A Fine and Private Place- a musical fantasy

Which File Type Should I Use?

It depends what you want to use it for and how you will print it. If you want a full-color version and you're sending it to an inexpensive inkjet printer, you probably want to use the TIFF file. For one-color and postscript-supporting printers, use EPS.

Why do you recommend not scaling the TIFF files?

If you scale these files, they will lose detail whether you make them larger or smaller. But you can try it if you like. It will probably look a lot better on the monitor than it will print.

How do I use these files?

You need a desktop publishing program such as Quark Express or Adobe In-Design which will allow you to "place" the file somewhere in your document. You can place pictures in MS Word as well though MS Word for Macintosh doesn't seem to support EPS files though the PC version does.

The EPS file I placed looks terrible when I scaled it up in my publishing program. Why is that?

EPS files may look very grainy on the monitor screen but will print out very nicely to a postscript printer. The "image" that the desktop publisher places in the document is not the file that is sent to the printer but is a facsimile of the original. HOWEVER, if you send the file to your non-postscript printer (most of the inexpensive inkjets are NOT postscript), the file might print as grainy as it looks on your screen. It may not, depends on the printer. You'll need to test this.

I want to use one of the EPS files but I need to send it to a non-postscript printer?

You can open these files and convert them in a paint type program (Adobe Photoshop), scale it and then output it as a jpeg or tiff file. Figure out the size (height and width) you need first, resize it in a vector based program (Adobe Illustrator, for example) and then open the file in Photoshop. Next save as TIFF (recommended) with a high resolution. Most print shops want at least 300 dpi. You can use 150 dpi for your non-postscript inkjet printer with good results.
NOTE: if you want to change the size, Photoshop is NOT the right program, you need a drawing (vector) type program to resize it.

Can I edit the graphics as I please?

While it is possible to use programs such as Photoshop and Illustrator to edit the files, they are intended for you to be able to build your posters and programs with a desktop publisher. If you want to do this, please check with us, since changing the actual artwork is a violation of the artist's copyright.