David Revoy
Note: I'm testing something new: splitting the four panels and posting them as separate pictures.
Reasons:
- More resolution and details
- Easier to read, larger font size
- Mobile/small-screen friendly.
Should I keep this format for the future?
| Yes β 4 pictures, one per panel. | |
| No β 1 picture, with all 4 panels on it. |
Poll ends at .
π 1 picture, with all 4 panels on it: https://www.peppercarrot.com/en/miniFantasyTheater/047.html
ArneBab@davidrevoy on the website this single one looks better, but the mastodon post works pretty well with 4 pictures.
Esmeralda@ArneBab @davidrevoy
I agree. On a desktop I prefer the singe image - feels more like a comic.
On mobile on the other hand my old eyes appreciate the split π
I agree. On a desktop I prefer the singe image - feels more like a comic.
On mobile on the other hand my old eyes appreciate the split π
Pixel Dunn@davidrevoy thankyou
GunChleoc@davidrevoy You could post 4 separate images here and add a link to the blog version for those who prefer everything in 1 image
@gunchleoc With the feedback I'm collecting, yes, it sounds like "both" is the right approach.
I more and more think about the inverse of what you wrote: keep the 2x2 single picture here, and put a link direct to a fullscreen/swipe reader, something where I can also put bonus (like making of, sources).
That's because I also collect that there are clients reading the Fediverse on their way (eg. Fedilab showing picture in reverse order, or another one, showing them like files in attachment).
I more and more think about the inverse of what you wrote: keep the 2x2 single picture here, and put a link direct to a fullscreen/swipe reader, something where I can also put bonus (like making of, sources).
That's because I also collect that there are clients reading the Fediverse on their way (eg. Fedilab showing picture in reverse order, or another one, showing them like files in attachment).
Robert Wolff@davidrevoy @gunchleoc I voted firstly for four single ones, because the scrolling on mobile annoyed me on every single comic. But now, I think that the 2x2 is better as it looks more comic-like and has its specific style. If you still go for the single ones, maybe frames (also with copyright and episode title, numbering) could help.
Am I?@davidrevoy
Just a note: Fedilab shows the four separate ones just fine here.
I can read each panel and not have to pinch.
Please keep the four separate panels here π₯Ί
Also having the alt text split up and fitting the image it describes makes a lot of sense to me (not visually impaired tho)
@gunchleoc
Just a note: Fedilab shows the four separate ones just fine here.
I can read each panel and not have to pinch.
Please keep the four separate panels here π₯Ί
Also having the alt text split up and fitting the image it describes makes a lot of sense to me (not visually impaired tho)
@gunchleoc
lina isidora | HOLY FUCK ARTEMIS II@davidrevoy on reddit i've seen a lot of artists first have the panels as individual image, and then another picture with all of them combined.. though won't work with mastodon as that has a 4 images limit per post and even if you post from e.g. misskey the mastodon ui cuts off at the 4th with no indication that there's more 
@lina Good to know about Miskey; I had no idea the Mastodon UI was trimming the pictures count if above 4. That sounds bad, because if a comic artist on Miskey post a story in 6 panels and his client allows it on the Fediverse, it's a shame that Masto UI ruins the story and trim it...
@davidrevoy yea.. thankfully you can still view on the remote(poster's) instance and it will display fine
eclexic@davidrevoy @lina you could reply post with the 5th image I guess?
Reid 
@davidrevoy I've been seeing quite a lot of artists take this route as of late.
Fabian (WobIntosh)@davidrevoy Iβd say, it should be the artists choice - if you have panels which really need many details, split the panels. If the βoverall impressionβ of the panels seem very important - one image with all panels. Or maybe mix it up?
PetterOfCats@davidrevoy I like the higher resolution and ease of reading, but itβs so weird to flip through 4 panels on the app in mobile. I only see 1 and a sliver of another. Iβm also excruciatingly lazy, so yeah 1 image of 4 panels is better for me at the moment.
George BThat's interesting, tusky shows the 4 panels in a square so it actually looks like a regular comic when scrolling through the feed and then clicking on any one of them opens it full screen.
It makes for a really nice experience.
@gbargoud @davidrevoy oh! I'll have to check it. I'm currently using icecube
Daniel β
@davidrevoy Yeah, better for mobile devices. Thank you!
C++ Wage SlaveSeconded! With the old format, I always had to turn my phone and slide from frame to frame. The new format is much better. Thanks, David! I hope you keep it.
dbat 
@davidrevoy I dunno... comics == panels, in my book. Also bandwidth and web cost...
Neotheta@davidrevoy I prefer the one image method because then I can just read the whole thing without extra clicking. But I do have fairly large screen + large enough phone to not require zooming.
π FrΓΌhlings-Sam@davidrevoy I feel like that might depend on the measurements. It does look cool and comic-y when the panels are differently sized. With the 4 panels being perfectly square it also works as a "slideshow" but is less unique.
Dr. Sobek@davidrevoy For the internet posting, both solution can be valid, but for printing / display, the old layout is still better.
(Though, if you have the laid out image and the four separate one available, it's probably the most flexible, not sure how much of an overhead it is ?)
Hraban (fiëé visuëlle)@davidrevoy Thank you for posting your amazing art!
Both formats are good IMO.
2) looks nicer, more traditional.
1) is bigger etc. as you say. Also better for alt text, thatβs reason enough.
β¨γ‘γγγ©β¨ 
@davidrevoy I don't use a screen reader, but I imagine using one picture per panel might make it easier on people who use one. On top of keeping the alt text per picture more concise 
Skyr@davidrevoy keep it, but add a link to the corresponding blog post (for sharing with non-Mastodon folks) π
Yer Feff@davidrevoy
I prefer the single image version even on my mobile, because I'm an old fogey and I'm too used to seeing it all in one go, but I can see a case for having both options available.
Maybe posting one version on a post and the alternative as a reply might get the best of both worlds?
Rowyn@davidrevoy I prefer a single image, because with multiple images I have to click on each one separately to open it. Even on mobile, I find it easy to read an entire comic as a single image. I am surprised by how many people prefer the larger single panels! Obviously I am an outlier.
Another possibility would be a single image that was one panel wide, so you scroll down to read it, as with mobile app sites like tapas and webtoon.
I'll keep reading regardless, obviously. π
jjj@davidrevoy I like the idea of several pictures, so I don't have to zoom and pan. But after trying it here, I realize that I really like to see the comic laid out in frames, getting the comic book feel. And that outweighs removing the zoom/pan issue for me.
Oblomov@davidrevoy I like the split format on social media because I feel it's more accessible, especially in mobile, but isn't it a lot of extra work for you?
@oblomov I already automatized the picture split with imagemagick at the renderfarm level ( https://www.peppercarrot.com/0_sources/miniFantasyTheater/low-res/panels/ ) so I have picture a, b, c, d now for free. The only additional work is to copy paste my transcript into four pictures, and also take care of really inserting them into the right order.
@davidrevoy oh nice. If Mastodon supported the appropriate EXIF tags for the alt text even the script splitting could be automated!
ErikBussink 
@davidrevoy Sounds stupid, but i like a 5 panels in one picture. it allows 4 normal panels and 1 panel where you can add more details, the 5th panel can either be a wide or double-high panel.
I voted for the 4 panels in one image.
I voted for the 4 panels in one image.
senna.apk@davidrevoy I think panel layouts are important for comics. It doesn't feel as coherent when you only see one panel at a time. Seeing the panels all together in a layout determined by the artist adds value to the whole work. Not to mention, the colors and lettering around the panels add to the character of the work.
If you are going to separate the panels, I would still like to see the border/margins around each panel (framing is important) and the title above the first panel. I feel that something important is lost when those aren't included.
That said, you could share it both ways. For example, you could post the whole comic the way you usually do, then comment with the images seperated, or vice versa.
Whatever you think is best. Feel free to experiment more!
Brian McCallister@davidrevoy I like it for reading personally, but is much harder to share off-platform in this format (ie, send this one to my daughter, she'd laugh hard, but is not on mastodon). Maybe include link to the classic format (which then is even better for sharing as is not C&P based share)
Ahimsa@davidrevoy
Could you keep the 4 picture format but also add a link to the comic on your website for those who prefer that format?
It looks like there's plenty of room in the post for a link.
Haelwenn /ΡΠ»Π²ΡΠ½/ 
@davidrevoy Haven't been an issue with yours for me but reminds me that sometimes I wonder whether to read the panels manga-order or comics-order, which splitting them up would probably solve.
BrazMogu (i.e. Bruno Guedes)@davidrevoy I think that splitting the comic into its individual panels changes the nature of the comic somehow; this is related, of course, to the fact that clients will often crop the individual images when displaying them as a grid but mostly that a comic displayed as individual panels is a slideshow; the simultaneity of the format gets lost
Is that a compelling argument? Probably not, it's fairly personal, I think. May I suggest posting the comic twice, once split and once as a whole?
Phil Wolff@davidrevoy I like the individual alt text, the ability to share one panel, and zooming without panning.
0xCDE@davidrevoy it is easier to share with friends one image with the whole comic than 4
@davidrevoy if you decide to change to 4 panels, would you keep the unified as well?
leberschnitzel@davidrevoy I'm not sure, I like both way π€
πΉπππ π²πππππ β π€ͺ@davidrevoy definitively waaaaaaay more phone-friendly!
jezra@davidrevoy 3rd option: one pic per panel, and a fifth pic that has all 4 panels on it
sadly, I can't find my dice bag, so I can't roll my golden 20 to see if this is a good idea or not. :)
sadly, I can't find my dice bag, so I can't roll my golden 20 to see if this is a good idea or not. :)
@jezra Thank you, unfortunately, a hard limitation of Mastodon UI: I can put 4 pictures maximum inside a post. But I'll think about something. I'll blog about it before the end of the week.
Creideiki@davidrevoy I voted for a single picture, since that is better on a computer, which is what I usually use. But testing on mobile, I admit separate images is easier to view in a format large enough to easily read the text.
I worry that separate images will result in a shallower reading, since it discourages going back and revisiting earlier images in light of information gleaned from later ones.
I worry that separate images will result in a shallower reading, since it discourages going back and revisiting earlier images in light of information gleaned from later ones.
mausmalone@davidrevoy I like the four images on mobile, but of course that locks you in to four unconnected images where you can't play around with the medium as much.
Sindarina, Edge Case Detective@davidrevoy Also easier for alt text. And you can always link to the old format on your own site, right? π
@davidrevoy worked unexpectedly well for me (but means that youβre limited to 4 pictures, because Mastodon canβt take more).
@davidrevoy Some on r/comics post 5 images. The 4 panels individually, and then altogether.
Just individually is fine by me; altogether feels like a holdover from pulp/print (especially if the panels are just simple squares and not composed into an intricate full-page/double-page spread)
Big Flπf is watching you.@davidrevoy Keep it as 4 pictures, one per panel. Because if someone needs the zoom/magnifier it is more easy to handle. With zoom/magnifier off 1 pic shows in full screen mode as it is default more then 4 panels in one pic.
edhelangas@davidrevoy Four separate images help it look good on mobile. 
With one exception: the joke lies in the structure of the four-panel comic. Breaking the fourth wall.
Iβd give an example, but Iβm a bit self-conscious about quoting myself.
Gemma βοΈπ°πΊπΈ π΅π π@davidrevoy TBPH, I think I like it both ways, so I can't really choose between them.
@davidrevoy i hate opening manually 4 different images instead of just one actually... (sadly i'm default web mastodon user and previews are enough tiny, specially when are more than one cause it tries to fit all images into size of one)
Bruce Heerssen 
@davidrevoy
I voted for option 1 because I mostly see your work on mobile and I think the split form works better. But on desktop, I'd prefer one big image. So, both? Either two separate posts or one as a reply to the other
I voted for option 1 because I mostly see your work on mobile and I think the split form works better. But on desktop, I'd prefer one big image. So, both? Either two separate posts or one as a reply to the other
Yabo "Yalyn" Vinkindo@davidrevoy I feel as this is a lose-lose situation because we can only do so much to please multiple platforms at once.
When Google+ started cropping my webcomic, I had no choice but to make a preview image and link to my website as a solution. (At least it's my site and not another webcomic platform.)
In the end, I am not allowing these platforms to dictate what format I have to make. Please the audience not the platforms.
Anyway what I see is, 1 tap/click vs 4 additional swipes/clicks.
@Yalyn Good points.
@davidrevoy Funny fact about me viewing your four panel comics, whenever I load your full image on my tablet I would quickly use my hand to cover the bottom two panels as a way to not be spoiled.
I think I have done this more than ten times so far.
shom@davidrevoy could I vote for 5 pictures? One panel per picture and the last picture being the whole comic? That makes sharing the comic easier outside of Fediverse. But I'm just happy to read these comics no matter the format.