Default 2.2 theme. Images to optimised PNG?

All style (template, theme and imageset) related questions for the new release; advice, feedback here please.
Smirnov
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Re: Default 2.2 theme. Images to optimised PNG?

Post by Smirnov »

Legoguy wrote:There is a simple workaround for IE using a DX rendering method.

http://webfx.eae.net/dhtml/pngbehavior/pngbehavior.html" target="_blank

(if you apply that workaround, it's a good idea to remove the size of the image and just change "scale" in the filter to "image.")

but if you really really want the best way to do it, get Mozilla Firefox :)
I'm glad everyone keeps yapping about IE5.5+ not supporting PNGs when the fourth post down posted an easy solution to getting it to work, using an IE filter. As for all the "other" browsers, they already had proper alpha support for a while now.

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SHS`
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Re: Default 2.2 theme. Images to optimised PNG?

Post by SHS` »

Smirnov wrote:
I'm glad everyone keeps yapping about IE5.5+ not supporting PNGs when the fourth post down posted an easy solution to getting it to work, using an IE filter. As for all the "other" browsers, they already had proper alpha support for a while now.
Pity it's a near to useless kludge when a page uses PNG in anywhere hear a pervasive fashion, like one does with GIFs or JPEGs... which makes the whole excercise rather pointless again.

Plus PNG behaviours can't be applied to background images, again removing any of it's usefulness.

Still, IE's market share overall is actually starting to fall with Firesomething gaining well since the advisor sent from US-CERT.
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dhn
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Re: Default 2.2 theme. Images to optimised PNG?

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SHS` wrote:Still, IE's market share overall is actually starting to fall with Firesomething gaining well since the advisor sent from US-CERT.
Using IE is unAmerican!
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SHS`
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Re: Default 2.2 theme. Images to optimised PNG?

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dhn wrote:
Using IE is unAmerican!
:mrgreen:
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Re: Default 2.2 theme. Images to optimised PNG?

Post by Graham »

But since I'm not American, I don't care :)

Actually, I'll use whatever is available, but on my low end laptop that means IE because Mozilla is just to resource intensive for it
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Re: Default 2.2 theme. Images to optimised PNG?

Post by Roberdin »

Isn't Firefox lighter than IE? It sure feels so...
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CLee
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Re: Default 2.2 theme. Images to optimised PNG?

Post by CLee »

I haven't ventured into the styles forum until today, but this topic caught my eye. The thing that amazed me is the sheer about if misinformation about IE's support for PNG transparency.

For starters, there are two types of transparency that is supported by the PNG format. The first one is the simple binary transparency. The second is the 8-bit "alpha-channel" transparency. Now it's important to make a distinction between these two types of transparencies because the former is natively supported by IE while the latter is not.

Now here is the real kicker. The simple binary transparency is the same kind of transparency support used in GIF. So in most respects, a GIF transparency can be converted to a PNG in almost every case with no visible differences in IE. The only thing GIF feature that will not be converted in PNG is any animation.

Should phpBB switch to PNG-8 images with simple binary transparency? Well that all depends on which format actually produces the smallest image size or if there is a need for animation. Not ever case is the PNG image going to be smaller then its GIF equivalent. But saying that you have to use GIF because IE doesn't support PNG transparency is a false statement.
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Re: Default 2.2 theme. Images to optimised PNG?

Post by Michaelo »

Can I assume the above is true for the new browsers that us rthe IE engine?
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Re: Default 2.2 theme. Images to optimised PNG?

Post by corby2004 »

CLee wrote:...The thing that amazed me is the sheer about if misinformation about IE's support for PNG transparency.

For starters, there are two types of transparency that is supported by the PNG format. The first one is the simple binary transparency. The second is the 8-bit "alpha-channel" transparency. Now it's important to make a distinction between these two types of transparencies because the former is natively supported by IE while the latter is not.

Now here is the real kicker. The simple binary transparency is the same kind of transparency support used in GIF. So in most respects, a GIF transparency can be converted to a PNG in almost every case with no visible differences in IE. The only thing GIF feature that will not be converted in PNG is any animation.

Should phpBB switch to PNG-8 images with simple binary transparency? Well that all depends on which format actually produces the smallest image size or if there is a need for animation. Not ever case is the PNG image going to be smaller then its GIF equivalent. But saying that you have to use GIF because IE doesn't support PNG transparency is a false statement.
Well - yes - this was my original point all those months ago when I started this thread. Thanks for making it clear to everyone CLee :)

Also, just so everyone know, a animated PNG (APNG) specification is being worked on.

There are a couple of fantastic PNG optimisation tools out there on the net, and when both are used in combination small-data-sized PNGs can be produced with no loss of quality.

I think one was called PNGOut, and the other was ... (brb)

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Re: Default 2.2 theme. Images to optimised PNG?

Post by corby2004 »

corby2004 wrote:I think one was called PNGOut, and the other was ... (brb)
...PNG Rewrite

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