The image conversion settings for all output formats are managed in a central table located in Configuration > Publishing Options.

Help+Manual supports many output formats and many different image file formats. However, not all output formats support all image file formats. This means that some images inserted in your topics need to be converted to different file types when you publish your project, depending on the output format. The settings for this are all accessible in a single location.

The image conversion table is already set up with optimum settings for all output formats. You should only need to make changes if you have specific needs.

The image conversion table

The table shows the image file type in the left column. The other columns show how each image type is to be converted for each output format. Each field contains a dropdown list of the possible export file types for that output format. The default settings are generally recommended.

Image file types set to "Native"

Image file types listed as "Native" without conversion for these output formats so no change is needed. For example, the WebHelp column shows Native as the default setting for PNG, JPG and GIF, because these are standard web formats.

Image file types that can be changed

When changes are possible there is a dropdown list of target file formats that you can choose from. For example, by default, Bitmap formats (see above) are converted to PNG for HTML-based output formats. Alternatively, you can choose JPG at different compression ratios to reduce file size, or GIF.

Click on the file format to display the list of possible target file types and choose the one you want to use for that output format.

Which file types are "Bitmaps"?

For Help+Manual the Bitmap file type includes BMP, IPP (old Impict images), TIFF, PSD (Photoshop), PSP (Paintshop Pro), PCD (PhotoCD), SHG and MRB (obsolete WinHelp formats). All these formats are converted according to the Bitmap settings in the conversion table.

Choosing the right file format

Which bitmap file format conversion provides the best results depends on the type of images in your project. GIF and PNG generally provide the smallest files with the best quality for screenshots with 256 colors or less. PNG files are larger than JPG files when they have more than 256 colors, but they have much better quality for screenshots and they are still generally recommended.

Screenshots often do not look so good when converted to JPG, which is designed for continuous-tone photographs.

JPEG is is the best option for photographs and continuous-tone graphics without sharp edges, producing both good quality and smaller file sizes.