Bitmap textures
Encyclopedia
Bitmap textures are digital image
s representing a surface, a material, a pattern or even a picture, generated by an artist or designer using a bitmap editor software such as Adobe Photoshop
or Gimp
or simply by scanning an image and, if necessary, retouching it on a personal computer
.
Textures can be built as a large image, larger than the final destination (such a page, for example) so as to fill the complete area without repeating the image (thus avoiding visible seams). Also bitmap textures can be created to be used as repetitive pattern
s to fill an infinite area. The borders of these patterns or small textures should be treated to give a seamless appearance when applied to an image, unless, of course, the seam is something to be shown.
When designed for print
, textures should be created in high-resolution in order to achieve good results in the final print.
On the other side, if these textures are meant to be used in multimedia, 3d animation
or web design
, they should be created in a maximum resolution
that equals the one of the final display (Tv
, computer monitor
, movie projector
, etc.).
If creating a texture with a computer
is not an option, then textures can be obtained by purchasing stock images collections, which are expensive but often of a professional quality.
This article was taken from The Photoshop Roadmap with written permission.
Digital image
A digital image is a numeric representation of a two-dimensional image. Depending on whether or not the image resolution is fixed, it may be of vector or raster type...
s representing a surface, a material, a pattern or even a picture, generated by an artist or designer using a bitmap editor software such as Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop is a graphics editing program developed and published by Adobe Systems Incorporated.Adobe's 2003 "Creative Suite" rebranding led to Adobe Photoshop 8's renaming to Adobe Photoshop CS. Thus, Adobe Photoshop CS5 is the 12th major release of Adobe Photoshop...
or Gimp
GIMP
GIMP is a free software raster graphics editor. It is primarily employed as an image retouching and editing tool and is freely available in versions tailored for most popular operating systems including Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac OS X, and Linux.In addition to detailed image retouching and...
or simply by scanning an image and, if necessary, retouching it on a personal computer
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
.
Textures can be built as a large image, larger than the final destination (such a page, for example) so as to fill the complete area without repeating the image (thus avoiding visible seams). Also bitmap textures can be created to be used as repetitive pattern
Pattern
A pattern, from the French patron, is a type of theme of recurring events or objects, sometimes referred to as elements of a set of objects.These elements repeat in a predictable manner...
s to fill an infinite area. The borders of these patterns or small textures should be treated to give a seamless appearance when applied to an image, unless, of course, the seam is something to be shown.
When designed for print
Printing
Printing is a process for reproducing text and image, typically with ink on paper using a printing press. It is often carried out as a large-scale industrial process, and is an essential part of publishing and transaction printing....
, textures should be created in high-resolution in order to achieve good results in the final print.
On the other side, if these textures are meant to be used in multimedia, 3d animation
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
or web design
Web design
Web design is the process of planning and creating a website. Text, images, digital media and interactive elements are used by web designers to produce the page seen on the web browser...
, they should be created in a maximum resolution
Display resolution
The display resolution of a digital television or display device is the number of distinct pixels in each dimension that can be displayed. It can be an ambiguous term especially as the displayed resolution is controlled by all different factors in cathode ray tube , flat panel or projection...
that equals the one of the final display (Tv
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
, computer monitor
Computer display
A monitor or display is an electronic visual display for computers. The monitor comprises the display device, circuitry, and an enclosure...
, movie projector
Movie projector
A movie projector is an opto-mechanical device for displaying moving pictures by projecting them on a projection screen. Most of the optical and mechanical elements, except for the illumination and sound devices, are present in movie cameras.-Physiology:...
, etc.).
If creating a texture with a computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
is not an option, then textures can be obtained by purchasing stock images collections, which are expensive but often of a professional quality.
This article was taken from The Photoshop Roadmap with written permission.