2.3. Images

You also have to manage screenshots. Here are some hints for making good screenshots:

  • reduce screenshot area as much as possible cropping the window manager borders and disabling the help button (you can do it in the preference dialog),

  • set the image mode to indexed 255 colors Image → Mode → Indexed

    This is not necessary for icons and if your image has only few colors. In these cases, indexed images are bigger than non-indexed.

  • set print resolution to 144 ppi (not for small images like icons). You can do this easily with GIMP from Image → Print Size…

  • Export images in the PNG format.

Don't include English text in images. Translators can't translate it and many users don't like that. Use XML captions instead, or provide a .xcf file in the Docs → xcf images folder, indicating it by a comment in the XML file: <!--TO TRANSLATORS: Corresponding .xcf file is in https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gimp-help/tree/master/docs/xcf%20images -->

Icons for GIMP are in /usr/share/gimp/3.0/icons/. GTK icons are in /usr/share/icons/.

To include an icon in the text: <guiicon> <inlinemediaobject> <imageobject> <imagedata fileref="path-to-icon"/> </imageobject> </inlinemediaobject> </guiicon>

Three commands to manage your images:

  • make check-image-resolutions-en: gives the references of images whose resolution is not 144 ppi.

  • make check-images-en: give references of missing or orphaned images.

  • mogrify units PixelsPerTrack -density 144x144 *.png to set the print resolution of all PNG images.