Graphic Containers for Buttons

[321]

I am curious as to the best method of inserting buttons into containers. I'm not getting good results when there is text included in the button. Looks very pixelated when in the container, but if inserted directly on to the layout (not in any container field) it looks fine. Few details before the questions... Buttons are from Photoshop saved as PNG Files 96dpi on a mac , however, they will be used only on a Windows network when I'm done with the solution. I've tried a few different graphic settings "reduce and enlarge" seemed to work best, but still not to my satisfaction.

So what is the optimal resolution to use for good results w/o slowing things down?

And...What is the best way to add text to a button that is in a container? Make the button separate from the text (the button from Photoshop, and the text from FM Layout mode) or make it all in P.S... or something completely different?

Any help, very appreciated

[Leader]

I've been using a number of buttons in containers recently, making them appear and disappear as required.

I think what you're seeing isn't caused by text, but text is bringing the symptom to light. I anticipate that your buttons are being distorted slightly... just enough to mess up your graphics.

Here's 2 suggestions:

1. Enlarge your container just a little bigger than your button size. Then turn OFF reduce / enlarge / crop, and your button should display correctly. In other words, resize your container so that the button doesn't have to be resized.

2. If for some reason you want to see your button printed with high quality (such as hotel logos, etc.), make your button MUCH larger than your container outline, at least 3 or 4 pixels to one. Then turn on reduce image to condense the size.

EPS files don't make terrific buttons, but I've worked out a way to get the most out of vector graphics. First, I work in Deneba Canvas and I open an Adobe (for example) EPS file. Then I start to save the file as a PICT and turn on the option to also save a raster image. Vector files then look great and they print beautifully.

[LiveOak]

Another thought. The buttons may contain fonts which are converted to pict images when copies to the container. When I create buttons with text, I copy them to the clipboard and paste them into a pict editor (photoshop, photoshop LE, appleworks) and blend or blur the text. This tones down the pixelation. Then just copy back to the container field. Just a thought.

-bd

[321]

Thanks for the replys, both did help.

I resized the fields 2 pixels larger than the button both vertically and horizontally and made sure to rasterize the text, expirimenting with different blending settings before saving it and importing. The results are better for sure, but the text still isn't quite what I would like. I will attach a file showing what I am speaking of.

Buttons.fp7.zip

[sokorp]

An obvious but still good idea is experimenting with different fonts. I have found that Myriad Web, an open type font, is very clean and looks good when reduced in photoshop. Also I make sure to work in high bit mode, 16bit, in Photoshop. That really makes a difference. I usually make my graphics twice as big as they have to be and then reduce them in Photoshop, save as a PNG with transparency and choose a custom matte color to match the background in my DB, and then re-open the file and drag it into FM. This seems to work better than importing for me. You can set up a custom Photoshop action to do most of the work for you if you are making a bunch of the same style buttons.

Good luck.

John Prokos