I am fortunate in that the games for which I am designing modules, the publisher has provided the counter and map image art files – no scanning! However, the pixel size used for the counter art does not match the map art, and the counters have to be reduced.
The native counter art files are 100x100 pixels, and they need to be reduced to 88x88 max in order to fit the hexes on the map.
I have tried various methods of scaling the images in GIMP and in Image Magick. The resulting 88x88 images always have a reduced image quality on the counter art and text – somewhat blurred compared to the original 100x100 images.
Can anyone recommend a solution – specific commands in GIMP or Image Magick OR another app – to reduce the image scale but maintain sharp art and text?
I am fortunate in that the games for which I am designing modules, the
publisher has provided the counter and map image art files – no
scanning! However, the pixel size used for the counter art does not
match the map art, and the counters have to be reduced.
The native counter art files are 100x100 pixels, and they need to be
reduced to 88x88 max in order to fit the hexes on the map.
I have tried various methods of scaling the images in GIMP and in Image
Magick. The resulting 88x88 images always have a reduced image quality
on the counter art and text – somewhat blurred compared to the original
100x100 images.
If you’re downscaling a bitmap at something other than a ratio of 1/n,
and n is not an integer, then you will necessarily lose sharpness when
you do it.
I’m having a hard time understanding why the publisher would have
created the art at incompatible bitmap resolutions.
Are you certain that the original art was done as bitmaps?
Are you certain that you have the original art?
If you are stuck with these bitmaps, you may have more success upscaling
the map by about 13%, rather than downscaling the pieces.
Scaling in any direction is always a difficult part. It would be better if you could scale down from a much larger version of the graphic. And you should consider using Photoshop which in my mind has the best scaling algorithm. Another possibility ist to scale up the graphix (for eaxample by factor 3.5) and then scale down again. In some cases this brings a nicer result. (especially for graphic - but not for text)
Perhaps its possible for you to find a similar font and rewrite the text. In this case you have sharp results …