Repurposing and resizing digital content in marketing workgroups

Using an Intelligent Media Server – the Digital Asset Management (DAM) software solution from Third Light – you can quickly store, track, search, share and retrieve your brand and media assets.

One Central Storage Location

IMS stores all of your media in one central repository. This allows you to avoid silo stores of assets, instead keeping them all together, and to grant users or whole groups of users access to files as necessary. Not only does this mean that you can avoid wasting time searching for files in different locations but it also means you’ll know that they are all efficiently backed-up and catalogued, searchable and traceable. IMS even searches for and eliminates duplicates.

IMS can be accessed from any web browser, meaning that if your organisation operates across multiple sites, everyone can have immediate access to your library. Wherever you are in the world, if you can get online, you can access your assets.

Secure Shared Access

Users are only able to access and view those files to which you have granted them access. IMS offers different options in terms of how you are able to manage these access rights, so that the service can be tailored to your organisation. Departmental groups or brand teams can easily be created, with control over just their part of the system for example.

Logins to IMS can be encrypted using SSL technology or, if required, the entire site can run on a secure (HTTPS) webserver. IMS allows you to require your users to change their passwords regularly and to set minimum levels for password quality, or integrate with Active Directory and OpenID. This process is fully PCI DSS compliant to make IMS a secure addition to your existing computer systems.

Fast and Controlled Retrieval of Assets

While retrieving assets from an Intelligent Media Server you can re-size, re-format and crop files. It is often useful to resize images according to the intended use and it may also shorten the time it takes to download. Other formats such as video, InDesign, Illustrator and Office documents are also supported, and the download process can be automated by pre-defining format settings for single-click selection of popular publishing formats (web banner, press ad, presentation etc.)

Use of predefined formats can make downloading both faster and more efficient by helping ensure files are delivered in the right format for the target media.

User Access Controls

The download process is highly configurable, enabling you to assign various options ad create a productive, creative workflow.

There are a wide range of options to tailor the download process, including watermarking, embedding metadata and requiring the acceptance of Terms and Conditions. Many of these options can be applied to Users so that different types of role within your organisation can be given appropriate capabilities to download content. Users can be given access to all of the download tools, or to selected tools only. You can also limit the options available when using a download tool.

You can specify that a user must gain approval before files can be downloaded and you can specify who should approve. Workflow support is provided with a system of automatic online alerts and emails keeping downloaders and approvers informed about the progress of each download request.

Populating digital asset management systems

The case for centralized media storage

The most often cited benefit of digital asset management software is to centralise media in a single store. This has numerous benefits, such as improved record-keeping, reduced duplication and much improved audit and communications side-effects which dramatically improve the usefulness of digital media.

A key part of forming a central digital media library is to have convenient tools to upload files, including the workflow needed to obtain valuable metadata.

Moving Files Into Your Third Light IMS Server

In Third Light Intelligent Media Server, files can be uploaded in numerous different ways:

Here’s a video to show you some of the easy ways you can upload content to IMS and maintain a process that prevents content from sprawling.

iPhone and iPad Video Support in Third Light

iOS Video Support Without Flash

As mobile devices continue to evolve, some proprietary technologies have started to be replaced with standards. For example, mainly due to Apple, Inc. there is a generation of devices now in use that is unable to play content using Adobe Flash.

One of the most common reasons for Flash being used was to support more complex applications like games, maps and video players inside a web site. Other technologies like Java Applets were considered too heavy-weight and Flash was the only alternative, without inventing more plugins. In recent times, video standards such as HTML5 have arrived and given users a new alternative that is free from proprietary technology, and in principle can be used in any device with a suitably modern browser.

In the screenshots below, you can see Third Light IMS v6.0 playing video content on an iPhone and on an iPad. With an XHTML user interface, Third Light IMS is accessible from most mobile devices, but for digital asset management the iPad (and other tablet computers) are the most attractive in terms of usability and accessibility.

Playing video on an iPad using Third Light IMS v6.0

Playing video on an iPad using Third Light IMS v6.0

Playing a video from Third Light IMS v6.0 on an iPhone

Playing a video from Third Light IMS v6.0 on an iPhone

Metadata management and workflow in Third Light IMS v6

Uploading a file to your digital media server can be done in one of three ways, allowing you to choose the method which best suits your workflow:

  • From within the web browser itself;
  • Using our intuitive Desktop Upload Tool for Windows;
  • For more advanced users – via FTP;
  • Using plugins for popular software such as Adobe Creative Suite and Adobe Lightroom, Apple Aperture.

All administrators can upload and can also grant uploading rights to other users of the system.

To allow extra flexibility, our digital asset management software includes the facility to set up an unlimited number of upload accounts, which can be allocated to your customers, suppliers and colleagues directly. When new data is uploaded, IMS will alert you, leaving the media in a convenient holding area, awaiting approval. A sophisticated system of approvals or metadata requirements can be used where required (see below).

Upload and download approvals workflow

Not only can you control who can view a file but, if required, requesting administrator approval can be made a compulsory part of both the upload and download processes.

Workflow means that steps exist that lead to other steps; conditions triggering processes, just like a manufacturing process but applied to digital files. The nature of these processes will depend on the features that are configured to suit your organisation. In a generic sense, in digital asset management the upload workflow is about tagging activities and peer review.

Users simply give a reason for the upload or download and a nominated Administrator can then take a judgement on whether the request is appropriate for the stated purpose. Automated emails keep both parties up-to-date with progress, ensuring that the process is clearly communicated and efficient.

Hosted DAM

Hosting your Digital Asset Management system

Owning and managing a large, valuable content store means finding the right location to host your service. While it would often be ideal to store media in house, unless you have a good internet connection and DMZ for hosting services, this will limit your ability to interact with customers, suppliers and partners.

Another option is to place the DAM server on the internet. Third Light can supply and host a complete solution so you can run your new digital asset management system on a high-performance internet connection, with reliable storage and backups.

Digital Asset Management Software

Digital Asset Management Software hosting - DAM SaaS

We operate facilities in two UK-based data centres. Our main server farm is in Berkshire, UK and our secondary data centre is in Milton Keynes for geographical redundancy.

These facilities are connected to diverse parts of the UK national grid, and are linked by independent internet connections.

Servers: Third Light can supply and maintain your fault-tolerant server equipment with no in-house requirements for your organisation.

Power: All equipment is connect to fully redundant, uninterruptible power supplies, including diesel generator backups.

Bandwidth: We provide high performance 400Mb/s networks for your Third Light server to connect to the internet.Your server will be connected to an independent switch port at 1Gb/s.

Rack space: We provide the physical space in a locked data cabinet for the servers.

Management time (including remote maintenance): on-site and off-site intelligent management by skilled systems administrators at Third Light.

Fire suppression: Inert gas suppression prevents fires in the data centres.

Cooling: Air inside each data centre is kept at 21 degrees Celsius year round.

Physical security: physical, electronic and manual confirmation of identity is required for clearance to enter the data centre.

Cloud Resources, Backups and Storage: We can supply storage and cloud computing resources. Our Storage Area Network isavailable to provide high-speed production storage capacity, with daily backups and daily off-site replication.

Co-located Hosting

Co-location is charged annually per 2U server rack space. Our co-location price includes your IP address allocation and up to 400GB transfer per month, as well as all power and cooling services. Backups for co-located servers are available on the basis of the number of gigabytes needed.

Cloud Hosting

If you prefer not to own the equipment, cloud hosting is offered. An annual charge provides you with the Third Light software on our shared platform and includes support, maintenance and backups. 75GB of storage is included in the annual fee. Additional storage can be added at any time, and all storage used includes backups.

Would you like to know more?

To find out if we can help you with a hosted DAM solution, please get in touch today. We’ll be happy to scope your requirements and provide a solution with the right amount of storage and capacity for your digital asset management project.

Contact Third Light now

Communicate Magazine: Digital Asset Management feature

Amid the deafening noise of digital and social media, how can corporate communicators hope to achieve cut through and maintain consistency in their comms output?

 “The issue with digital assets is their uncanny ability to become fragmented, lost or hoarded. It’s not just a problem of inefficiency but some genuine cost and risk when digital content starts to sprawl. Keeping track of how the content is used and being absolutely certain about the status of files used  is part of every day interaction with the press.”

“As custodians of an ever-growing array of brand assets, communicators are turning to digital asset management providers to bring efficiency and consistency to the way assets are deployed.”

Read more in the full briefing on Digital Asset Management:

Communicate Magazine feature on Digital Asset Management

Communicate Magazine feature on Digital Asset Management (PDF)

Article content is © Copyright Communicate Magazine, Cravenhill Publishing

Digital Asset Management Explained

Digital Asset Management (DAM) is the practice of storing and managing electronic media (such as photographs, documents and videos) in a structured database, where users can conveniently deposit and retreive the files for future use.

Using a DAM system is one of the essential signs of a well-organised and sustainable business, particularly any business having more than a few thousand assets of commercial value.

Digital Asset Management Software

Digital Asset Management Software

Provided the architecture and the interface to the system is convenient and easy for staff to use, using DAM offers a leap forward in productivity and a reduction in costs that may be dramatic compared to the hidden costs of ad hoc file server storage.

Efficient and trouble-free searches

A lack of centralised asset storage is a common pressure point for businesses. According to GISTICS research, around $8,000 per head is spent every year on activities such as searching, organising, backing up and protecting electronic images. In a typical business, a creative person looks for a media asset or file 80 times a week and fails to find it 35% of the time. Lost assets lead to unnecessary replacement costs as well as being a poor use creative time.

Digital Asset Management improves efficiency and avoids frustrating manual searches: files can be browsed, indexed, annotated and categorised – not merely stored and forgotten.

Tracing and accounting for media

Formalising the process for retrieving images ensures brand consistency. It means originators can qualify whether pictures and assets can be reused, whether there are fees and how the asset has been used in the past.

A Digital Asset Management system can log creator’s notes in its database as well as captions, keywords and other information. When an image leaves the system, electronic audit trails provide accountability and eliminate duplication.

As time goes by the depth of information about each asset stored improves. If the file were stored on a file server, its details would be gradually lost or forgotten over time – Digital Asset Management reverses this trend.

Client and supplier workflows

Digital Asset Management helps to build better working environments, since it gives staff a simple means to share files over an extranet (for example, with clients and suppliers who may need to see just a particular project). It is this ability to share, review and collaborate conveniently that encourages communication and better business relationships.

The enhanced speed and ease of working enabled by DAM is a direct, sustained benefit to the company’s brand and reputation.

Eliminating costs

DAM avoids expensive and slow proofing and CD-ROM/DVD origination steps. By removing the need to physically ship these media via couriers, the overall turnaround on exchanging files is dramatically improved.

DAM systems can also convert assets between formats, avoiding the unnecessary burden of installing complex graphics tools just to open and convert files. With improved access to a definitive media library, re-use and sharing of existing media also improves the bottom line.

How to build a Digitial Asset Management System

Third Light offers an especially intuitive DAM solution which can be installed and working quickly and affordably – off the shelf. No programming and no long IT projects, just a ready-made solution that is valued by professionals the world over.

If you would like to benefit from installing or upgrading a Digital Asset Management (DAM) system,please get in touch for a free consultation and demonstration, or take our product for a free 30-day trial.

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Tips for creating high quality JPEG images

JPEG Compression – How does it work?

The JPEG file format is one of the most important innovations of the internet era. Its amazing ability to render high quality images from small files is achieved using the limitations in human vision to discard data youprobably won’t notice.

  1. JPEG takes advantage of our eye’s low sensitivity to details in certain areas by down-sampling (think of this like converting four pixels into one averaged pixel). However, it retains detail in areas of bright, high-contrast edges.
  2. Instead of smoothing detail in the whole image, JPEG selects which regions of the image, or even just channels of colour in the image that can tolerate these averaging effects without being noticed. One example is that it uses our eye’s reduced response to yellow-blue light (compared to red-green) and reduces the information stored in these colour channels.

In addition to these tricks on our perception of the image, JPEG compression removes redundancy – and that’s one reason you can’t compress JPEG files any further with traditional tools like ZIP.

How well does JPEG compression work?

Well, if we compare a typical JPEG file to a TIFF image – that’s a reference format that traditionally uses no compression at all – then we find that JPEG files are generally as little as 10% of the file size of the TIFF.

The most striking benefit of JPEG is that a file that would take 10 seconds to load in your web browser now takes 1 second.

This is just scratching the surface though: what we must do is consider some of the downsides of JPEG compression, especially considering that graphics tools give you many choices when creating JPEG files. From there we can try and get the optimal file size while still obtaining a high quality level.

How to create high quality JPEGs

The first rule of high quality JPEGs is that you should never open, edit and save a JPEG image repeatedly.

If you do that, the losses in the compression method used by JPEG will accumulate each time you save and then reopen the file, so each successive version of the file will be slightly worse than the last version. Instead, use a lossless working format (covered in a forthcoming blog post).

Secondly: once a JPEG, always a JPEG. Don’t convert a JPEG to another format like TIFF to recover quality, as you can’t reverse the losses in the JPEG file.

The next big factor is the quality setting.

JPEG compression settings

JPEG compression settings

You will find a quality setting in any software that can save JPEG images. This is often a number from 0 to 100, or may be expressed as “high quality”, “medium quality” and so on. In PhotoShop, the quality is graded on a scale of 1 to 12.

As you add more compression – ie. lower the quality setting – the file size shrinks but the image is visibly degraded more. This reduction in detail is a result of the lossy nature of JPEG compression.

The loss that you see will become much more apparent when the compression is set very high (ie. quality between 0 and 20), while correspondingly, as you increase quality, you increase the size of the output file far more rapidly as you approach 100.

Compression vs. file size curve

It’s very important to know that the numbers we talk about with JPEG are not normally in a simple relationship – for example, choosing 95 on the quality setting does not mean there is a further 5% more quality left to give, and nor does a compression setting of 10 mean that the file can be reduced to ten times smaller by lowering the compression setting to 1.

These are both commonly held beliefs but quite wrong, and arguably with quality, impossible to quantify!

In order to help you choose an appropriate compression level, I’ve analysed a JPEG file containing some random content at different compression levels. Here is a graph showing the size of the file saved at each compression level from 1 to 100:

Graph of JPEG compression and file size

Graph of JPEG compression and file size

Important: the file size in bytes is on a logarithmic axis. The values double at each point on the file size axis.

  1. You should be able to see that a high quality comes with an increasingly high storage price tag as you approach 100.
  2. In fact, the largest file on the chart (quality 100) is about 50 times bigger than the smallest file.
  3. At quality 95 it’s only 20 times bigger. Setting the quality level just slightly lower significantly shrinks the file – and usually, for no perceptible change.

You are probably most interested in the high quality end (where all the real uses of JPEG are found). My advice is to keep the quality setting between 70 and 90 for good results. Above 95 is a very wasteful setting for all but the most specific end uses. Around 60 to 70 is perfect for good quality web use.

Diminishing returns on JPEG Compression

What about the lowest possible quality setting? We all know from experience with JPEG that the image will be very blocky and degraded. A much better result can be obtained for just a little more file size. How do we quantify this “quality” measurement though?

The nature of perception of quality makes it quite difficult to show you a graph of image quality versus file size. Remember, the graph above was about compression versus file size – it doesn’t tell you how good the image looks after compression.

In the two examples below, I’ve zoomed in on a JPEG saved twice at different compression levels. When you look at these images, bear in mind that Image A is a mere 9KB larger on disk than Image B.

Boats - Image A

Boats - Image A

Boast - Image B

Boast - Image B

You can see more detail, ie. better quality in Image A. If you’re in any doubt, look at the sky to the left of the nearest boat.

Chances are, you haven’t accepted low quality JPEGs but you might well have been tempted to save JPEGs at quality 100 (many do).

The shape of the compression graph and this example should convince you to think carefully about the trade-off of compression and quality, and not just to always set the quality at maximum or go for the smallest file size every time.

When to use very high quality JPEG settings

The shape of the compression curve actually changes according to the image being compressed. This happens because the opportunities available to JPEG to save space depend on the actual content of the image: how much variability in colour, tone and brightness is there to contend with?

There are some images which suffer more noticeably from the lossy compression of JPEG, because the compression system has been less successful in finding compression opportunities, or has done something to the image which is more noticeable than normal.

Here are some examples:

  • Scenes with very large areas of colour gradient, for example, a panoramic sunset – these will look banded in discrete stripes
  • Scenes with large dark areas – these will look blocky
  • Scenes with high contrast details, eg. text, logos and sharp boundaries – these will look fuzzy

In images of this sort, you must either use a higher JPEG compression level, or (especially in the case of text and logos) move to a lossless compression format. I’ll discuss that in part 2. You might also like JPEG 2000, which is very good at avoiding these kind of problems.

In the next part of this blog, I’ll be exploring more points about JPEG compression and images on the web.

  • What is the relationship between image resolution and JPEG compression?
    This is a particularly interesting area. When is quality not really quality? This follows up on my article about image resolution, but from the point of view of JPEG files and compression.

After that I’ll be moving onto:

  • How to prepare JPEG files for display on the internet
    I’ll explain this at a technical level and share some practical advice about copyright, too.
  • How to archive master images, and lossless formats
    This will cover other file formats, the use of RAW files and mass storage for the long term – some important aspects of digital image workflow.

If there is anything else you’d like to see discussed, please comment on this blog post. I shall try and cover your questions, too, so please go ahead and ask.