Luckily, CorelDRAW 9 has the tools you need to create superb images for e-mailing (or your own website!). But, there are two formats to choose from, based on the nature of your image:
1. GIF/GIFF (Graphics Interchange File Format) - a paletted 8-bit file (256 colors) that's ideal for images with fewer colors, because files look great and are small for fast loading. But for more complex, photographic images, GIF may lack the color depth you'll need. Jump to: Exporting GIFs
(7.26 KB GIF)
2. JPG/JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) - a 24-bit RGB file (16 Million colors) that's great for photographs and images with photographic effects. The quality is scalable, however, the better the quality the larger the file. So, for most vector graphic images, JPG may be more than you need. Jump to: Exporting JPGs
(7.21 KB JPG)
Exporting GIFs
- Choose Export from Corel's File menu, or hit Ctrl-E
- Choose GIF - CompuServe Bitmap as the file type, type in a file name and hit OK
- In the Bitmap Export options, choose Paletted (8-bit) from the Color pull-down
- A note on size and resolution: In short, Size matters; Resolution doesn't. Web browsers, and e-mail programs that display web graphics (read: nearly every) override image resolution data, and display all images at monitor resolution. Thus, a 400 pixel wide image will fill half the width of a monitor that's set at 600 x 800. So if you want your client to view the image without scrolling from side to side, we advise staying in the 700 pixel width or less range. In our example here, we're using 600 pixels wide. And letting the height adjust itself with the aspect ratio locked (1 to 1).
- That's it. You're pretty much home free at this point, since you won't need to change any of the GIF Export options. Interlace and Transparency options are more important for website graphic, but not e-mailing. Just hit OK.
- But, if you are curious about these (or any other Corel options window feature), click the
and then click on any option.
Exporting JPGs
- Choose Export from Corel's File menu, or hit Ctrl-E
- Choose JPG - JPEG Bitmaps as the file type, type in a file name and hit OK
- In the Bitmap Export options, choose RGB (24-bit) from the Color pull-down
- A note on size and resolution: In short, Size matters; Resolution doesn't. Web browsers, and e-mail programs that display web graphics (read: nearly every) override image resolution data, and display all images at monitor resolution. Thus, a 400 pixel wide image will fill half the width of a monitor that's set at 600 x 800. So if you want your client to view the image without scrolling from side to side, we advise staying in the 700 pixel width or less range. In our example here, we're using 600 pixels wide. And letting the height adjust itself with the aspect ratio locked (1 to 1).
- Click the Preview button so that your Results window accurately displays how your file will appear on-screen after being exported.
- Enable the Optimize option, which will reduce your file size without visibly altering the quality; and use the Standard (4:2:2) Sub Format, for the same reason.
- Now to the important items: Compression and Smoothing. As you increase either, your file size will be smaller, but at the expense of quality (note that your File Size is displayed, and gets smaller as Compression and Smoothing are increased). This gets fairly subjective, but as a rule, you'll want to keep your files at around 250 KB (250000) or less. If your file stays below that mark without any Compression or Smoothing, great! If not, you'll probably want to add some Compression and/or Smoothing until it goes below 250000, unless quality become unacceptable, or you are sure that the recipient has a fast (DSL or Cable) Internet connection.
- When all is as you want it, hit OK and you're done.
