Windows Metafile (.WMF) and Extended metafile (.EMF) files contain vector and font instructions for how to draw the graph. This means you can resize the image (in another program) with no loss of quality.

WMF or EMF? EMF is newer and better in theory, but some programs work better with WMF. If you have problems with one setting, try the other. You can set the default for how Prism copies graphs and layouts to the clipboard in the Preferences dialog.

Your only option is whether to include the page background. Omit the background color if you will apply a fancier (e. g., gradient) background in another program.

PICT files contain vector and font instructions for how to draw the graph. This means you can resize the image (in another program) with no loss of quality.

Saving vertical and angled text into a pict file can be a problem with Mac programs. Prism can export vertical and angled text in two ways. Choose in the File Export dialog. The best choice is to save vertical or angled text as text fonts. This is most compact and gives the highest resolution. But some programs cannot interpret the vertical or angled text, so flip it to horizontal. The alternative is to convert vertical and angled text into many pixels, and save that bitmap. You can choose the resolution. If the exported vertical or angled text seems too jagged, choose a higher resolution.

You don't have to have Adobe Acrobat to create PDF files. Prism creates PDF files on its own. When exporting several graphs or layouts, you can choose to export all to one PDF file or to create a PDF file for each sheet. Prism's PDF files include vectors and fonts (not bitmaps), so there is no loss of quality.

Prism exports EPS files using vectors and fonts and isn't just an EPS wrapper around a bitmap file. Prism exports EPS files by encoding fonts with the "Type 42" format. Most newer programs that import EPS files expect fonts to be encoded like this. Some programs that use older technology cannot understand this font format and will not be able to import the EPS files that Prism exports. There is an option to include or not include fonts in the file. If you don't include fonts, the file will be smaller, but the importing computer must have the same fonts for the imported file to look correct.

Many journals ask you to submit your figures as .TIF files. This is a bit-map format, which means that your graph or layout is turned into a collection of dots. You need to choose resolution, color model, and size.

The resolution is expressed as dots per inch (dpi). Computer screens display images at about 100 dpi. Computer printers generally print at 300-600 dpi, and publications are generally printed at 1200 dpi. Journals typically ask for a file at 1200 dots per inch (dpi), the highest resolution that Prism offers.

Choose between two ways to express colors: RGB (designed for computer monitors or projectors) or CMYK (designed for printing). If you are submitting to a journal, follow their instructions. If in doubt, choose CMYK. You can also choose Monochrome files, which are pure black and white with no grays. If you choose RGB, choose between 256 colors (smaller files) or millions of colors (larger file, but more accurate color rendition).

Typically, graphs and layouts in Prism projects are much larger than publication size. If you ask for a graph at 1200 dpi at the actual size in Prism, you will end up with either a huge file or an out-of-memory error message. Avoid this problem by specifying the publication size. Let’s say your graph is 6 inches wide, but you will publish it with a width of 2 inches. By checking the option to reduce the graph to a width of 2 inches, you will create a file one-ninth as large (one-third the width times one-third the height).

The .JPG format is designed for photographs with gradients of similar colors. It is not a particularly good format for exporting for line art and graphs. Prism offers this choice because some journals insist on it, but we recommend that you use the .TIF format when possible. The only advantage of .JPG is that the files are smaller.

Most programs that export to the .JPG format give you a choice of compression. If you compress more, the files will be smaller but the resulting image won’t be as sharp. Prism gives you no choice. It only exports to the .JPG format with the least possible compression, making larger files but sharper images. Any compression would reduce the clarity of your graphs noticeably.

The .PNG format is great for posting on web sites, but these files have too little resolution for submission to printed journals. There are no options of color depth or resolution.

The .BMP and .PCX formats are older (especially pcx)formats that don’t offer any advantage over .TIF. Choose .BMP or .PCX only if your publisher (or another program) needs one of these formats.