To the editor: I read with interest your recent piece on new ways of using a computer and electronic charts to enhance log-keeping (Image Logs Issue 144 March/April 2005). I’ve found that you almost have to compress any screen captures, otherwise they take up an inordinate amount of space on your computer’s hard drive.
When you capture an image using the PRT-SCR feature, it stores the image as a .bmp file (a Windows bitmap graphic file). It’s best to paste the clipboard (.bmp) file into Windows Paint, then, using the Save-As command, convert it to a .jpg file. This compresses the file tremendously. Then, paste the .jpg file into a Word document (the image log).
– Leslie D. Waters is a retired software engineer, holds a 100-ton near coastal masters license with sail and towing endorsements, and lives in San Jose, Calif.
