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GIF vs PNG [message #14139] Thu, 06 November 2003 01:58 Go to next message
Ilia is currently offline  Ilia   Canada
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As you may know FUDforum so far as used gif images for it's buttons. I am considering switching to PNG and was wondering if any of you had any thoughts/suggestions/etc... on the matter. Basically anything to help me make up my mind.

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Re: GIF vs PNG [message #14142 is a reply to message #14139] Thu, 06 November 2003 02:34 Go to previous messageGo to next message
gladiator is currently offline  gladiator   China
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It is said that IE doesn't support transparency of PNGs...
Re: GIF vs PNG [message #14150 is a reply to message #14142] Thu, 06 November 2003 15:10 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Ilia is currently offline  Ilia   Canada
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gladiator wrote on Wed, 05 November 2003 21:34


It is said that IE doesn't support transparency of PNGs...


Actually it does support normal transparency, what it does not support is alpa transparency.


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Re: GIF vs PNG [message #14156 is a reply to message #14150] Thu, 06 November 2003 15:54 Go to previous messageGo to next message
AutoHost is currently offline  AutoHost   United States
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I think I read that PNG standard supports animation and that IE doesn't support animated PNG's.
Re: GIF vs PNG [message #14158 is a reply to message #14156] Thu, 06 November 2003 16:13 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Ilia is currently offline  Ilia   Canada
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Animated PNGs are called MNG (iirc), however FUDforum does not use any animated graphics, so this should not be a problem.

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Re: GIF vs PNG [message #14165 is a reply to message #14139] Thu, 06 November 2003 17:59 Go to previous messageGo to next message
AzaToth is currently offline  AzaToth   Sweden
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gif is still under patent in several countries, most of them are expiring, but there are still restriction.

but beside of that we can do this compare:

Gif
+ old known format
+ Most UA can render it

- Only 256 colors
- Only one bit alpha channel
- Un-free compression (LZH)

Png
+ True color
+ 1 byte alpha channel
+ w3c recommendation
+ a open format

- IE can not render it correctly

Ok, I haven't consider everything, but this is my point of view, I recommend png rather than gif.

[Updated on: Thu, 06 November 2003 18:03]

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Re: GIF vs PNG [message #14167 is a reply to message #14165] Thu, 06 November 2003 18:12 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Ilia is currently offline  Ilia   Canada
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GIF patent only affects applications generating the file, not the usage of the gif files.

My primary reason for considering the png format is that icons used by FUD come originally from KDE. Normally they come as alpha-transparent PNG images and they loose some of their 'shine' when converted to GIF.


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Re: GIF vs PNG [message #14171 is a reply to message #14167] Thu, 06 November 2003 21:49 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Hkkathome is currently offline  Hkkathome   Sweden
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As long as IE can render it in the same way as other browsers it seems like a good proposal.

Most people still run IE so we/you have to suit them...


Hkkathome(TM) as always...
Re: GIF vs PNG [message #14188 is a reply to message #14171] Fri, 07 November 2003 14:48 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Ilia is currently offline  Ilia   Canada
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I got a JavaScript hack that makes alpha transparency work in IE 5.0+ on MacOS and IE 5.5+ on Win32. Based on analyzing logs of few sites I got access to 5.0/5.1 IE is pretty rare now a days, only about 5-10%.

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Re: GIF vs PNG [message #15482 is a reply to message #14188] Tue, 16 December 2003 23:18 Go to previous messageGo to next message
gbjbaanb is currently offline  gbjbaanb   United Kingdom
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my thought is that javascript is not a very good thing to use, (especially if it's a hack). Many people turn off or restrict javascript to stop popups/etc.

Maybe stick with normal transparency PNGs only. Others can alter their images if they want, but the shrink-wrap forum should work on as many browsers as pragmatically possible.
Re: GIF vs PNG [message #15484 is a reply to message #15482] Tue, 16 December 2003 23:21 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Ilia is currently offline  Ilia   Canada
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Users using IE who have javascript disabled will still see the pngs, they just won't look as pretty as they do with JavaScript. I should also mention that far more important things such as FUDcode formatting tools absolutely couldn't work without JavaScript.

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Re: GIF vs PNG [message #15485 is a reply to message #15484] Tue, 16 December 2003 23:41 Go to previous messageGo to next message
gbjbaanb is currently offline  gbjbaanb   United Kingdom
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in that case, go for it Smile

perhaps you'd like to post some sample gifs/pngs to this thread, to make people feel warm and fuzzy.

BTW. From my server log, I have approx 1% of IE users not using IE6.
Re: GIF vs PNG [message #15490 is a reply to message #14139] Wed, 17 December 2003 09:50 Go to previous message
CAPSLOCK2000 is currently offline  CAPSLOCK2000   Netherlands
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I prefer .png
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