Converting bitmap files to jpeg files

Software & Apps
#1

Hi all, I’m trying to convert bitmap files to jpeg and have downloaded ReaJPEG’s free trial for this purpose. It is very simple to use, but the images come out very grainy. Is this common with this type of software, or is there better software?

I have a friend who at the age of fifty has decided that she would like to learn how to use a computer. To help her I’m putting together a small tutorial for some of the basic functions, like getting and sending email, turning the computer off using the start, shutdown method, etc. I’m using screenshots to illustrate it and am taking the images from MSPaint. In order to paste the images to the document I’m sending the image to a email, mailing this to myself as the image doesn’t show prior to sending, copying the image from the email and saving as a picture, copying it from there and pasting it in the document. Yep, this would make Rube Goldberg proud. :wink: The method may be convoluted, but the image is much clearer than that of the downloaded program.

I would appreciate any suggestions.

I’m using W2k Pro.

#2

The grainy aspect is typical of the JPEG format because it compress the image removing some information from the file. If you want to have smaller files with lesser artifacts, maybe you can consider PNG that compress better than jpeg and with better quality.

#3

Hi geno, thank you for the response.

Can you suggest a program that would convert a screen shot to a PNG file, preferably a free one as this will most likely be a one time application?

#4

Acdsee has a convert function, to/from every format.

#5

right click image–>--edit–>-- (paint will open)–>--file–>--save as and choose what your wanting from the drop down box

#6

As Bprroc implied, paint will save screen shots as .jpg. It will also save them as .png files which produce smaller files when saving screen shots and other computer generated graphics.

Use “save as”, not “save”. That is, click File > Save As…
Then click on the “Save as type” box.

Another program I find handy is the free irfanview. This will also save bitmaps as png or jpg files.


saveAsType.PNG567×517 35.8 KB

#7

Another potential cause of blurry pictures is “ClearType”. If you are using ClearType when you take the screen shot, then the results will look good when viewed on another LCD monitor that uses the same color pixel order as yours.

Most LCD monitors have R-G-B pixel order so it’s usually no problem. But if the other LCD monitor happens to use the less common B-G-R color pixel order, the results will be bad. I guess the effect on CRT monitors is variable.

P.S. I didn’t disable ClearType when I made the screen shots in my previous post. If they look blurry, I apologize.

#8

thanks steve, i should have had a comma or -->-- in after “save as” in my above post.

i’ve disabled clear type, as i don’t like it

#9

Hi guys, thanks for all of the useful information. I’m using Windows 2000 Pro, and the options in “Save as type” does not include anything other than the mapbit choices.

#10

Try using FastStone Photo Resizer it’s a freebie and has other uses also.

Edit:
Here’s a link

#11

I forgot about that. Yeah, XP’s paint is more powerful. I think there is a way to get XP’s paint to run on Win2k, but I guess the easy way is just to download another program, as others have suggested.

Irfanview is quite popular and free.
http://www.irfanview.com/

#12

Another free option is Paint .NET

#13

IrfanView is my alltime favorite image viewer/editor - does about everything you can imagine. Upon saving as jpeg you can choose the compression rate (80% is standard and should avoid the graining effect).

#14

also pix resizer, quick and free

http://bluefive.pair.com/PIXresizer.zip

#15

I thank evey one of you for your suggestions.

It amazes me that in the process of putting a simple tutorial together for a girl friend I have in turn received an education myself. All this was suppose to be was a couple of screenshots and a couple of pages on the basics of getting and sending email and turning the computer off the proper way…not by using the on/off button no matter how much faster it is.