Okay, rookie question

What's the best software to use for doing captions? I'm eager to start my own caption blog and want to do it correctly from the start.

My method has always been pretty basic, I use the free [u]MS Image Composer[/u] that comes with Windows. I like it probably because I've used it so much, but also it can export to several popular formats, and keep a separate MIC format that can be edited as needed after-the-fact.

GIMP has some popularity, and is free but I've only made a small effort to figure it out.

Photoshop is big, but it's pricey to get all the goodies.

Others may have more for you to consider.


And a note on formats: All my captions are always in JPG format. The MS proprietary BMPs are gigantic (10times jpg), and GIF will sometimes be degraded since its color pallet is more limited.

Thank you! You're my idol, by the way.

Do you ever do recaps about girls who turn their fathers into girls? Nothing incestuous.

You mean something like this?

You'll probably note in my own work that I prefer total 'functional' transformations, rather than the generic CD/TV-types. In addition, I have several preferred "theme's" that I favor, like Gender Wave, Great Shift, or magic. And, of course, I have a lot of fun with the toons, since they often scream to me for a good cap.

But (and this is for anyone reading this) I'm not closed to suggestions, especially if a potential pic is proferred. I guarantee that my preferences will influence any such request, but the worst you'll get is a 'sorry but I don't think so'. (After all, I am a lady..., at least in this realm).

Luv from LS

I don't have any experience with making captions, however I've been a fan long enough to say I'd follow Lorna's advice.

Thanks again. I've attached some of my first attempts. I'd love opinions!

They are very good, CherylGirrl, you seem to have got the idea straight away. I did a guide to captioning for another site a while ago so I've posted it here in case it's of use. If I had to boil it all down to one piece of advice it would be to keep captioning as much and as often as you can.
Big Hugs
Rachael

Attached file: Rachael_Disaster_Cla.pdf

They are funny CherylGirrl, well done!

Thanks for the tips!

Very good first efforts CherylGirrl. I look forward to see how you style evolves and improves (it will, you know).

I personally use GIMP and mostly the fonts Anime Ace 2.0 BB, Comic San BB, Creativeblock BB, Evil Genius BB, FEAR, Madscience, and just use the balloons there after getting rid of the orginal words, which means I have to change things as in the one below what I wanted to say was "With Tom Sawyer a classic that everybody knows, but no one reads, Jack Armstrong forgotten and you taken out by that lawsuit that leaves ME Harry Potter head boy!" But that would have been a little wordy for a comic book cover.

G. A.

Harry Potter vs Superboy

Wait, Superman, lawsuit? what is this about?

I'm confused, lawsuit?
I am missing the reference.
may be my chaotic cloud of knowledge missed that trivia.

A quote from Wikipedia about the lawsuit.

The Superboy character is currently the subject of a legal battle between Time Warner, the owner of DC Comics, and the estate of Jerry Siegel. The Siegel estate claims that the original "Superboy" character published by DC Comics is an independent creation that used ideas from Jerry Siegel's original rejected pitch and was created without his consent.

On April 4, 2006, Federal judge Ronald S. W. Lew issued a summary judgment ruling that Jerry Siegel's heirs had the right to revoke their copyright assignment to Superboy and had successfully reclaimed the trademark to the name as of November 17, 2004. Warner Bros. replied that it "respectfully disagrees" with the ruling and will appeal.[54] Since the ruling, the name "Superboy" has rarely been used in print to refer to any version of the character.

On July 27, 2007, the courts ruled in favor of Warner Bros' decision to appeal the previous ruling and dismissed some of the Siegel estate's claims about the Superboy character. The trial for the dispute over the Superman copyright begin on May 13, 2008.

The legal dispute has affected DC Comics' treatment of the various incarnations of Superboy, such as in the Secret Origin of the Teen Titans back-up story in the weekly 52 limited series, where an illustration of Superboy was changed into Wonder Girl.

In the Sinestro Corps War storyline in the Green Lantern titles and in the Countdown to Final Crisis limited series, the Superboy-Prime character is now known as Superman-Prime, a development that came about in part because of the legal dispute.

A "young Superman" appeared in the Legion of Super Heroes animated series. The original press releases stated Superboy would be featured. Due to the aforementioned legal issues, the "Superboy" character was instead referred to on the series as "Superman".

End Quote

As far as I know it's still up in the air, however the Siegel heirs now do own the rights to Superman but only as he appeared in Action # 1 (quite different from the Superman that we all know) I'm not sure how the Superboy case stands right now.

However DC has killed off the character they had been calling Superboy then Kon-El (the clone made from the DNA of Superman & Lex Luthor!)

G. A.

Let me repete that

"The legal dispute has affected DC Comics' treatment of the various incarnations of Superboy, such as in the Secret Origin of the Teen Titans back-up story in the weekly 52 limited series, where an illustration of Superboy was changed into Wonder Girl."

They changed Superboy into Wonder Girl. wink wink nudge nudge, say no more.