Pages - blurry images

Question

Pages - blurry images

I am trying to create a pdf using pages of screenshots I took from the web. When I insert them into pages they look fine/normal when the image is set as "original size" in the inspector and the "view" is set as "actual size." However, when I print- save as pdf or export to pdf at "best quality," the image quality becomes blurry. I have also made sure I was viewing the pdf at original size.

I have tried several tips found here and on the web, including following the instructions outlined here:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4472984

and the other suggestion was to ensure you were viewing the pages and pdf at actual size.

Here are a few images outlining what I see.

pages screenshot of a native screenshot taken with OSX

Here is the same image quality in an exported pdf - best at 100%

One thing I noticed immediately is that the "size" of pages "actual size" and the pdf view of "100%" are different sizes. This is so confusing to me.

I tried to use Little Snapper thinking that maybe the quality of the screenshot would be better; however, the quality of the end pdf only improved slightly.

Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Pages '08-OTHER, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.3)

Posted on Mar 22, 2013 2:57 PM

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Answer 1

Mar 22, 2013 8:45 PM in response to Jenneil Parks1

Screen snaps are only screen resolution, whatever that is on your particular model. It varies, eg my iMac 27" has a very high screen resolution which is effectively 105 pixels per inch. As the System assumes standard resolution to be 72 dpi that means objects appear smaller but sharper on screen.

I have just done tests using a screen snap of a web page from Apple's site. I grabbed a section that was boxed and had anti-aliased text so I can view the screensnap .png and the outputs of the 3 qualities of pdf from Pages at the same scale.

OSX is resampling the image when converting to pdf. Good = 72dpi, Better = 150dpi and Best = 300dpi

The worst is "Good" which down samples the screensnap.

Both Better and Best appear the same. They have been resampled from the original so appear blurred but at actual size still look OK.

There may be a clue in the "Actual Size" views which are 50% larger in Preview, so I am guessing that the pdfs have been resampled to 150% of the orginal resolution. Actual Size is calculated from the resolution, not the actual physical dimensions.

Peter

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