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DeBabelizer File Format FAQ's
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Equilibrium offers a wide range of technical support. If you would like to inquire about technical support, provide feedback, or report a bug, please contact: Support.
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DeBabelizer File Format FAQs for Windows Users |
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DeBabelizer File Format FAQs for Mac Users |
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- How do I create a transparent background in my GIF file?
We recommend that you first reduce the number of colors of your image to 256 colors (8 bits) or less. You can use the "Tools> Batch Automation> Create SuperPalette and Remap", the "Palette> Set Pixel Depth> 8 bits=256 colors" (dithered or non-dithered), the "Palette> Set Palette & Remap", or the "Palette> Reduce Colors" operations to accomplish this. Once your image is remapped to a palette, simply specify which palette index corresponds to the color you wish to make transparent.
You can use the eyedropper tool to click on the image's background color, and DeBabelizer should give you the color and its index number in the Paint Tools status bar. Next, in the Save dialog, set the 'Save in File Format' option to GIF, and then click the Writer Preferences button. In the GIF Output Options dialog, select 'Use palette index' and enter the appropriate number of the palette index value. Set the other options as desired and click OK. When you save this file, DeBabelizer will now mark that index as transparent.
Note: The color does not appear transparent in DeBabelizer Pro, but it will appear as transparent in programs that support this, such as a Web browser.
- Why do my JPEG files turn grayscale whenever I reduce them down to 256 colors?
This is because the JPEG format supports only 24-bit color or 8-bit grayscale. You cannot do any color reduction in the JPEG format. If your source images are 8 bits or less and you want to save them as JPEGs, you can set them at 24 bits by choosing Palette > Set Pixel Depth > 24 bits = 17 Million RGB colors.
- Can DeBabelizer Pro handle a TIFF file greater than 32 bits?
The short version of what's happening is that this TIFF file has more channels in it than DeBabelizer can open. The best solution is to remove channels beyond the traditional four and then resave it from Photoshop before opening it in DeBabelizer.
- What standards does DeBabelizer follow in creating their TIFF files, especially with compression?
The specifications we use for writing TIFFs came directly from Aldus. We have yet to find any popular product that reads LZW compression that can't properly read what we are writing. We also read and write TIFF files with standard CCITT and Packbits compression.
- Can DeBabelizer Pro handle vector or CAD graphic images?
The current version of DeBabelizer Pro does not support vector graphics (also known as object-oriented graphics) in any form. Our products currently read and write only bitmap (raster) images.
- Can I create files with transparent backgrounds in DeBabelizer Pro?
Some programs can save files with a designated color as transparent, providing the effect of a transparent background. DeBabelizer Pro supports this form of transparency only for GIF and PNG files. You can use DeBabelizer Pro's color manipulation features and the bluescreen removal process to make more areas transparent. This transparency will not be visible in DeBabelizer, but can be viewed in a Web browser that supports transparency. Some programs that deal with vector (object-oriented) file formats will present these images with transparent backgrounds behind the objects. Because DeBabelizer products do not currently support vector files, there is no support for this kind of transparency.
- Why won´t the raw custom writer write custom files? It's actually a raw RGB writer rather than a raw custom writer. DeBabelizer can read raw custom files, but cannot write them.
- Why do I get a 1 pixel by 1 pixel image when I try to open certain files?
This usually occurs because DeBabelizer does not recognize the file being opened or is an unsupported file format. Please refer to page A-4 in your DeBabelizer User Guide or the program's online Help for a complete list of supported file formats.
- Why do the colors in certain images change or invert when I open them in DeBabelizer Pro?
The images may be in CMYK format. DeBabelizer Pro only handles RGB images.
- Why do JPEGs become gray scale when I reduce them to 256 colors?
Because the JPEG format supports only 24-bit color or 8-bit grayscale, DeBabelizer must modify the image when you attempt to send 256-color (or less) information to the JPEG format. By default, DeBabelizer chooses the nearest appropriate bit-depth (in this case, 8-bit grayscale). For this reason, there is no point using color reduction of any sort before saving files to the JPEG format (if you want grayscale images, use a Convert to Grayscale operation instead). If your source images are 8 bits or less, you can bring them up to 24-bit color by choosing Palette > Set Pixel Depth > Millions of RGB Colors.
- Does Equilibrium DeBabelizer handle CMYK files?
DeBabelizer Pro 5 for Macintosh handles CMYK files using Apple's ColorSync technology. In DeBabelizer Pro 5, you can open and save CMYK files as Photoshop, TIFF, JPEG, Scitex CT, and DCS files. Use ColorSync profiles to handle converting image colors between CMYK and RGB, or to open, process, and save images in CMYK.
Note: You must have ColorSync 2.0 or later installed on your system, the ColorSync extension enabled, and the ColorSync profiles selected in the RGB <--> CMYK Conversion preferences in order to work with CMYK files and convert image colors between the two modes.
- Why does DeBabelizer save my PICTs as thumbnails?
There are two possible reasons for this:
- First, make sure the Type option in any save operation is not set to PICT2 > PICT Resource (use the pop-up menu to choose another setting from the PICT2 submenu).
- If your PICT file contains an image in the resource fork (stored for previews and desktop icons), DeBabelizer may be opening and processing this copy of the image rather than the full version stored in the file's data fork. To make sure DeBabelizer loads and processes the image in the data fork, set your PICT Reader preferences (File > Preferences > Readers PICT,SCRN,EPSF,...). Select the checkbox option "If data fork has a picture, ignore pictures in resource fork." This option is selected by default when you install DeBabelizer Pro 5.
- Why do I get an error message when I try to open an image greater than 32 bits?
The TIFF file contains more channels than DeBabelizer can open. The best solution is to remove all the channels beyond the standard first four and then save it from Photoshop before you open it in DeBabelizer.
- Can DeBabelizer handle vector or CAD graphic images?
DeBabelizer does not currently read or write vector graphics. DeBabelizer can use Apple's QuickDraw (part of the Mac OS) to open vector PICT files, but the image will be rasterized on opening. DeBabelizer can also read the bitmap information stored in EPSF files as object resources (the preview or icon version of the image).
- What compression standards for TIFF files does DeBabelizer follow?
The specifications DeBabelizer uses for writing TIFFs come directly from Aldus. DeBabelizer Pro 5 can output TIFF files using pack bits or LZW compression. Most products that support TIFF file types can use this output.
- Why does an image I modified and saved as a PICT file appear distorted (or doesn't open at all) when I attempt to open it from another application, even though it looks fine in DeBabelizer?
You may have saved the image with different resolutions for height and width, which some programs cannot read correctly. To fix the problem, open the original image in DeBabelizer and choose a standard dpi setting from the Image > Set DPI Resolution submenu (to use a custom dpi setting, choose Image > Set DPI Resolution > Specify and set the width and height of the image to the same dpi), and save the image.
- Why can't I open files I transferred from one computer to another?
Files may become corrupted during transfer, and there may also be file-recognition problems in a cross-platform transfer. If you are using software to transfer the file, be sure that it transfers the file as a binary file, not a text or MacBinary file.
Also, some programs may require that files have a specific extension.
- What kind of support does DeBabelizer provide for Photoshop files?
DeBabelizer can read Photoshop 2.0, 2.5, 3.0 or later files that have been saved with 2.5 Compatibility selected. You must activate this option in Photoshop's preferences before you save the file. Selecting 2.5 compatibility flattens the layers in an image for applications other than Photoshop. If you modify the file in DeBabelizer, the layers will be lost even when opening the file in Photoshop, so work with a copy if you want to retain the layers.
DeBabelizer can also open Photoshop color table files, which you can use as palettes. DeBabelizer can write (output) Photoshop files as 2.0 (which is readable only on the Mac OS), or earlier 1-, 8-, 24-, or 32-bit RGB, as well as CMYK. It can also output a Photoshop color table file from an image's palette.
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