Using Image Composer with FrontPage

Creating a Web image from FrontPage
Editing a Web image from FrontPage
Selecting the colour palette used by an image in FrontPage

Creating a Web image from FrontPage!

You can create Web images in Microsoft FrontPage by using Microsoft Image Composer. Your image can combine shapes, other image files, and the various effects available on the tool palettes in Image Composer. After you are done creating your image, you can open it in FrontPage. When you include the image in a FrontPage Web, the sprites in your composition are flattened into a single-image .gif or .jpg file, depending on the number of colours used in the composition.

1    In FrontPage Editor, open the Web page you want to add a new image to.
2    On the FrontPage Tools menu, click Show Image Editor. This starts Image Composer, where you can begin a new composition for your Web page.
3    In Image Composer, create the image for your Web page.
4    After you finish your composition, select all the sprites that make up the composition.
5    In Image Composer, on the Edit menu, click Copy.
6    In FrontPage Editor, use the Paste command to insert the composition into your Web page. This action automatically converts the selection into a .gif or .jpg file.

If you want to save the image as an Image Composer file (.mic), click Save As on the Image Composer File menu, and then enter a name for the file.

7 On the File menu, click Exit, and then finish your work in FrontPage.

Tip For an easy way to save an image for use on a Web site, use the Save for the Web Wizard in Image Composer. The wizard provides guidance on file formats and size tradeoffs for images destined for display on a Web page. Select the sprite you want to save for the Web, then click Save for the Web on the File menu.

Notes

If Image Composer does not start when you click Show Image Editor, you may need to set it as the default image editor by clicking Options on the Tools menu in FrontPage Explorer.
If you want to preserve the flexibility that multiple sprites provide, you can save the image as an Image Composer file (.mic). However, if you make changes to the .mic file, you need to resave it as the .gif or .jpg file used in your Web.

Editing a Web image from FrontPage!

You can edit a Web image in a FrontPage Web by using Microsoft Image Composer. You can alter the image with shapes, other image files, and the various effects available on the tool palettes in Image Composer. After you are done editing your image, you can return it to FrontPage. When you return the image to FrontPage, the sprites in your composition are combined into a single-image .gif or .jpg file or flattened to the original format of the file.

1    In the FrontPage Editor, open the Web page that contains the image you want to edit.
2    Double-click the image to start Image Composer.
3    Edit the image in Image Composer.
4    On the File menu, click Save.
5    Go back to FrontPage Editor to finish your work in FrontPage.

Notes

If Image Composer does not start when you double-click your image, you may need to set it as the default image editor by clicking Options on the Tools menu in FrontPage Explorer.
If you want to preserve the flexibility that multiple sprites provide, you can also save the image as an Image Composer file (.mic). However, if you make changes to the .mic file, you need to resave it as the .gif or .jpg file used in your Web. If you save the image with another name, you must add this new file to the Web in FrontPage. The original file remains in the Web, but is not referenced in the Web page.

Selecting the colour palette used by an image in FrontPage!

You can select the colours used by an image in your Web page by changing the colour format palette in Microsoft Image Composer. Some images have colour formats that look great in one Web browser, but do not look good in all of them. To match the colours available with most Web browsers, use the Web (Dithered) colour palette provided by Image Composer. This way, you can ensure that your page looks its best in most common Web browsers. By changing colour palettes, you don't lose your old image and colour palette. Image Composer doesn't remove the original image, but adds a new file with the new colour palette to your Web and Web page. The old image with its original palette remains in your Web.

1    In FrontPage, open the page that has the image you want to change.
2    Double-click the image.
3    In Image Composer, click Save As on the File menu.
4    In the Save As dialog box, if you have selected CompuServe GIF (*.gif) as the file type, click Web (Dithered) in the Colour format box, and then click Save.