What is the source of the images?

If you tried importing as PDF (or EPS, and perhaps as PSD or AI), what you see during edit in FM is a 72 dpi embedded thumbnail or preview image, and not the full image resolution.

Regardless of import format (for raster images), what ends up in the final PDF or web workflow depends on workflow settings, like Distiller job options. A nice flat/sharp screen capture can get converted to a coarse sub-sampled remnant with nasty edge artifacts in the PDF.

[saratogacoach]

Hi Bob,

If I recall correctly, for many images, I used RH screenshot utility, then PS to save for web as PNG's. Looks like RH converted them to GIF? Somewhere along the line they were converted, not sure where?

In any event, if I want to use Designer, I think I would need to start over with screen captures, resize in PS, then place them one by one into Designer (66 of them).

However, I'm thinking of trying different route for this eLearning project, avoiding this.

Thanks for your suggestions.

Best Wishes,