Pat O'Bryan said he was using a software package that generates 3-D images of a book or box, but complained that the images didn't look very professional.  He pointed to his web page at this URL  www.instantchange.com  and wanted to know why the edges of the boxes looked rippled and why the text was hard to read.

To begin with, here's one box image exactly as it's displayed on that web at 180 pixels wide by 202 pixels high. Pat wanted to know why the edges were rippled and the title was hard to read.

Now take a look down below to see the actual image stored in the root folder of Pat's web site. The image is actually 264 pixels wide by 300 pixels high.  When Pat specified the size at which he wanted this image displayed, he was directing any browser to COMPRESS THE IMAGE to make it appear smaller. This accounts for some of the ripples and distortion on the text.

Pat could either:

1)display the image at it's full size or

2) create a new, smaller  image in the size he wants it displayed

Still, as you can see, even at full size some lines are rippled and the text is somewhat hard to read. The ripples and wonky letters are both created by the compression ratio the software uses when it  formats the image as a  jpg (j-peg.) When you tell the software to "save" your file, it must reduce the image, or compress it, into a jpg. When the pixels are compressed, their shape is slightly altered. The effect is that thin lines look rippled or pinched when they are displayed. The smaller the image display, the more noticeable to ripple effect is.

One way to reduce the appearance of the ripples is to use fatter letters. Fonts that have a thicker width will be easier to read when they are compressed.

Another thing Pat could do to improve the appearance of the box is to use a lighter background color. The white lines that divide the box into 3 surfaces (noted with an arrow in the image above) will always be seen as a thin white line on the monitor. When that thin line is pinched between 2 black surfaces, the ripples  from compression will be easily seen. The ripple effect would not be nearly as noticeably on a lighter color box.

Creating , displaying and printing graphic images is a very complicated process. Software that "automatically" generates 3-D images still needs an operator that knows what they're doing.

 Using the web is primarily a visual experience. Viewers often browse the pictures on a web site first, using them to judge whether or not they will go back and browse any text. Well designed images will actually tell your story before the viewer reads a single word.  Take a look at this mock-up I made of Pat's web page as it could be.   Before, Pat's web page was a jumble of unrelated images. Now all the images are related in color and style. Creating a consistent and professional appearance helps make Pat a "brand" rather than just a blaring web site. Notice, too, how the message gets across without words. A picture really is worth 1000!

Images are vitally important, but is it worth your time and money to buy graphic software and learn how to use it? It costs between $600 and $1000. to buy Photoshop. I spend another $1000. per year on updates, manuals, training and add-ins. Learning to make and use effective graphics is a major undertaking both in time and money.

You can see my work in the book cover catalog section of this web.

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