e-mailing graphs

[Doug]

Hey guy's

What is the best way to export a graph so I can attach it to an e-mail?

Thanks, Doug

[cstrahm]

If you want a very high quality image, then use the PDF format. However it will not be visible in the email client. They will have to look at it with Acrobat. If you want it visible in the email, then use a raster format like JPG or BMP. It will be bigger though depending on how much resolution you want.

[Doug]

Thank's Chris,

Do you convert to the PDF format through the LMS program as I can't seem to find that function.

Sorry to be such a bother as I realize you guy's are busy trying to get the new LEAP 5 to market

Thank's again, DOUG

[cstrahm]

I assume we are talking about LMS-4. It is on the Utilities menu, Export Graphics to File, and in the Vector Format list box. All our Win32 programs generate PDF files natively.

[Doug]

Thank's Chris;

There is a free download for " Adobe Type Manager Lite" from the Adobe website. I assume that's what I need or do I need the complete program? I assume it's the Adobe type fonts I need?

I just wanted to check with you before I download it.

Thank's once again, DOUG

[cstrahm]

I assume you mean that it is giving you a message stating that ATM is not present. I can't remember if that was necessary for PDF or just EPS/AI formats.

If so yes you need an ATM running. In Win2K and XP ATM is built-in. Fonts are a different issue. ATM renders and displays Adobe fonts. You don't need more fonts than what comes with ATM already.

[Doug]

Sorry Chris, in haste I forgot to mention that I was using Win98 and LMS v.4. I had just read on the Adobe website that the ATM wasn't an issue with Win 2K and XP.

When I go to the utilities menu, export graphic's to file, select vector then choose PDF and then click on execute, it prompt's me that the ATM is needed.

Should I purchase the complete ATM program, which is approx $100.00 CDN or download the ATM lite for free. Will the ATM lite give me what I want.

Anyone else out there who has knowledge of the above feel free to e-mail me directly so I can quit bothering Chris. LOL

Thank's guy's, DOUG

[Doug]

Just to let you and everyone else know that the free download of Adobe Type Manager Lite does the trick!! Pdf files at a click of a mouse, it works great.

You were right Chris, the Pdf is much better quality, simple to attach to an email, and print's out great.

Thank's Chris.

[cstrahm]

Yes the PDF format is really great to use. A graph usually comes out about 26k which is really small. Considering that this is all vector graphics, and contains infinite resolution, it's by far the most powerful format for email/electronic transfer. But it is also the best for printing and just about any other purpose. ATM is built into WinXP and perhaps Win2K as well. I wrote a translator that converts EMF files directly into PostScript many years ago.

[Douglas Marsh]

Just a side note: You can generally produce PDF files from any Windows applications (in several ways)... If you can product a Postscript file (designed for a printer) you can transform it to PDF.

A quick trick is to install a Postscript printer (color or B&W) and set the port to FILE.

A free tool to use is GhostScript (GS a postscript "engine" for Windows and Unix machines). It includes a "gs.exe" program that is the Postscript interpeter. There are a set of batch files that hand gs.exe certain options. One batch file is ps2pdf.bat. GS also converts the PS into native code for many printers (PCL, ESC/2, etc.). Optional tools include GhostView (GV) for viewing PS,EPS,PDF and some AI files -- requires GS.

Excellent tool and it is released under the AFPL (Aladdin Free Public License, a free license). I use GhostScript with Perl on a unix machine to convert HTML (with a few custom tags to embed EPS instead of JPG's) files into PDF files.

Off topic, but I thought some of you might like to know!

http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~ghost/doc/AFPL/

--Doug