'Paint' item saved incorrectly

Newportnobby · March 15, 2018, 10:51:37 AM

I'd appreciate any help folks can give me.
It took me what seemed like hours to create my main layout track plan in mimic panel form, the intention being to put it onto a memory stick, take it to a stationer's in town and get them to print me 2 or 3 copies on A1 paper.
However, I was so tired by the time I'd done it I saved it as a jpeg in error, and the only way I could get it onto the forum was to make it a .png file.
I'm not sure what a stationer would need in the way of a file - maybe a PDF?

Could anyone convert the file below to such a thing please?

The upshot could help me in this endeavour...............

http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=39156.msg497384#msg497384

Railwaygun · March 15, 2018, 10:56:48 AM

Load it into windows paint and save as pdf ( there is a drop down box to select file types

Send me an email and I'll send it

Nrobinson att cix dot co dot uk

Newportnobby · March 15, 2018, 11:32:30 AM

Quote from: Railwaygun on March 15, 2018, 10:56:48 AM
Load it into windows paint and save as pdf ( there is a drop down box to select file types

Send me an email and I'll send it

Nrobinson att cix dot co dot uk

Thanks Nick.
On my steam driven laptop there is no option from 'Paint' to pdf so I'll mail it you
I'm trying to get it to full screen but my pooter skills are on a par with my electrickery ones

keithfre · March 15, 2018, 11:45:55 AM

If you download the free version of CutePDF it installs a printer driver that enables you to select PDF as the 'printer', so you can print to a pdf file.

njee20 · March 15, 2018, 12:04:40 PM

Have you checked they actually want a PDF? Png/JPG may be fine...?

red_death · March 15, 2018, 02:17:49 PM

Agreed, I'd be amazed if a printer couldn't handle a PNG! They may prefer an image to a PDF anyway if they have to resize it at all...

Newportnobby · March 15, 2018, 08:19:36 PM

Quote from: newportnobby on March 15, 2018, 10:51:37 AM

I'm not sure what a stationer would need in the way of a file - maybe a PDF?

The clue lies in that bit, chaps. Until I get into town with something on a memory stick I don't know what format they'd want. It's not likely to be until next week anyway as I have nothing else to go for.

MalcolmInN · March 15, 2018, 08:29:55 PM

Quote from: newportnobby on March 15, 2018, 08:19:36 PM
Quote from: newportnobby on March 15, 2018, 10:51:37 AM

I'm not sure what a stationer would need in the way of a file - maybe a PDF?

The clue lies in that bit, chaps. Until I get into town with something on a memory stick I don't know what format they'd want. It's not likely to be until next week anyway as I have nothing else to go for.

I would put your jpeg on , as well as your png , and if I can upload them, my PDFs wot I have just made !
BUT
the picture you posted of your track plan is very small in pixels surrounded by quite a large white area, do you want that white included as well.
A very small picture like that when blown up to A1 I would guess is going to be very fuzzy. A1 is huge! nearly 2ft by 3ft is that what you want ?

MalcolmInN · March 15, 2018, 08:35:52 PM

PS I think I have uploaded jpeg to the forum in the past, certainly it takes jpg which is the same thing so you shouldnt need to convert it to png.
A problem of converting pictures between formats jpeg -> png-> pdf can cause loss of original printout size information.
So you would need to check that out with your print people, might take quite a few A1 runs (at cost?) to get it sorted out.

Newportnobby · March 15, 2018, 08:42:57 PM

Quote from: MalcolmAL on March 15, 2018, 08:29:55 PM

BUT
the picture you posted of your track plan is very small in pixels surrounded by quite a large white area, do you want that white included as well.
A very small picture like that when blown up to A! I would guess is going to be very fuzzy. A1 is huge! nearly 2ft by 3ft is that what you want ?

I am trying to end up with the track plan filling the screen but my computer skills are virtually non existent. Firstly I tried to attach the file to a post but the forum will only accept pdf attachments, so I had to upload what I'd saved (badly) as a photo into my gallery.
I don't want all that white area and I don't want it fuzzy. The size of A1 is also under discussion here....
http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=39156.msg497448#msg497448

Sorry, but I'm seeking help/advice on 2 fronts at present - computer and DC wiring

ntpntpntp · March 15, 2018, 09:08:18 PM

The diagonal lines in the panel diagram haven't come out very smooth? Rather than using Paint to draw things like this, use something which uses vector graphics and saves the details of the shapes and lines used. You can then go back and edit the design, resize and move things around whenever you need to. You'll get better smoother graphics this way especially if you find you need to resize to get the best quality print for your control panel. You can then render the image at whatever size you need.

I've always used Visio for this sort of thing (control panels, wiring diagrams etc.) Recently in my office we've been using Draw IO which works in a similar way to Visio and is free.
https://www.draw.io/

As far as a printing house is concerned there's no advantage in saving the image into a PDF. For rendering the image, you may find GIF or PNG formats are better than JPEG for something which is a diagram rather than a photo (the latter being a "lossy" format which looses quality and definition)

MalcolmInN · March 15, 2018, 09:14:06 PM

Quote from: newportnobby on March 15, 2018, 08:42:57 PM
Quote from: MalcolmAL on March 15, 2018, 08:29:55 PM

BUT
the picture you posted of your track plan is very small in pixels surrounded by quite a large white area, do you want that white included as well.
A very small picture like that when blown up to A! I would guess is going to be very fuzzy. A1 is huge! nearly 2ft by 3ft is that what you want ?

I am trying to end up with the track plan filling the screen but my computer skills are virtually non existent. Firstly I tried to attach the file to a post but the forum will only accept pdf attachments, so I had to upload what I'd saved (badly) as a photo into my gallery.
I don't want all that white area and I don't want it fuzzy.

Sorry for the delay, bit of domestic intervened!
You didnt need to convert your jpeg to png to do it via the gallery.
Ok I have deleted the white and put it in a pdf

Do you have an ordinary A4 printer to practice these dark arts on before you spend money in town?

MalcolmInN · March 15, 2018, 09:18:45 PM

Quote from: ntpntpntp on March 15, 2018, 09:08:18 PM
find GIF or PNG formats are better than JPEG for something which is a diagram rather than a photo (the latter being a "lossy" format which looses quality and definition)

Yes, agree, jpg/jpeg very bad !
Trouble is we cant recover that and no way of fixing the fuzz for A1

Newportnobby · March 15, 2018, 09:18:59 PM

Thanks, but as a 6 year old probably has better skills than me you lost me after 'Rather......'
I will try the 'draw.io' and see if I can get it. It took me long enough to use SCARM (I can't understand Anyrail) and I'm still getting used to doing things in 'Paint'

Quote from: MalcolmAL on March 15, 2018, 09:14:06 PM

You didnt need to convert your jpeg to png to do it via the gallery.
Ok I have deleted the white and put it in a pdf

Do you have an ordinary A4 printer to practice these dark arts on before you spend money in town?

I do, Malcolm. I have an Epson inkjet

MalcolmInN · March 15, 2018, 09:25:41 PM

Quote from: newportnobby on March 15, 2018, 09:18:59 PM
SCARM (I can't understand Anyrail) and I'm still getting used to doing things in 'Paint'

I do, Malcolm. I have an Epson inkjet

You could have used SCARM to do it and saved the plan as a BMP lossless picture (BMP ? not sure what the latest versions can do )

Good on the epson, so see how you get on with printing your orig jpeg and if you dare ! my PDF

tother way of doing it is to chop it up into A4 bits to make a composite A3 or A2 and see how much fuzz sneaks in.