Graphics mags: simple help needed

[neck beard]

I have never been able to do anything satisfactorily using graphics software, and a little beginner help is needed.

I am using Graphics Converter on my iMac. Seems like a good software, and can be used for free.

All I want to do is make a simple graphic with Helvetica text, size 30 or so.

On screen in Graphics Converter my text look smooth and anti-aliased.

When I save as a PNG, it becomes rough and ugly and aliased.

See examples below.

This seems so simple to do, yet I am a failure. What the hell am I doing wrong?

Screenshots...



After saving

[LC]

You're at a 500% zoom. If you look at the saved version at 100% it'll look smooth.

If you actually want it bigger than 30pt then start with a bigger canvas and type set to a bigger size.

[neck beard]

Even at 100% zoom you can really see the jagged curves of the aliases png file after I save. I just zoomed to focus on the problem.

At 100%

[JRainey]

Make sure you save it in PNG-32, PNG-24 might work, but 32 is smoother on the edges. My guess is the one it's saving it to is PNG-8 which sacrifices smooth edges for high compression. I'm not similar with the program, but it should be an output option.

[neck beard]

Thanks for the reply. There is no PNG-32 (or any other number) in the save options nor in preferences.

Perhaps the problem is I am using graphics s/w designed for photographs to make a graphic containing text? Wrong tool for the job.

Eitherway, it fucking stuns me that a file after saving is noticeably altered from what the user created on screen.