SIMATIC

Notes About Faceplate Images: Dimension and Resolution

Resolution Resolution refers to the number of dots per inch (DPI) that is used to draw an image. The image resolution can appear differently between a PC screen and a printer, depending on the Display Resolution settings and the Printer model. An image with 300 DPI is considered high resolution. 300 DPI implies that within one inch of space, on a PC screen or on a printout, there are 300 pixels. Images at 300 DPI are displayed with sharp clearness and very dense granularity. High-resolution images should be used with very fine text or objects, or curves (such as circles), to be represented on the faceplate. Advanced graphics software allows you to change the resolution of an image. An image with 96 DPI is considered medium to low resolution. Some graphics tools such as Microsoft Paint default to 96 DPI and do not allow you to change the resolution of an image. Low-resolution images provide suitable quality for faceplates that use flat colors without textures, with true type text fonts, and with square or rectangular buttons. Your faceplate design can be created with any resolution. However, the size of the TD 200C background faceplate image must be as follows: 137 +/- .15 mm (5.42 inches) in width 65.7 +/- .15 mm (2.58 inches) in height Otherwise, if your image is not the correct size the TD Keypad Designer must resize your faceplate bitmap image, altering the image and possibly causing the original image to appear distorted. The Keypad Designer always displays a warning before re-sizing your image. The Exported Button Template (File > Export > Button Template to File )

The size of the TD 200C button template exported from the TD Keypad Designer is exactly 5.42 inches (width) x 2.58 inches (height). It has a resolution of 96 DPI (Dots Per Inch). If you wish to create a faceplate design that has a higher-resolution than 96 DPI, you will need graphics software that supports high resolutions. In this case, you must use the graphics software to convert your button template to the same resolution as your high-resolution faceplate design. The Imported Faceplate Design (File > Import > Panel Image from File ) The size of the TD 200C background faceplate image is exactly: 137 +/- .15 mm (5.42 inches) in width 65.7 +/- .15 mm (2.58 inches) in height When you import your completed faceplate design into the Keypad Designer and your image has the correct dimensions, the TD Keypad Designer accepts the image without changing its TD Keypad Designer V1.0 1

resolution. Otherwise, the TD Keypad Designer must resize your faceplate bitmap image, and it will also change the image resolution to 96 DPI. If your image does not have the recommended dimensions as described above, upon importing your faceplate design (panel image from a bitmap file) into the TD Keypad Designer a warning message will be displayed. The warning message shows the difference between the size of your faceplate image and the expected image size, allowing you to optionally cancel the import in order to rework the image size in your graphics software. Using the sample Backgrounds and Buttons Provided in the Images Subdirectory of the TD Keypad Designer There are two categories of images in the \Images subdirectory: (1) 300 DPI High resolution images. The high-resolution images are created with Adobe Photoshop Elements software using a resolution of 300 DPI. At 300 DPI, these high-resolution sample images have the exact dimensions required for a TD 200C faceplate (5.42 x 2.58). When you open a highresolution image with a graphics software application, the image appears much larger than the standard TD dimensions. This occurs because the graphics software applications will display all of the 300 pixels per inch that make up a high-resolution object, although the computer display is not capable of truly representing an image by showing 300 pixels in an inch of space on a screen. As a result, when the high-resolution images are viewed with software, they do not fit entirely on your screen, although any part of the image can be viewed by scrolling in the display window. Some software applications will show a high-resolution as a percentage of its actual size. This allows the high-resolution image to be displayed similarly to how it would look when it is printed. When a high-resolution image is printed with a laser printer, the printer is capable of compressing and printing out high-density pixel images accurately, using ink to print exactly 300 dots per inch to a surface. (2) 96 DPI Low resolution images. The low-resolution images are created with Windows 2000 Microsoft Paint software, which uses 96 DPI. In Microsoft Paint at 96 DPI on the PC screen, the low-resolution images (sample backgrounds) appear about the same size dimensions as an actual TD faceplate (5.42 x 2.58). This makes the low-resolution images easier to work with in graphics software like MS Paint that only supports low-resolution images. If you open a low-resolution image with an advanced graphics application that supports high resolutions, the image may appear on your screen much smaller than the standard TD dimensions. Printing the faceplate design Although a TD 200C faceplate design may be created at any resolution, laser printers typically print at a minimum resolution of 300 DPI or higher which ensures a high quality printout. As long as the your TD panels faceplate image has the correct dimensions, regardless of the image resolution (whether it is 96 DPI or 300+ DPI), it will be printed accurately from a laser printer. Check your printer settings before printing to the faceplate material, making sure the highest quality print settings are enabled. TD Keypad Designer V1.0 2