Publication-Quality Results
(using CoPlot's "File : Save As" to save drawings in .eps, .gif,
.jpg, .pdf, .png, .svg, .wmf, and other types of graphics files)

CoPlot's goal is to help you create publication-quality scientific graphs, maps, and drawings. We know you are careful and precise when you create your drawings on the screen. So when you use "File : Save As" to save your drawing in some other type of graphics file (for publication in a journal or for publishing on the web), CoPlot is especially careful to faithfully reproduce every detail of the drawing. In particular, CoPlot's special features (for example, tags for formatting text and special characters) will be accurately reproduced in the graphics file.

CoPlot's "File : Save As" supports several types of graphics files so that you can export the drawing to other programs or put the drawing on a web site:

Image (Raster) Files

• GIF (.gif89a) - This is usually the best image file format. All of the sample drawings on our web site were created with this driver.
• JPG High Quality (.jpg) and JPG Small File (.jpg) - These are useful if your drawing has a photo-like Image object.
• PCX B&W (.pcx) and PCX Color (.pcx) - These formats were more popular in the past, so they are useful for exporting drawings to older programs.
• PNG (.png) - This is a useful alternative to .gif if your drawing has a photo-like Image object.
• PPM (.ppm) - This format is widely supported on Unix computers, where there are utilities to convert it to almost any image file type.

Vector Files

• Adobe Acrobat .pdf - This is an excellent choice for publishing to the web, since the drawings look good on screen and when printed. A browser plug-in is required to view .pdf files, but the plug-in is free and most people already have it.
• CGM (.cgm) - This is useful for exporting to many other programs.
• CoPlot .draw - This is CoPlot's native file format.
• HPGL/2 B&W and HPGL/2 Color - This is useful as an alternative way to print on HPGL/2 printers and plotters.
• PostScript .eps - This is a useful way to get drawings into Adobe Illustrator. It is also an alternative way to print to PostScript printers.
• SVG (.svg) - This is the new standard for vector graphics for the web. It is not yet widely supported.
• Windows MetaFiles .wmf - This is useful for exporting to many Windows programs (notably Microsoft Word and PowerPoint).
• WordPerfect .wpg - This is useful for exporting to WordPerfect.

File : Open

If you combine CoPlot's "File : Open" options with the "File : Save As" options, you can convert graphics files from one file type to another. For example, you could open a .pcx image and save it as a .gif image. Of course, you can use CoPlot's drawing objects to edit and annotate the drawings after you open them and before you save them.

Here are the types of files you can open with CoPlot's "File : Open":

Image (Raster) Files

• .gif, .jpg, .pcx, .png, and .ppm. These options open an image file and make a drawing that has one Image object (the file you specified). The drawing will be the exact size needed to hold that image. This is useful for opening an image, optionally annotating it, and saving it (perhaps in a different type of image file), while keeping the original size. For example, you could open a .pcx image and save it as a .gif image.

Vector files store a description of the drawing in terms of lines, filled areas, and text.

• Adobe Illustrator (.eps) - most older Adobe Illustrator .eps files (the kind often used by clip art libraries) can be opened. Many clip art libraries are in this format.
• AutoCad (.dxf) - most, but not all, .dxf files can be opened.
• CGM (.cgm) - most, but not all, .cgm files can be opened. Some clip art libraries are available in this format.
• CoDraw DOS (.dra) and CoPlot DOS (.gra) - so you can open files from older versions of CoPlot and CoDraw.
• CoPlot (.draw) - CoPlot 6.0's native file format.
• Windows MetaFile (.wmf) - most, but not all, .wmf vector files can be opened. .wmf image files are not currently supported.

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