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Topic: How to make bitmap, GIF, JPG from NWC (Read 8583 times) previous topic - next topic

How to make bitmap, GIF, JPG from NWC

If you already know how to use the Windows Metafile feature with one of your other programs (drawing, word processing)that will open or place a Windows metafile, then you don't need this message.

For those of you who have Windows 95 or later, and would like an easy (and free) way to make bitmap images (GIF, JPG, etc.) from Noteworthy Composer, here's how: Go to http://www.irfanview.com and download the free "Irfan View" software. Within NWC, Use File>Print Preview and if necessary go to the page you want to image. Within Print Preview, use the Copy feature to create a placeable Windows Metafile (not the clipboard). Exit NWC, then use Irfan View to open the metafile. You may need to scroll through the "open files of type" for EMF/WMF to find your file. It will open at high resolution, so if you see white space you are looking at a magnified empty corner of your image. [Caution: Do not save the file as BMP or TIF at this point, as it may be too large for the software to handle, and your computer may crash.] Use Image>Resize/Resample, choose "percentage of original" to re-sample your image down to a manageable size. I suggest 24 or 32 percent of the original, which will make it the size you think it should have been in the first place. Then, save it as a GIF or JPG. That's all you need to do!

However, there will probably be a lot of white space in the margins that you should crop. Irfan View doesn't do that directly, but you probably have a program (such as Kodak Imaging, an accessory with Windows 98) that allows you to open the image, select a rectangular area, and copy it to the clipboard. You can then open Irfan View, use Edit>Paste, and save the cropped image in GIF or JPG

I have placed a small sample of the result on my own web site, along with a link to Handel's Hallelujah chorus separated into four individual Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Bass parts, free for the download. The URL is http://www.icogitate.com/~ergosum/index.htm. The sheet music was created using NWC. I put the it into PDF format using Acrobat Distiller, but I suppose I could have used Ghostscript instead.

If you wonder why a GIF or JPG derived from NWC is not as sharp as your think it should be, that is a feature of the low-resolution monitor display at 72 or 96 DPI. The original Metafile created from NWC is at 300 dpi printer resolution, I believe.

Incidentally, the Windows metafile created from NWC contains "vector" drawing information, meaning that it may be editable (for appearance) if you have a compatible drawing program.

Re: How to make bitmap, GIF, JPG from NWC

Reply #1 –
Thank you Robert

I am very grateful for this information.

I am very lazy and I have found what works for me is to print my works on a laser printer and scan it in. This might sound silly but I find that if I scan it at screen resolution the resulting image is perfect.

Have a good life.

Arova

Re: How to make bitmap, GIF, JPG from NWC

Reply #2 –
Using GhostView, you can simply make JPG's from NWC's:

1) Follow the NWC to PDF thread submitted by Fred Nachbaur at the user tips section,

2) While printing from GhostView, select JPEG insteat of PDF,

3) Convert your JPG to the desired format if necessary, using, eg Paint Shop Pro from http://www.jasc.com

Re: How to make bitmap, GIF, JPG from NWC

Reply #3 –
Correction:

> ... select JPEG instead of PDF

I meant instead of PDF write, in printers section (and of course you should surname the file as .JPG)

Re: How to make bitmap, GIF, JPG from NWC

Reply #4 –
Arova Heart's suggestion (print and scan) does indeed usually produce sharper screen-resolution images (if you have a scanner). It IS possible to get sharper screen-resolution images from the technique I described, but it's a long story. Ertful's suggestions to use Ghostscript is also fine, for those of you using Ghostscript, but in most cases the JPG output will not be as sharp as print/scan. If you are only trying to make a GIF or JPG from a very small section of NWC, then with your NWC file open and the section displayed, use "print screen," then paste the clipboard into whatever program works for you. This produces the sharpest results.

Re: How to make bitmap, GIF, JPG from NWC

Reply #5 –
Sorry I misspelled your name, Ertrugal :-(

Re: How to make bitmap, GIF, JPG from NWC

Reply #6 –
IrfanView does do cropping, just select the area by dragging
then choose Edit->Crop.

I'm having a bit of trouble convincing Noteworthy and Irfan
view to generate a high resolution image. The best I can manage is 652x940. Is there a trick to increasing the
resolution?

Re: How to make bitmap, GIF, JPG from NWC

Reply #7 –
You are right about cropping in Irfan View! Since I have access to other programs as well, I never thought of using it for that purpose. DOH.

As for high-resolution images: in NWC, if you go to File>Print Preview and copy a placeable Windows metafile, the metafile appears to be at printer resolution 300 pixels per inch (I could be wrong). I believe that Irfan View has a maximum file size (in pixels) that it can comfortably handle, but a more heavy-duty program (e.g. Photoshop) can handle it.

If you use PDF techology (Acrobat or Ghostscript) then you have more control over this and could, in principle, create very high-resolution images. But I don't think it is worth the effort. The NWC symbols are not intended for lithographic artwork, and I doubt that much would be added to visual clarity by going to higher than 300 dpi resolution.

If your problem is that you want to make images for the Internet, you are stuck with screen resolution like it or not. Whether or not an NWC image will be easy to read depends upon staff size (I find that 20 is better than the default 16), lyric size (I find that 12 points is best), and other factors.

Maybe someone else on the Forum could advise you better than I could? Since I have access to heavy-duty image processing software, I often use a cannon where a flyswatter will do (then, miss with the cannon!).

Re: How to make bitmap, GIF, JPG from NWC

Reply #8 –
One thing I've found that greatly influences the readability of reduced (low-resolution) images is antialiasing. Most image manipulating programs (such as PaintShopPro, which I use) allow antialiasing when reducing images; in PSP it's in "Resample Image".

Another way to proceed is to use GSview. In Media -> Display Settings, set Resolution as desired to give the smaller image; 96 dpi is about the lower limit of readability. Set depth to 8 bit/pixel, set text and graphics alpha to 4 bits. Then use its Edit->Copy command, followed by Edit-Paste To to create a bitmap, which you can then manipulate (crop, etc.) in even something as rudimentary as MS Paint.

Re: How to make bitmap, GIF, JPG from NWC

Reply #9 –
Fred knows what he's talking about.