jaggys on text for avid from tiff
by Lili Chin
on
Jun 15, 2008 at 8:31:17 pm
Hello,
I am creating title cards in Photoshop CS 2.0, font is helvetica neue w/ kerning and stretched vertically with bold setting. The file size is 1920 x 1080 @ 300 dpi (I know it will import as 72 dpi. but I want to keep the res. high.
I have a master psd file with several layers so I just highlight the layers that I want and export a tiff.
When I export the tiff and reopen the tiff to create an alpha channel and import (inverted) alpha channel into avid media composer, the text looks jagged. I thought it was because I used CS2 to make the files, but it shouldn't be a problem. All text gets rasterized when bringing them into avid, right?
Re: jaggys on text for avid from tiff by Lili Chin on Jun 16, 2008 at 5:59:04 am
Thanks for the advice. Is this a typical problem with avid? Should I have made the text files from Illustrator, which is vector based, or make the titles in AE even though I'm not animating the text?
The problem with making the PSD files is that I have 1 single file to generate separate TIFFS, I can indeed go back and make 20 psd files (1 for each title card) but do I really have to do that? I guess I'll try 1 psd and 72 dpi file and see if that changes anything. But is the problem really with the fact that I used Photoshop to generate text (which is raster based?)
What are the precise settings for importing text/ graphic alpha channel files into avid media composer?
thanks
lili
Re: jaggys on text for avid from tiff by Dave Schweitzer on Jun 16, 2008 at 3:02:37 pm
Assuming your text lines look jaggy during playback (not while paused), on your broadcast monitor (not your computer screen) then it's possible your creation and import settings aren't the same. But with your PSD sized to 1920x1080, I'm assuming you're working in a 1080i project. In the import settings, it's the top of the four choices (not at composer right now) you should use for graphics that are made the same size as your project. The other three will affect the size of the graphic, and could introduce jagged diagonal lines. Another thing to consider is the little timeline quality box at the lower left of the timeline window. If it's not full green, the graphics wont look as good as they can. If it's at yellow/green, click it until it's fully green. For your workflow, I can also recommend a time-saver. Instead of saving out TIFF files from your PSD, then reopening them to create an alpha channel and resaving before import to Avid, try PNG. PNG files save with transparency information, and will import into Avid beautifully. Turn on the layers you want in your PSD, effects, masks, transparency, whatever. Get it to look how it should and save out a PNG (non-interlaced is what I use). Then import that directly into the Avid. You may need to test out the invert / use existing switch to see what works best.
Excellent GFX workflow suggestion. by Neil Ryan on Jun 25, 2008 at 11:09:56 pm
Dave,
Great Advice.
I've been using Picts with alphas for the last century; read your idea, tried it and it worked a treat.
So much easier, too.
Have updated my GFX workflow as a result.
Thanks!
[Dave Schweitzer]"...try PNG. PNG files save with transparency information, and will import into Avid beautifully. Turn on the layers you want in your PSD, effects, masks, transparency, whatever. Get it to look how it should and save out a PNG (non-interlaced is what I use). Then import that directly into the Avid. You may need to test out the invert / use existing switch to see what works best."
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Neil Ryan
Editor
"Australia's Got Talent"
yahoo7.com.au/talent
