Text codec

[Peter]

Hi guys,

What's the best codec for text files?

Prepared in photoshop - text converted to pixels - saved as psd - imported in FCP - blur/unblur _ unblur/blur over time - export to which codec?

Thanks!

[samsc]

Hi guys,

What's the best codec for text files?

Prepared in photoshop - text converted to pixels - saved as psd - imported in FCP - blur/unblur _ unblur/blur over time - export to which codec?

Thanks!

what did you try?

[OlliR]

Depends on the kind of file...

For white Text on empty black background I would use Photo-JPEG @100% (gives you more crisp borders than AIC)

If you need trasparent background you have to go Uncompressed with Alpha Channel...

Everything else would be Apple Intermediate Codec (best size / quality ratio in my eyes but as mentioned above not too good with hard contrasts like b/w text - though still better than MPG-2...)

[samsc]

Hi guys,

What's the best codec for text files?

Prepared in photoshop - text converted to pixels - saved as psd - imported in FCP - blur/unblur _ unblur/blur over time - export to which codec?

Thanks!

there isnt any best - ones uses what one can get away with - that provides the performance on the system you have.

you can use dv files - if thats what your system can cope with.
or low res photojpeg-

if you have big fast discs you can use uncompressed files.

[Peter]

If you need trasparent background you have to go Uncompressed with Alpha Channel...

How do you do that? I'm still learning.

What are your thoughts on the following :

In photoshop i create 2 layers, 1 black text and 1 empty (transparant). I then make it into 1 layer (tried with text as text layer or converted to pixels) and save as photoshop psd.

Then i import the files into catalyst but i cant see the text. Any idees on that?

When i do the same as above with a white text on a black background the text is crisp. But i need to layer text and as they are white on black the second layer hides the first, so i turned on transparant colour but then the text isnt as crsip anymore, it seems like the text borders become black. Any suggestions on that?

THANKS!

[jasonrudolph]

instead of saving as a psd, save the file as a png, you can do this in photoshop, just make sure transparency is turned on when you save the file.

[samsc]

instead of saving as a psd, save the file as a png, you can do this in photoshop, just make sure transparency is turned on when you save the file.

the reason why photoshop .psd files should not be used- is that photoshop files have a non-transparent composited layer as the bottom layer - and the other layers on top of this.
quicktime displays this non-transparent layer by default.

the layer compositing modes in photoshop are proprietary - so a merged layer copy should be used - saved as a transparent tiff or png - as jason says.

[Peter]

instead of saving as a psd, save the file as a png, you can do this in photoshop, just make sure transparency is turned on when you save the file.

I cant turn on transparancy with tiff, it stays grey? With png i havent got the option?