Photogs, graphic artists-are you using PNG?

[DP]

I have been talking with my client about the different formats they require for the images I shoot for them. I have been looking at using PNG to replace both TIFF and GIF formats that they use. I am doing some tests for them and when I save an image as a PNG I get the option for "interlaced". Doing some googling it seems that interlacing is the right way to go but no source ever says, "Yeah, always choose interlaced".
What say you?

[M A V I C]

If the stuff is ever going to print, I stick with TIFF for originals. If they don't need quit that high of quality, I use JPEG. I only use PNG for web stuff, and even then usually just if alpha transparency is needed.

[DaviDC.]

I tend to use JPGs for just about everything & PNG if a transparent background is needed, which isn't very often.

[DP]

M A V I C wrote:
If the stuff is ever going to print, I stick with TIFF for originals. If they don't need quit that high of quality, I use JPEG. I only use PNG for web stuff, and even then usually just if alpha transparency is needed.

Yeah, running some tests I see no real difference between a PNG and a TIFF. I think PNG with interlacing is better for GIF replacement and if I save a RAW image as a PNG with interlacing it takes a lot longer to save than as a TIFF with LZW compression. So I'm going to recommend we replace GIFs with PNG's but not TIFFs.
I saw tables showing the compression, while lossless, saves a smaller file in PNG but it isn't that much smaller than a TIFF saved with LZW.
My client requires I convert the images to TIFF's, JPEG's, and GIF's for their different uses.

[pRICE cUBE]

Just do what the client wants and charge more for customization :patriot:

[Bosco]

What DaviDc said.

Use PNG for transparent backgrounds (web or powerpoint). Otherwise, stick with JPG.

Use TIFF or PSD for high res images that you want to edit later. They are lossless formats.

[jdc]

I only do PSDs.

I would only associate PNGs with the web? I was under the impression it was a compressed format = stay away/

the standard I have always done:
jpeg = photos for the web
gif = flat color for the web

[Zoidberg]

pRICE cUBE wrote:
Just do what the client wants and charge more for customization :patriot:

Amen.

[DP]

>Just do what the client wants and charge more for customization.

Of course! This is their idea and I'm just helping them along with it...

>Use TIFF or PSD for high res images that you want to edit later. They are lossless formats.

So is PNG. The compression algorithm is newer technology.

>I would only associate PNGs with the web? I was under the impression it was a compressed format = stay away/

The PNG and LZW for TIFF files are lossless compression algorithms.

[mikebw]

jdc wrote:
I only do PSDs.

I would only associate PNGs with the web? I was under the impression it was a compressed format = stay away/

the standard I have always done:
jpeg = photos for the web
gif = flat color for the web

PNG uses a lossless compression scheme, so there is no reason to avoid it if quality was your concern. Like many of you I also tend to just use it for web design where transparency is needed. One thing that you might not know is that while GIF supported transparency it was only 1 bit (on or off) whereas PNG provides 8 bits of transparency information.