Wikipedia:Graphics tutorials

Various Wikipedians have put together graphics tutorials. Some of these are still works in progress. It is preferred to work with open formats (such as PNG or SVG) and free licenses (such as public domain or GFDL) when possible. There are many free software programs available for creating and editing images.

Shortcut

WP:GRTWP:GRT

Tutorials

Vector graphics tutorials

Application

SVG with Inkscape - Fully featured SVG drawing program, also capable of PNG output
Using Dia - page not maintained - Well suited to technical diagrams & flowsheets - PNG output, limited SVG support
Using Microsoft Word - page not maintained - Familiar to many users, easy to use - PNG only, no SVG support

Specific tasks

Bitmap graphics tutorials

Wikipedia:Basic bitmap image editing
Wikipedia:Graphic Lab/Optimizing relief - map-making tutorial using 3DEM or GRASS GIS editors and GIMP bitmap editor (all free programs)

Photo editing tutorials

How to improve image quality

Combination tutorials

Picture tutorial: The best way to add your pictures to articles
Maps and images for Wikipedia
Coloring cartographic maps
Keep in mind that images can contain hidden data and that you might want to remove the hidden data before publishing the images.
Text can be overlaid onto images using Template:Annotated image or Template:Annotated image 4.

Filesize optimisation tutorials

Wikipedia:Preparing images for upload - Describes how to keep image file sizes as small as possible.
How to reduce colors for saving a JPEG as PNG (using The GIMP)

Open source programs

pngquant - program that reduces PNG size by automatically reducing the number of colors. Visually lossless most of the time.
PNGCrush - Old tried and true program that reduces PNG sizes using multiple zlib compression trials on disk.
OptiPNG - Essentially a newer version of PNGCrush, it economizes the trial (reducing from 100s of short ones to a maximum of 7 longer ones) and does everything in memory. Usually produces identical results, and is much faster.
AdvanceCOMP - A group of programs designed to reduce ZIP compression in many contexts, including PNGs (using AdvPNG).
Jhead - A program for viewing, altering, or removing Exif data of JPEGs. Amongst other things, this allows for reducing file sizes.
FileOptimizer - A Windows GUI program (recommended for beginners) that uses multiple open source and freeware tools (including most of those listed here) to optimize a large number of media filetypes. Achieves better compression than any of the others used by themselves. Released under the LGPL.

Freeware programs

PNGOUT - A program that optimizes PNGs by eschewing the usual zlib compression for a slower but more complete algorithm.
- PNG Gauntlet - GUI for OptiPNG, PNGOUT, and DeflOpt (similar to AdvPNG in AdvanceCOMP)
Image Analyzer - Amongst other things, allows for lossy compression of PNG files. (Often, however, merely posterizing the image at a level that does not produce color banding results in smaller files of the same or higher quality.)
JPG Cleaner - Removes Exif data from JPEGs, making the files smaller.
JPGExtra and PNGExtra - Programs that losslessly optimize JPEGs and PNGs by cleanly removing all non-image data.

Software used for Wikipedia images

Vector graphics software

Adobe Illustrator (Non-free)
CorelDraw (Non-free)
Dia (Free)
DrawPlus (Non-free)
Inkscape (Free)
MetaPost (Free)
Sodipodi (Free)
Xara Xtreme (Non-free and Free versions)
xfig (Free)
and many more...

3D software

Autodesk 3ds Max (non-free)
Autodesk Maya (non-free)
Autodesk Softimage (non-free)
Blender (Free)
LightWave 3D (non-free)
OpenFX (Free)
POV-Ray (Free for non-commercial distribution)
and many more...

Raster graphics (bitmap) software

Adobe Photoshop (Non-free)
CodedColor
GIMP (Free)
Paint.NET (Free)
Paint Shop Pro (Non-free)
and many more...

Word processors with vector-graphics facilities

Microsoft Word (Non-free)
OpenOffice.org Writer (Free)
LibreOffice Writer (Free)
and many more...

Panorama software

Hugin (Open source)
Autostitch (Non-free; full demo available)
PTAssembler (Shareware, based on the open source Panorama Tools)
PTGui (Shareware, based on the open source Panorama Tools)

External links

Grokking the GIMP: a comprehensive on-line book covering the GIMP, as well as graphic and digital photo editing in general

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