Images

You can insert images into content files (e.g., topics, snippets). Flare supports the following types of raster and vector image files: BMP, EMF, EPS, EXPS, GIF, HDP, JPG, JPEG, PDF, PNG, PS, SVG, SWF, TIF, TIFF, WDP, WMF, XAML, XPS. You can also add animated GIFs to content files, just as you would add a regular image. However, you need to use a third-party tool to create the animated GIF, then add it to the Flare project.

Tip For print-based output, try to use images with a high DPI (dots per inch) quality (300 is recommended). The higher the DPI, the more it shrinks in the output. Try to obtain as large an image as possible to begin with. If that doesn't work, a lower DPI (e.g., 250, 200, 150) may produce acceptable results in print output. By contrast, online output is displayed at 72 or 96 DPI, so a lower DPI image is okay. To produce the best possible images for online and print-based outputs, consider using different images for those outputs and applying conditions to them. Another option is to use single-sourcing features with MadCap Capture, which lets you accomplish the same thing with only one image for online and print outputs. See Creating Single-Source Images.

Note When you insert an image from outside your project into a topic, a copy of the image file is added to your project. The image file is stored in the Resources > Images folder of the Content Explorer, unless you specify another location.

Note If you import Microsoft Word documents containing embedded images into a project, Flare places copies of those image files in subfolders within the Resources > Images folder. This is done in order to avoid naming conflicts with embedded images from other Word documents that you might import. The subfolders are named after the Word documents being imported.

Note If you apply certain special effects or artwork (e.g., arrows) to images in Word and then import them into Flare, those effects will not be retained. For example, a rotated image will return to its straight, original state. However, there are some workarounds that may allow you to keep the effects or artwork. One solution is to apply another effect such as a shadow or 3-D to the image in Word (e.g., add a shadow to a rotated image that you want to keep). This forces Word to save the image as an entirely new image with the effects. Another possible solution is to save the Word document as a web page, manually copy that HTM file into the Flare folder, and then open it within Flare. As for text floating around images, this effect is not supported in Flare. When you import from Word, the text is added below the image.

Note If you have used non–web-safe image formats (e.g., WMF, EMF, BMP, TIF, TIFF) in your project and want those images to be converted to web-safe formats (e.g., GIF, JPEG, PNG) when you generate online output—e.g., HTML5, Clean XHTML, Eclipse Help, Microsoft HTML Help, WebHelp, WebHelp Plus—you can use an option on the Advanced tab of the Target Editor. For print-based output types (Adobe PDF, Microsoft Word), the original image file formats will be used when you generate output.