Commons:Graphic Lab

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Graphic Lab

Illustration Workshop   Map Workshop   Photography Workshop   Video and Sound Workshop  
Graphic Lab workshops can now be easily translated. Your help is welcomed!

The Graphic Lab helps improve all graphical content used by Wikimedia projects stored on the Wikimedia Commons by picture retouching.

They work to improve the quality and clarity of images that are proposed to them by the community. This work most often involves extracting key elements from photos, removing distracting elements, and improving the general appearance of images. Creation and editing of drawings, diagrams and maps are also within the scope of this project if the requests are clear and the work is feasible.

The Graphic Lab and the Graphics village pump aim to transform Commons from an uploaders' community to a true working graphist community, based on the four graphic skills and interests categories.

Feel free to request image improvements. Active contributors are also really needed to lead the project too. We need all this to start!

Mission statement: "Aim to transform Commons from an uploaders' community to a true working graphist community."
Commons photographersBitmap graphics editorsAnimation editorsVector graphics editors

Types of work done

For a better view of the capabilities of the Graphics Workshop, see examples of prior work.

Instructions

Requests for image improvement are placed on one of the available workshops. Once on that page, you may click the "request" link located besides the workshop link. Fill in the template and save the page. This will add the request to the chosen workshop. You may also visit the workshop page and follow the manual procedures. A Wikigraphist will sign up for the work, perform the requested actions, and, after approval, replace the original image with the improved one.

All help is welcome!

Requesting work

When requesting work to be done, please do so in the right place:

  • Illustration workshop: Creation and editing of drawings, diagrams, and vector images.
  • Map workshop: For creation and editing of maps and cartography work (translations, coloration from data, etc.)
  • Photography workshop: For improvement of photographs, including restorations of historic material.
  • Video and sound workshop: For converting and improving sound and video quality on Commons.
Current requests/discussions

Wikigraphists

Graphists who volunteer to improve images (add your name):

See also the list of Active Wikigraphists

Advice

  • Wikigraphists :

Encouraged formats : PNG, GIF (animations only), SVG, Ogg Vorbis (.ogg), WebM VP8 (.WebM)
Transparent backgrounds;
Cleaned up images: upload over the original
Derivative works: should be uploaded to a new name.

  • Wikiphotographers:

Photograph your objects on monochromatic backgrounds;
Share your pictures on Commons;
Propose important images to improve.

  • Software (advice):

The GIMP, for JPG-GIF-PNG images;
The GIMP, for animations GIF;
Inkscape, for PNG-SVG images;

  • Commons help, resources:

Category: Commons resources

Software

These free software products have been labeled by the Wikigraphists of the Graphic Lab the "five stars" of editing and creation of images, illustrations, maps, photograph and animations:

Logo Name Features Operating System Download Example
Inkscape Creator of SVG vector images. It can also be used to export PNG. Linux; Windows; Mac OS X inkscape.org
(see more...)
GIMP Similar to Photoshop, suite for image manipulation and creation of raster graphics, PNG, JPG, GIF, XCF). Can also be used to create animations when the GIMP Animation Package (GAP) is installed. Linux; BSD; Solaris; Windows; Mac OS X gimp.org
hugin Stitch panorama images and correct perspective Windows; Linux; BSD; Mac OS X; Other Unix Systems hugin.sourceforge.net
Blender Creation and editing of 3D images. Windows; Linux x86/PPC; Solaris; Irix ; BSD; Mac OS X blender.org
Dia Create and edit diagrams and graphics that only require basic shapes. Supports exporting to vector (SVG) and various raster file formats. Windows; Linux; Mac OS X dia-installer.de

Links

Templates used

On Wikipedia

Communities of users with Graphics Abilities on Commons: