Two novice questions about graphics:-

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ChrisGreaves
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Two novice questions about graphics:-

Post by ChrisGreaves »

(1) I have downloaded a PDF file, “plano_metro_madrid_01072017.pdf” some 1,660KB.
In Foxit Reader (5.1.0.1021) “File, propertIes” tells me that the PDF page/image is 10.24 inches by 11.02 inches.
I want a bigger printout than this; I want something I can pin to my bedroom ceiling(1).
I choose “View, Zoom, zoom To” and go to 500%. On my screen this is wonderfully readable (see below) and I drool.
Zoom001.png
At 500% I think that my image/page will now be about 60 inches by 55 inches.
I have a local printer can do 40” (in colour) and a printer up in Collingwood can do close to 60”, so getting it printed would not be a problem.
QUESTION: Do I just let my printer choose the percentage to fit the size to their huge roll of paper? It seems to me that they would be much better at doing this than having me play around with the image.

(1) With Zoom still set at 500% I choose (In Foxit Reader) “Select All” and then Ctrl-C to copy to the clipboard, then “Edit Paste” into MSPaint and File Save. Voila! I now have the map stored as a PNG or JPEG.
QUESTION: is there a better method of converting the PDF file to a raw image (such as can be edited in detail in MSPaint or similar)?
Foxit Reader does not sport a File saveAs option to save as an image, and I can’t see anything else that looks like an “extract image to graphics file” option.

I spent the weekend playing around with Excel sheets and Images and think I have a good handle on resizing images to fit picture frames (Inches, Centimetres, Pixels) images. It's getting the images out of PDF files that thwarts me right now.

(signed) "Map Lover" of Toronto

(1) My bedroom ceiling is about the only place left for map display nowadays ...
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HansV
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Re: Two novice questions about graphics:-

Post by HansV »

If you search your favorite search engine for "Convert PDF to JPG" you'll find lots of free online converters.
Best wishes,
Hans

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ChrisGreaves
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Re: Two novice questions about graphics:-

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HansV wrote:If you search your favorite search engine for "Convert PDF to JPG" you'll find lots of free online converters.
Thanks Hans. I tried the first converter that popped up, very poor quality. I'll come back later and try a few more.
I guess I was hoping for some way to get the PDF reader (Foxit may not be the ideal vehicle) to extract the original image.

If I end up near my 42" colour printer shop I'll just drop in and ask them.
They are inexpensive, I know that.

Cheers
Chris
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Rudi
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Re: Two novice questions about graphics:-

Post by Rudi »

    
Have a look at this web page:
Enlarge images without losing quality (Lossless)

Vector Graphics is the only form of image that can preserve its quality while enlarging it. If you want to enlarge bitmap images without losing quality, one way of doing so is to generate the vector form, enlarge, and then export them in bitmaps.

The process of converting bitmap images into vector is known as tracing. In the following section, we have used an application called Vector Magic for lossless enlargement of images.
If you take your map image (save as jpg/png from the PDF) and then run it through one of the vector based apps they suggest, you can enlarge it even further before saving it back to bitmap for printing.
Regards,
Rudi

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Re: Two novice questions about graphics:-

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Rudi
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Re: Two novice questions about graphics:-

Post by Rudi »

    
:whisper: The library symbol looks like two ghosts.
If one doesn't examine the legend, it could be interpreted as a cemetery. :spook:
Regards,
Rudi

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StuartR
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Re: Two novice questions about graphics:-

Post by StuartR »

You might get a better result by simply telling Foxit to "Fit to printer margins" when printing the document.

There is also an option in Foxit to scale a document when you print it...
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AlanMiller
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Re: Two novice questions about graphics:-

Post by AlanMiller »

Hi Chris

I converted your PDF image to SVG (scalable vector graphic) format using Inkscape. Image is 4.65MB and scales up very nicely in a browser at 500%

If you send me a PM with an e-mail address I can post it to you. (I don't think I can upload .svg here)

Alan

Edit:
QUESTION: is there a better method of converting the PDF file to a raw image (such as can be edited in detail in MSPaint or similar)?
Foxit Reader does not sport a File saveAs option to save as an image, and I can’t see anything else that looks like an “extract image to graphics file” option.
If you want to do any editing (and avoid a mess) I would suggest a proper vector file editor (like the :free: Inkscape) and avoid the raster programs like MSPaint.
You can always export to a .png or .jpg from there as needed, but keep the "master" copy in vector format.
Last edited by AlanMiller on 23 May 2018, 16:24, edited 2 times in total.

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HansV
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Re: Two novice questions about graphics:-

Post by HansV »

You could zip the .svg file and attach the .zip file, but we limit attachments to 256 kB in size...
Best wishes,
Hans

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AlanMiller
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Re: Two novice questions about graphics:-

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Still too big as .zip or .rar at maximum compression. :sad:

Alan

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Re: Two novice questions about graphics:-

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I was afraid of that...
Best wishes,
Hans

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Re: Two novice questions about graphics:-

Post by stuck »

ChrisGreaves wrote:QUESTION: is there a better method of converting the PDF file to a raw image (such as can be edited in detail in MSPaint or similar)?
Since you asked so nicely, try the attached zip file, which contains the PDF you linked to saved as .bmp file. I converted it using an ancient version of Photoshop.

HOWEVER...

The image is only 780 pixels high by 737 pixels wide. That's not a lot of data. If you print it out at the same resolution it displays on screen (72 dpi) you'll get an image that's 10.83 inches high by 10.23 inches wide. If you try to enlarge that to 500% then yes the image will print out at about 54" by 51" BUT it will be very pixelated / unrecognisable as the image you see on screen. You can't stretch only 780 pixels high by 737 pixels wide by that amount and not see the holes between the pixels :grin:

Ken
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AlanMiller
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Re: Two novice questions about graphics:-

Post by AlanMiller »

Rudi wrote:    
Have a look at this web page:
Enlarge images without losing quality (Lossless)

Vector Graphics is the only form of image that can preserve its quality while enlarging it. If you want to enlarge bitmap images without losing quality, one way of doing so is to generate the vector form, enlarge, and then export them in bitmaps.

The process of converting bitmap images into vector is known as tracing. In the following section, we have used an application called Vector Magic for lossless enlargement of images.
If you take your map image (save as jpg/png from the PDF) and then run it through one of the vector based apps they suggest, you can enlarge it even further before saving it back to bitmap for printing.
The image in the PDF file Chris referenced is already in vector format. Taking a raster (jpg, png etc.) picture of it, then trying to trace it and convert it back to vector, can only result in a degraded copy.

Alan

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Re: Two novice questions about graphics:-

Post by AlanMiller »

You can also convert the svg online to a raster format, any size you want.
I tried it to around 80 inches and it came up well. Again, too big to post here though. :sad:

I'm wondering though, why you can't send the original PDF to your monster printer and scale the print size up, possibly using a "fit to paper size" or similar option in the printer dialog.

Alan

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Re: Two novice questions about graphics:-

Post by AlanMiller »

I thought I might as well wrap this up, so uploaded my efforts here.
The ZIP contains the SVG and an export of same to PNG. The PNG size I chose is 5350 x 5760 px at around 96 dpi. This is roughly what you guessed at in your initial post.
If you give me an exact dimension in pixels (height or width) at a particular dpi resolution relevant to the printer, I can do another PNG export to your final specifications.
But the one in the ZIP should give you a pretty fair idea.

Have fun
Alan

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Re: Two novice questions about graphics:-

Post by Leif »

Chris - considering all the efforts going into this, wouldn't it be simpler just to get a smaller bedroom ceiling?
Leif

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Re: Two novice questions about graphics:-

Post by AlanMiller »

Yes, I know I'm on an OCD mission here but ... here's another solution.

I opened the original PDF in Adobe Reader. I printed it to one of my virtual printers - Solid PDF Creator. I defined a custom page/paper size (55in x 60in) and called it "Super Chris". I printed it out to that selected size, and came up with the upsized image, all ready to print to a real printer. The quality is excellent:
Clipboard01.png
I have uploaded the new large-size PDF here.

I'll let you know if I come up with any other alternatives. :grin:

Alan
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ChrisGreaves
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Re: Two novice questions about graphics:-

Post by ChrisGreaves »

Rudi wrote:    Have a look at this web page:
Thanks Rudi. I will start by studying the page of notes and then essay with some of the trial packages.

I took a JPG, trimmed and edited to my 21" print shop; the owner promptly sucked the JPEG into a PDF because it was the only way he knew how to print things. Go Figure!

I realized a day later that part of my problem with PDF is that I rarely want to print the image as-is from the PDF file. I usually want to edit the image, removing insets, borders and so on, freeing up "white space" so I can jot down notes with a marker pen on the glass frame.

I suspect that my 42" print-shop might let me use one of their machines to do my editing on-site, and then have them send it to their printer.

More later ...

Cheers
Chris
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Re: Two novice questions about graphics:-

Post by ChrisGreaves »

jolas wrote:JPG Version
Thanks Jolas.
I took a look at the JPG image and zoomed it to about 200%, but at that it looked very grainy/pixelated on my laptop.
When I zoom 500% on this same laptop, applied directly to the PDF file I get clarity that would look good on a 42" printer.

Am I missing something here?
(signed) "Novice" of Toronto

Cheers
Chris
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Re: Two novice questions about graphics:-

Post by ChrisGreaves »

Rudi wrote::whisper: The library symbol looks like two ghosts.
Most places I go, when I get there, the library IS closed.
I spent two weeks in 2014 touring the Ile-de-France, 21 towns in 14 days. No matter where I went, it was the wrong day of the week, or the wrong time of day.
In 2016 I spent three weeks exploring the hinterland of Poissy, and found only the Chambourcy library open when I was there. Poissy library was closed for a year, starting shortly before my arrival.
At least I wasn't living on borrowed time. :groan:
I am considering hiring myself out to firms that produce eBooks ...

Cheers
Chris
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