jpeg to tif to pdf makes sense?

[musenut]

Since jpeg is a lossy compression it seems to me that converting them to tifs and then pdf-ing them back to jpegs doesn't offer any gain in image quality. Would it be more efficient to leave them in jpeg format throughout the workflow? Also - does re-saving them as a higher number quality jpeg (12) from say a (5) give you any gain in image quality?

thanks!

 

[Tech]

JPG > TIF and stop there.

You can't improve jpg images by re-saving it using higher quality option...what is loss is already gone.

 

[musenut]

Why jpeg to tif - by the time pre-press sees them they have been pdf'd back to jpeg anyway?

 

[Arthaven]

I have a rule about keeping my raster files lossless. So they either get to be tiffs or they get maximum (12) on the JPEG setting. If you have your jpeg set to lower settings then you will keep losing data every time you open and save that file. Not every operator has the same skill sets either so this helps to ensure that things stay consistent.

The PDF is an expendable file, your native files are not.

 

[musenut]

I have a rule about keeping my raster files lossless. So they either get to be tiffs or they get maximum (12) on the JPEG setting. If you have your jpeg set to lower settings then you will keep losing data every time you open and save that file. Not every operator has the same skill sets either so this helps to ensure that things stay consistent.

The PDF is an expendable file, your native files are not.

What I am talking about is client files that come in as jpegs. They often don't have any better quality image available so we use what we get. I'm wondering if I am going to gain any image quality by converting them to tifs when they are ultimately pdf-ed back to jpeg format and plated from there.

 

[Bret Hesler]

"...ultimately pdf-ed back to jpeg format..."

How are you making your PDFs? If there is JPEG compression turned on in your workflow, get rid of it. Even though Adobe thought it was a good idea to include JPEG compression in their default job options setting, it has no place in a printing workflow. If you want smaller files, use ZIP.

Bret

 

[musenut]

"...ultimately pdf-ed back to jpeg format..."

How are you making your PDFs? If there is JPEG compression turned on in your workflow, get rid of it. Even though Adobe thought it was a good idea to include JPEG compression in their default job options setting, it has no place in a printing workflow. If you want smaller files, use ZIP.

Bret

Good idea - I'll check - but if I have a jpeg to begin with - there would be no reason to convert to a tif right? I'm not going to get a better image quality doing that am I?

 

[hansman]

+1 on Brets reply.............
NEVER use jpg in printing

 

[musenut]

+1 on Brets reply.............
NEVER use jpg in printing

I guess I'm just trying to find out why that is - once the image's info is lost, converting it to tif isn't going to bring it back. I deal with hundreds of images each month and if I don't have to open them to to correct them in anyway, I would rather not open them simply to convert them to tif format if there is no really good reason to do so. If there is I'm all for it.

 

[mattbeals]

Remember that lady Susan Powter that kept screaming "Stop the insanity"? The insanity being lossy compression to lossless only to go back to lossy compression. Use flate/zip compression once you get the files inside the workflow. Or go to JPEG2000 ( lossless JPEG which is comperable to ZIP/flate compression anyways). Get the art in, make the PDF using ZIP/Flate compression and go from there. Otherwise use a batch process to convert all JPEG's into un/compressed TIFF's.

Stop the insanity!

 

[Arthaven]

I guess I'm just trying to find out why that is - once the image's info is lost, converting it to tif isn't going to bring it back.

You're absolutely correct! Which is EXACTLY why converting to TIFFs or lossless JPEGs is the way to go so you don't run into that problem. Because you wouldn't even be in that situation had someone not saved it that way.

I deal with hundreds of images each month and if I don't have to open them to to correct them in anyway, I would rather not open them simply to convert them to tif format if there is no really good reason to do so. If there is I'm all for it.

Every business is different so you have to weigh what is best for your production and customer needs. There's too many variables to cover all of them, but if you're a one and done shop (especially if you don't deal in customer corrections with photos) you may not need to worry about it with that/those customers. Hell, you may not even need to have an archival in place (NOT THAT I RECOMMEND THAT IN ANY CASE).

There's doing it the right way, the half-assed way and the rush way. Where possible, ALWAYS do it the right way - dot all of your i's and cross all of your little t's. Basically know when and what you can and can't get away with in each given situation.

 

[rich apollo]

I guess I'm just trying to find out why that is - once the image's info is lost, converting it to tif isn't going to bring it back. I deal with hundreds of images each month and if I don't have to open them to to correct them in anyway, I would rather not open them simply to convert them to tif format if there is no really good reason to do so. If there is I'm all for it.

If you have to open and edit an image, then save it into a lossless form. Each time a JPEG is opened and saved it can change. If you don't have to edit the image, then you're correct - the damage is done.

 

[Zyrus]

IMHO, I would use TIFs. The Layout app should only send the part of the image that is used from that TIF, so your file sizes should be smaller. Also, as stated earlier, I would change the PDF compression from JPG to ZIP. I realize converting multiple images to TIF is a pain in the backside, so using a batch process would be your best bet. During that phase, I would also make sure that the files are CMYK. I have had RGB images that were imbedded in PDFs come out as B&W because the rip neglected to convert them.

 

[hansman]

Why use compression at all.
Jpg compression was developed when hd space was smaller.
Think Syquest drives!
With today's tb drives being the norm I don't compress anything zip or jpg in my pdf settings.