Strip 887

[Mizuki]

If anyone has the book, could you describe all of the scenes near the very center of the spiral? I can only see up to Elan with the lollipop. Thanks!

[RNGgod]

The, er, book isn't out yet. Sorry.

[KillianHawkeye]

The book isn't even finished here on the website yet.

[Unisus]

And even if it were - do the books have a so much higher resolution than the web comic?

[Nimrod's Son]

Zooming in, the next panel after Elan with the lollipop appears to show all the surviving members of the Order, but it doesn't look like they even have their faces drawn in so it's probably not meant to be anything specific. The panel after that is even more illegible, and everything after that is blank. I'd be pretty surprised if the book's resolution reveals more than that.

[ChristianSt]

And even if it were - do the books have a so much higher resolution than the web comic?

I don't know what a "much higher resolution" would be, but it makes some things much more sharper.

For example the Chlorine Elemental in 457 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0457.html): From the online strip it is imo only really hard readably that he has a weight of 35.453. In the book version it is easy readable.

Or better yet the last panel of 458 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0458.html). In the print version I can see all four of Thog's tusks without any problem. Or clearly distinguish between all of Nales three fingers around the hilt of his sword. It is much sharper on such details.

I just uploaded a copy so you can compare it for yourself if you want: Though I have to say that I just photographed it with my smartphone camera and rotated/converted the image (so it is even better in print - especially the colors aren't so wonky): Book version of last panel 458 (http://i1363.photobucket.com/albums/r704/ChristianSteu/458lastpanel_zpsf9709c7f.gif).

And for example the Gobbotopia history book in 702 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0702.html): The last few words are imo pretty hard to read, and on some of them I can merely guess what they should be. But I think the print version will be easy readable.

So yes, I think we see some more details of 887 there: I think we at least get a confirmation that the panel after Elan+lollipop is the Order, and the panel after that features MitD again. At least that is what I think there is to see. The panels after that seem to be pink only to me - maybe we will see something there as "bonus content", but that is only a pretty large maybe.

[Sir_Leorik]

Anyone want to fire up their DeLorean and get the answer to the OP's question? :smallamused:

[dps]

If no one has a DeLorean, maybe someone can get ahold of a British police call box.

[Ramien]

Either that or slingshot around the sun...

[Sir_Leorik]

Either that or slingshot around the sun...

... in a Klingon Battlecruiser! Mr. Spock, begin calculating the coordinates!

[KillianHawkeye]

And even if it were - do the books have a so much higher resolution than the web comic?

Without going into technical details, yes. Printed materials have a resolution roughly four times higher than what you need for web use.

[Finagle]

And even if it were - do the books have a so much higher resolution than the web comic?
Yes. Books are typically printed at 300dpi, while the comic is at 72dpi. It's a noticeable difference.

[Finagle]

72dpi can only be enlarged so much. I think there's not much data after the lollipop, even in the original Adobe Illustrator file. Photoshop powers, activate!

http://i.imgur.com/haHypd9.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/0l9uUN3.jpg (http://imgur.com/0l9uUN3)

[ella ventic]

So... that's certainly V in the top right, possibly with Roy, and maybe something completely indistinguishable in the panel after that, but then the rest are blank. Yeah?

[Copperdragon]

Yes. Books are typically printed at 300dpi, while the comic is at 72dpi. It's a noticeable difference.

Not 600? Anyway, the books' print is actually of a noticeably higher quality than the online strips.

[Finagle]

Not 600? Anyway, the books' print is actually of a noticeably higher quality than the online strips.

Depends on the printer, what kind of printing press is used, what kind of paper, and what the customer wants. 300 is standard when I was in the business a few years ago. The human eye can't really see the difference above 300 unless the photo gets blown up or you want fancy glossy paper or something.

[shamgar001]

72dpi can only be enlarged so much. I think there's not much data after the lollipop, even in the original Adobe Illustrator file. Photoshop powers, activate!


I would guess that the comic exists as a vector file, and so the Giant could recreate it in any resolution he wanted without a loss of quality. Seeing as the writes the comics with publishing in mind, he may very well have added some additional detail specifically for the printing.

[Finagle]

I would guess that the comic exists as a vector file, and so the Giant could recreate it in any resolution he wanted without a loss of quality. Seeing as the writes the comics with publishing in mind, he may very well have added some additional detail specifically for the printing.
Well, yes. I meant that 72dpi could only be enlarged so much for my blown-up Photoshop job. The originals are .AI files which are likely exported to high-resolution PDF files for printing the book.

[Sir_Leorik]

How did this thread go from discussing methods of time travel to the technical details of the printing industry? Even for this board that's a pretty big turn. :smalltongue:

[martianmister]

72dpi can only be enlarged so much. I think there's not much data after the lollipop, even in the original Adobe Illustrator file. Photoshop powers, activate!

http://i.imgur.com/haHypd9.jpg[/URL]

I guess the last one is a group photo like the last panel, (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0120.html) sans Belkar. I can see V, Roy, Durkon, Haley nd Elan.

[DeliaP]

I guess the last one is a group photo like the last panel, (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0120.html) sans Belkar. I can see V, Roy, Durkon, Haley nd Elan.

Wow, you can see better than me! I had thought maybe brontosaurus, but now, yes that's probably V's hair. Can't identify Haley, Elan or Durkon there, though.. Given the relative positions of V and Roy, perhaps Roy is proposing to V?

(and I still think the one of Roy, Haley, Elan, Durkon on a pedestal, with Hinjo and Lien below and in front might be an LotR reference.... but I can't tell what Lien is holding/doing...)

[Bulldog Psion]

How did this thread go from discussing methods of time travel to the technical details of the printing industry? Even for this board that's a pretty big turn. :smalltongue:

Actually, the thread should be about the technical details of the printing industry.

Time travel methods are the big turn. :smallwink:

[Sir_Leorik]

Actually, the thread should be about the technical details of the printing industry.

Time travel methods are the big turn. :smallwink:

Hmm... but Time Travel came up first. Great Scot! That could lead to a paradox that could wipe out the entire space-time continuum! I knew discussing the printing of Gray's Sports Almanac was just asking for trouble! :smallbiggrin:

[Jay R]

Hmm... but Time Travel came up first. Great Scot! That could lead to a paradox that could wipe out the entire space-time continuum! I knew discussing the printing of Gray's Sports Almanac was just asking for trouble! :smallbiggrin:

Actually, the Time Travel ones were written three years after the others; they were just posted first.

We should probably just avoid using the word "first" when discussing time travel.

[Sir_Leorik]

Actually, the Time Travel ones were written three years after the others; they were just posted first.

We should probably just avoid using the word "first" when discussing time travel.

Yeah, it gets hard to describe, what with the whole timey, wimey stuff. :smallbiggrin:

[Jay R]

The panel after Elan and the lollipop is just the order together, learning Haley's secret. The one after that shows the MitD's species. The next one shows Vaarsuvius with a doily. Then we see Durkon comforting Hilgya at her husband's funeral. Then Elan finds a whistle. Then Inkyrius refers to Vaarsuvius by a personal pronoun, but it's pretty fuzzy. I can't tell if it's "him" or "her"....