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Macromedia has a wonderful software application that helps users create great-looking text graphics by using anti-aliasing capabilities. In Fireworks MX 2004, artists and designers can create readable and attractive text graphics by substituting shades of the font color around the lines and curves, which otherwise can be broken and craggy in appearance.

Fireworks Anti-Aliasing Capabilities

Anti-aliasing capabilities have been with Fireworks for quite some time now. With the new edition, Fireworks MX 2004 enhanced further its four anti-aliasing options and added two more features.

Its anti-aliasing options include: None Anti-Alias, which disables text smoothing; Crisp Anti-Alias that allows the creation of a sharp transition between the edges of the text and the background; Strong Anti-Alias for a very abrupt transition of the text edges into the background, while preserving the shapes of the text characters and improving on the detailed areas of the characters; and Smooth Anti-Alias that lets the users create a soft transition between the text edges and the background.

On the other hand, the new anti-alias options are the System Anti-Alias that uses the text smoothing method which can be found in Windows XP or Mac OS X; and Custom Anti-Alias, which provides expert level controls (such as oversampling, sharpness, and strength) over the anti-aliasing.

The enhanced features from Fireworks allow the users to have a complete toolbox of "sandpaper" for anti-aliasing of text graphics. Users can quickly and efficiently smooth the edges of any working text using the Fireworks application.

To utilize the anti-aliasing options, simply apply any text object through the Property inspector ot the Text Editor.

Anti-Aliasing Options

To help you further maximize the capabilities of Fireworks and its anti-aliasing features, the following is suggested:

1. For anti-aliasing to be useful and maximized, it is best to use it on larger font sizes.

2. Do not apply anti-aliasing features on a bitmapped font.

3. Do not export anti-aliased text as a GIF with the Web 216 palette. The reason for this is that the Web 216 palette does not have the colors that you will be using to properly anti-alias your text.

4. Anti-aliased text which is exported as a transparent GIF then placed in a web page with a background color will appear more aliased. This means that the text would appear to have jagged distortions in its curves and diagonal lines. It is better to just alias the text at the beginning since you will have the same result anyway.

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5. Always try one of the pre-set anti-aliasing options first before developing your final output. This is to help you achieve your desired appearance. Try out the Non, Crisp, Strong, Smooth or System options. If you still do not achieve your desired requirements, then use the Custom Anti-Aliasing option.