Font Smoothing & Image Scaling

Hi all,

PPT2003
WinXP Pro
Windows font smoothing - standard

I was wondering if someone could provide me with an answer/solution to the
following 2 queries.

1. Font smoothing
I am using Verdana in a presentation with sizes from 16 to 24 and the edges
are definitely jagged as if font smoothing has not been applied. I have font
smoothing (standard) switched on in Windows.
I have applied custom animation (fade and motion path) to the text boxes and
was wondering if this could be the cause of the problem and if there was a
remedy.
As I can't find anything about font smoothing in ppt I assume it picks it up
from the Windows setting or am I missing something?

2. Image Scaling
A peculiar one this. I have 5 small png pictures (125x66 pixels) that I
created using Fireworks. I created the first one of a night and put it onto
a ppt slide. The next morning I created the other 4 with the same size and
put them onto the same slide.
The 4 I created in the morning showed up on the slide as bigger than the one
from the night before. Both Fireworks and Windows are showing all the
pictures as 125x66 pixels. The first picture is showing up in ppt as
3.31x1.75cm with 100% scale and an original size of 3.31x1.75. The other 4
pictures are showing up with an original size of 4.41x2.33cm - I have had to
reduce the scale to 75% to get them the same size as the first one.
Any explanation would be welcome.

Tia

Zig

Hi,

Kathy J. has been keeping up with the jagged text item:
http://www.powerpointanswers.com/article1043.html

Glenna

"Zigzag" wrote:

Hi all,

PPT2003
WinXP Pro
Windows font smoothing - standard

I was wondering if someone could provide me with an answer/solution to the
following 2 queries.

1. Font smoothing
I am using Verdana in a presentation with sizes from 16 to 24 and the edges
are definitely jagged as if font smoothing has not been applied. I have font
smoothing (standard) switched on in Windows.
I have applied custom animation (fade and motion path) to the text boxes and
was wondering if this could be the cause of the problem and if there was a
remedy.
As I can't find anything about font smoothing in ppt I assume it picks it up
from the Windows setting or am I missing something?

2. Image Scaling
A peculiar one this. I have 5 small png pictures (125x66 pixels) that I
created using Fireworks. I created the first one of a night and put it onto
a ppt slide. The next morning I created the other 4 with the same size and
put them onto the same slide.
The 4 I created in the morning showed up on the slide as bigger than the one
from the night before. Both Fireworks and Windows are showing all the
pictures as 125x66 pixels. The first picture is showing up in ppt as
3.31x1.75cm with 100% scale and an original size of 3.31x1.75. The other 4
pictures are showing up with an original size of 4.41x2.33cm - I have had to
reduce the scale to 75% to get them the same size as the first one.
Any explanation would be welcome.

Tia

Zig

"PPTMagician" wrote in message
...
Hi,

Kathy J. has been keeping up with the jagged text item:
http://www.powerpointanswers.com/article1043.html

....and has very strong opinions, many of which should be taken with a pinch
of salt.
If you have noticed font smoothing problems then they exist and it doesn't
matter whether Kathy believes you or dismisses the problem. The problem,
when it occurs (and it seems to be a hardware specific issue), is usually
worse with animation effects and with some combinations of colours but to
use a different effect or colour is to ignore a problem that Microsoft
should fix.

2. Image Scaling
A peculiar one this. I have 5 small png pictures (125x66 pixels) that I
created using Fireworks. I created the first one of a night and put it
onto
a ppt slide. The next morning I created the other 4 with the same size
and
put them onto the same slide.
The 4 I created in the morning showed up on the slide as bigger than the
one
from the night before. Both Fireworks and Windows are showing all the
pictures as 125x66 pixels. The first picture is showing up in ppt as
3.31x1.75cm with 100% scale and an original size of 3.31x1.75. The other
4
pictures are showing up with an original size of 4.41x2.33cm - I have
had to
reduce the scale to 75% to get them the same size as the first one.
Any explanation would be welcome.

If all the images are the same pixel size then it sounds like they have
different dpi settings. Although dpi is pretty irrelevant to screen work
PowerPoint uses the dpi information contained in images to size the image on
import to the page. If you change the dpi setting - without changing the
pixel size of the images - they should all import at the same size.

Hi,

Thanks for the responses.
It would appear that despite searching the 7240+ messages in this group and
not finding any reference to font smoothing that I have walked into a
hornets nest on this one.
My question, however, was simply to resolve a problem with a presentation
I'm putting together with the colour and style of my choosing. It would
appear that the answer to my question under these circumstances is No,
there's nothing I can do unless I change the presentation style or use
graphics rather than text. Question answered.
However, for the record, I noticed that when I take off custom animation the
font smoothing is significantly better even with light text on a dark
background.
I will, on the off-chance that Kathy is right, be getting my machine
exorcised to remove any evil spirits. If it doesn't work I'll let Kathy know
so she can cross it off her list of potential causes. This does not, of
course, rule out other subversive influences.

I will check the dpi of the pictures as they are in fact digital photos
which could well have been taken using different resolutions.

Thanks again

Zig

I
If you have noticed font smoothing problems then they exist and it doesn't
matter whether Kathy believes you or dismisses the problem. The problem,
when it occurs (and it seems to be a hardware specific issue), is usually
worse with animation effects and with some combinations of colours but to
use a different effect or colour is to ignore a problem that Microsoft
should fix.

In all fairness, that might better be put "is to *work around* a problem that
Microsoft should fix." Supplying workarounds, however clumsy, is all any of us
can do. That and pound on Bill's crew regularly about it. Which, believe me,
Kathy does.

2. Image Scaling
A peculiar one this. I have 5 small png pictures (125x66 pixels) that I
created using Fireworks. I created the first one of a night and put it onto
a ppt slide. The next morning I created the other 4 with the same size and
put them onto the same slide.
The 4 I created in the morning showed up on the slide as bigger than the one
from the night before. Both Fireworks and Windows are showing all the
pictures as 125x66 pixels. The first picture is showing up in ppt as
3.31x1.75cm with 100% scale and an original size of 3.31x1.75. The other 4
pictures are showing up with an original size of 4.41x2.33cm - I have had to
reduce the scale to 75% to get them the same size as the first one.
Any explanation would be welcome.


This should help:

Choose Tools, Autocorrect Options.
On the AutoCorrect As You Type tab, remove the check next to:
- Automatic layout for inserted objects
Many people like to remove the checks from the two or three items above that.
It all depends on how much hair you have on your head and how you feel about
keeping it. ;-)

Click OK.

That should keep it from meddling with your image sizes in the future. You
might have to delete the first image on each of your slides and re-insert it.

Or to save a little time, CTRL+Drag it to one side, delete the original, use
the copy instead.



-----------------------------------------
Steve Rindsberg, PPT MVP
PPT FAQ: www.pptfaq.com
PPTools: www.pptools.com
================================================

Do let us know if you uncover any conspiracies.

ROFL

"Zigzag" wrote:

Hi,

Thanks for the responses.
It would appear that despite searching the 7240+ messages in this group and
not finding any reference to font smoothing that I have walked into a
hornets nest on this one.
My question, however, was simply to resolve a problem with a presentation
I'm putting together with the colour and style of my choosing. It would
appear that the answer to my question under these circumstances is No,
there's nothing I can do unless I change the presentation style or use
graphics rather than text. Question answered.
However, for the record, I noticed that when I take off custom animation the
font smoothing is significantly better even with light text on a dark
background.
I will, on the off-chance that Kathy is right, be getting my machine
exorcised to remove any evil spirits. If it doesn't work I'll let Kathy know
so she can cross it off her list of potential causes. This does not, of
course, rule out other subversive influences.

I will check the dpi of the pictures as they are in fact digital photos
which could well have been taken using different resolutions.

Thanks again

Zig

If I find one how do I know you're not part of it? How do I know I'm not
part of it? How do you know I'm not part of it? Is there anyone not part of
it?
I need to talk with the cat - no wait, what part did she play before
becoming a cute furry eating machine? - she's from the planet Zog you know,
how did you know?
Life's getting difficult, need to simplify. Cats don't talk. PPT smooths
animated fonts. Cats don't talk. PPT smooths animated fonts. Cats don't
talk, except mine of course but you knew that.

It's good that realism is a matter of perspective.

Zig (or am I?)

Thanks Steve,

I tried this after your suggestion but it hasn't rectified the effect - the
pics are still inserting at different sizes.
At the end of the day I can always reduce the pictures by 75%. It's not
perfect but it works and I can retain the old barnet :-)

Cheers

Zig

Oh my Gosh, it's Captain Cat's cousin. See I knew there was a conspiracy!

"Zigzag" wrote:

If I find one how do I know you're not part of it? How do I know I'm not
part of it? How do you know I'm not part of it? Is there anyone not part of
it?
I need to talk with the cat - no wait, what part did she play before
becoming a cute furry eating machine? - she's from the planet Zog you know,
how did you know?
Life's getting difficult, need to simplify. Cats don't talk. PPT smooths
animated fonts. Cats don't talk. PPT smooths animated fonts. Cats don't
talk, except mine of course but you knew that.

It's good that realism is a matter of perspective.

Zig (or am I?)