Draco can output charts and plots to a variety of common image formats.
by default, Draco will output Portable Network Graphic (PNG) files, a
common image format featuring lossless compression. JPEG images can
also be output, but the resulting images are of a lower quality than
corresponding PNGs. Draco also supports Scalable Vector Gracphics (SVG)
format, a modern vector graphics format that allows rescaling without
any loss of resolution.
When plots are saved in Draco, the resulting files are written in a size
and resolution equal to the current on-screen display. To save the
graph as a larger image, simply resize the Plot Window to the desired
size before saving the picture. Working with SVGs is recommended if
your target program supports the format because resizing vector graphics
does not cause pixelation, unlike the other two bitmap formats.
To save using a specified format, simply add the proper extension to the
file in the save dialog. Draco will determine the format to use based
on the extension. If no extension is given, Draco will append the
proper extension based on the format selected in the file filter
box.
PNG Images
PNG images are the default saving format for Draco plots and charts.
This format is compatible with all popular office suites, including
OpenOffice and Microsoft Office. Furthermore, PNGs are supported by all
modern web browsers. This format will not cause any blurring of the
chart lines and text when saved. However, the user should be aware that
PNGs are a bitmap format, and the resolution of the output image will be
constrained to the size of the Plot Window.
JPEG Images
JPEG images are a popular image format for the storage of photographic
images. JPEG have also seen wider acceptance than PNG images in the
past. Draco can generate JPEG images from plots and charts, but the
resulting files may lose some definition and "sharpness." This
phenomenon is inherent in the JPEG format's compression algorithms.
Therefore, the creation of JPEG images in Draco is not recommended.
However, Draco does support JPEG images.
Scalable Vector Graphics
Scalable Vector Graphics is a relatively new file format for saving
vectorized pictures. The main feature of SVGs is their ability to be
resized without loss of definition. All lines, texts, and shapes in
SVGs are saved based on relative coordinates. At this time, many office
suites do not support SVG files directly. However, SVGs are a
documented web standard,
and more software is supporting the format every day.
Currently a variety of software is available to view and modify SVGs.
The Apache Batik project has
produced Java programs and libraries for working with SVG files. Most
popular commercial vector graphics programs support the format. Inkscape is an exceptional and free
vector graphics program designed to work directly with SVG files;
Inkscape is available on most major platforms, including Windows, Linux,
*BSD, and MacOS.