User Guide

Canvas 12 User Guide
How Canvas assigns image modes
When you import an image from another source either by opening, placing, or pasting an image file,
Canvas assigns an image mode based on the number of colors and the color model used in the image.
The following table shows the image modes that Canvas assigns when you import images in some
common image formats.
Imported format Assigned image mode
TIFF RGB Color, CMYK Color, or Grayscale
BMP 256-color image: Indexed
24-bit image: RGB Color
MacPaint Black & White
Photoshop Same as original image mode
Changing image modes
You might want to change modes so you can use certain features, or reduce memory requirements;
e.g., you might want to convert an Indexed image to RGB to apply image filters. You might want to
convert an RGB image to Grayscale mode to save memory when a document is printed without color.
You can access the Image Mode menu on the Properties bar or by choosing Image | Mode.
To change image modes:
1. Select one or more paint objects.
2. Select the image mode from the Image Mode menu in the Properties bar.
Some modes are available only if the object’s current mode is compatible; e.g., Black & White mode
and Duotone mode are available only when Grayscale paint objects are selected.
If the mode you choose does not support an image’s full color range, a message asks you to confirm
the change. Click OK to proceed.
If you choose Duotone mode or Indexed mode, select options in a dialog box and then click OK to
complete the conversion (see "Duotone image mode" on page 442 and "Indexed image mode" on
page 438).
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