Printing and Exporting

• Print
• Export
• LaTeX and Xfig
• Generating an HTML Image Map

To export or print a Fig file, xfig calls fig2dev, the post-processor which converts the Fig file to the desired output language. For printing, this is PostScript. For exporting, there are a dozen or so languages, including PostScript, EPS, LaTeX, MetaFont, and bitmap formats such as GIF, JPEG, PPM and several others. See the Language description of the Exporting section.
This means that you must have fig2dev installed on your system along with xfig. Fig2dev, which is part of the TransFig distribution is always available where you find xfig. See Getting and Installing Xfig for details.

Printing

Magnification

Specify the magnification when printing figure in percent of full size (%). The default is 100% and may be set by the Fig.magnification resource.

Fit to Page

Clicking this button will set the Magnification automatically so that figure size will just fill current Paper Size with at least 1/2 inch margin all around.

Orientation

Specify the orientation of the output as Landscape (horizontal) or Portrait (vertical). The default orientation is same as the orientation of the canvas which may be changed by Portrait/Landscape in the View menu.

Justification

Specify if the figure should be Flush Left or Centered on the paper of size selected by Paper Size.

Paper Size

Specify the size of the paper. The following paper sizes are available:

Letter (8.5in x 11in)

Legal (8.5in x 14in)

Tabloid (17in x 11in)

ANSI A (8.5in x 11in)

ANSI B (11in x 17in)

ANSI C (17in x 22in)

ANSI D (22in x 34in)

ANSI E (34in x 44in)

ISO A9 (37mm x 52mm)

ISO A8 (52mm x 74mm)

ISO A7 (74mm x 105mm)

ISO A6 (105mm x 148mm)

ISO A5 (148mm x 210mm)

ISO A4 (210mm x 297mm)

ISO A3 (297mm x 420mm)

ISO A2 (420mm x 594mm)

ISO A1 (594mm x 840mm)

ISO A0 (840mm x 1189mm)

JIS B10 (32mm x 45mm)

JIS B9 (45mm x 64mm)

JIS B8 (64mm x 91mm)

JIS B7 (91mm x 128mm)

JIS B6 (128mm x 182mm)

JIS B5 (182mm x 257mm)

JIS B4 (257mm x 364mm)

JIS B3 (364mm x 515mm)

JIS B2 (515mm x 728mm)

JIS B1 (728mm x 1030mm)

JIS B0 (1030mm x 1456mm)

Pages

If Multiple is selected here, the figure will be split into multiple pages if the size of the figure is larger than Paper Size. It allows the user to output a figure larger than paper size by pasting those papers together (to make it easier, xfig generates output so that the parts of the figure will be overlap).

If Single is selected here, this facility will not be used; any part of the figure outside the paper boundary will be clipped.

Background

This will set the background color of the whole figure when printing. The default is white.

Grid

You may print a light-gray grid on the page by choosing a minor (thin) and/or a major (thick) grid spacing from pulldown menus or entering the spacing directly in the entry. The units of grid spacing are inches or mm, depending on the units of the figure.
The grid options is only available for PostScript, Encapsulated PostScript, PSLatex, PDF and all the bitmap export formats.

Printer

Specify the printer name output should be directed to. If this field is empty, output will be directed to the default printer.
The default value is specified by the resource Fig*printer*string or the environment variable $PRINTER.

If your system uses /etc/printcap to define printers, xfig will make a pulldown menu of printers next to the entry.

Print Job Params

The string specified here will be passed as command-line options when executing lpr (lp on System V system). If %f is included in the string, (it may appear more than once) it will be replaced by the name of the figure.

The default is empty, but it may be specified by Fig*job_params*string resource.

Figures in batch

This indicator shows how many figures have been put in the batch file for printing. Figures may be printed into the batch file by Print FIGURE to Batch, and those figures may be sent to the printer as one print job by clicking on Print BATCH to Printer.

Dismiss

Clicking this button will close the Print panel. The accelerator Meta-C will also perform this function.

Print all layers/Print only active

You may print the whole figure (all layers) or just the layers that are active according to the layer manager.

Print FIGURE/BATCH to Printer

Clicking this button will spool the figures in the batch file if any, or the current figure if none, to the printer. The accelerator Meta-P will also perform this function.

The label of this button will be Print BATCH to Printer if there are any figures in the batch file, or Print FIGURE to Printer if there are none.

When printing to the printer, xfig will first convert the figure to PostScript with fig2dev program, and pass the result to lpr (lp on System V system). When executing lpr (or lp), the printer name specified by PostScript Printer field and options specified by Print Job Params will be passed as command-line options.

Print FIGURE to Batch

Clicking this button will append the current figure to the batch file. The accelerator Meta-B will also perform this function.

The figures stored in the batch file will be printed to the printer when Print BATCH to Printer is clicked later. You can use this facility when you want to send some figures to the printer at one time.

Clear Batch

Clicking this button will erase the accumulated figures in the batch file. The accelerator Meta-X will also perform this function. The figures are automatically deleted from the batch file when Print BATCH to Printer is clicked.

Exporting

Use File/Print if you want to print the figure to a PostScript printer.

Language

Specify the format (language) to be generated as output. The default is Encapsulated PostScript, but may be changed with the resource Fig.exportLanguage.

The following formats are available:

Vector formats:

PostScript

Encapsulated PostScript (EPSF)

EPS With ASCII (EPSI) preview

EPS With monochrome TIFF preview

EPS With color TIFF preview

PDF (Portable Document Format)

Combined PostScript/LaTeX

Combined PDF/LaTeX

LaTeX picture environment

PicTeX macros

IBMGL (HP-GL)

Textyl \special commands

TPIC

PIC

HTML Image map

MF (MetaFont)

MP (MetaPost)

MMP (Multi-MetaPost)

CGM (Computer Graphics Metafile - useful to import into Microsoft WORD, etc.)

Binary CGM

EMF (Enhanced Metafile)

SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics - beta driver)

Tk (Tck/Tk toolkit canvas)

Bitmap formats:

GIF Graphic Interchange Format

JPEG

PCX Paintbrush format

PNG Portable Network Graphics

PPM Portable Pixmap

SLD (AutoDesk slide format)

TIFF Tag Image File Format

XBM X11 Bitmap

XPM X11 Pixmap

As a variation of the LaTeX format, epic, eepic and eepicemu macros are also available. It is also possible to output the text part of the figure in LaTeX and the graphics part in PostScript using Combined PostScript/LaTeX. This is especially useful when complex numerical formulas are included in the figure (see also TEXT FLAGS).

Not all of the features in xfig are supported by all export languages. For example, imported pictures are not supported for IBMGL export. The PostScript export language supports all features of xfig and a fairly high quality output will be generated.

The fig2dev program, part of the TransFig package available with xfig does the actual conversion from Fig to the output language.

To export the figure in a bitmap format such as GIF or JPEG, you must have the GhostScript and netpbm packages on your system.

Magnification

Specify the magnification when exporting figure in percent of full size (%). The default is 100% and may be set by the Fig.magnification resource.

Export all layers/Export only active

You may export the whole figure (all layers) or just the layers that are active according to the layer manager.

Border Margin

When exporting to PostScript, Encapsulated PostScript, HTML MAP, or any of the bitmap formats (e.g. GIF, JPEG, etc.), you may add a margin space around the figure. The size of the margin is in pixels or 1/80th inch.

Background

This will set the background color of the whole figure when printing. The default is white.

Grid

You may add a light-gray grid to the page by choosing a minor (thin) and/or a major (thick) grid spacing from pulldown menus or entering the spacing directly in the entry. The units of grid spacing are inches or mm, depending on the units of the figure.
The grid option is only available for PostScript, Encapsulated PostScript, PSLatex, PDF and all the bitmap export formats.

The default is None.

PostScript Options - These options will appear below the Grid options when PostScript is selected as the export language.

Paper Size

Specify the size of the paper. See description in Print Panel about available paper sizes. This is effective only if PostScript is selected at Language.

Fit to Page

Clicking this button will set the Magnification automatically so that the figure size will just fill current Paper Size with at least 1/2 inch margin all around. This is effective only when PostScript is selected as Language.

Orientation

Specify the orientation of the output as Landscape (horizontal) or Portrait (vertical). The default orientation is same as the orientation of the canvas which may be changed by Portrait/Landscape in the View menu.

Justification

Specify if the figure should be Flush Left or Centered on the paper of the size selected by Paper Size. This is effective only if PostScript is selected at Language.

Pages

If Multiple is selected, the figure will be split into multiple pages if the figure is larger than Paper Size. If Single is selected, this facility will not used. This is effective only if PostScript is selected at Language.

Offset

When exporting figure, the figure will be shifted to the right or down by the amount specified here. Use negative numbers to shift it left and/or up. The unit of the amounts may be selected from Inches, Centimeters, and Fig Units(1/1200 inch in version 3.x).

Bitmap Options - These options will appear below the Grid options when any bitmap format is selected as the export language.

Smoothing

This will smooth the image by calling fig2dev with either the `-S 2' (Some smoothing) or -S 4 (More smoothing) option to tell GhostScript to render at 2x magnification which improves font rendering, then passes through pnmscale to reduce to original size, which also smooths the image by averaging colors of adjacent pixels.
The default is No smoothing.

Transparent Color

For GIF export, it is possible to specify one of the colors as "transparent". When displaying the figure with GIF viewers that support Transparent GIF (such as Netscape Navigator, for example), the color will not appear but the background of the viewer will show through in place of the color.
The default is None.

JPEG Image quality

If the export language is JPEG, an entry to select the "quality factor" appears.
The default is 75.

Default File

Output will be written to this file if Output File is empty.

This file name is the figure name plus an extension that reflects the output format at the default, and it will be changed to the specified file name if export has been performed by specifying a file name in Output File.

Output File

Specify the file name the output should be written to. If this field is empty, the file name in the Default File field will be used.

The file name in the Output File field may be changed by selecting a file name in the Fig Files list, or typing the file name from keyboard directly. If Return is typed after file name is entered, export to the file will be performed as if the Export button was clicked.

Alternatives

The list of files in the current directory (only files matching the pattern specified by Filename Mask) are displayed, and users may select a file for output from the list.

Clicking a file name in this list with mouse button 1 will copy the file name to the Output File field. Double-clicking a file name in this list with mouse button 1 will cause exporting to the file as if Export button was clicked. Note that exporting to the existing file will over-write the old contents of the file.

Filename Mask

Only the files matching this pattern will be put in the File Alternatives list. The pattern is similar to the one used by the UNIX shell, and it is possible to use meta-characters like "*" or "?".

Typing Return in this field will cause rescan of the current directory as if Rescan button was clicked. This string will be changed according to the language selected with the Language menu.

Current Dir

This shows the current directory, and files in the directory will be displayed in the Alternatives list.

The directory name in the Current Dir field may be changed by clicking a directory name in Directories list, or by typing the directory name from keyboard directly. If Return is typed after directory name is entered, the directory will scanned as if Rescan button was clicked and the contents of Alternatives list will be updated.

Directories

The list of directories in the current directory is displayed here, and clicking any item in this list with mouse button 1 will cause a move to the directory. Normally, hidden directories are not displayed here, but this may be toggled by Show Hidden button.

".." indicates the parent directory. Moving to the parent directory may also be performed by clicking mouse button 3 on the Alternatives list or the Directories list.

Home

Clicking this button will move to the home directory of the user.

Show Hidden

This button controls if hidden directories (directories whose names start with ".") should be displayed or not. Clicking this button will toggle the state. Normally, hidden directories are not displayed.

Rescan

Clicking this button will scan files in the current directory and update the Alternatives list. The accelerator Meta-R will also perform this function.

Cancel

Clicking this button will close the Export panel. The accelerator Meta-C will also perform this function.

Export

Clicking this button will export to the file specified by Output File field if any, or the file in Default File. The accelerator Meta-X will also perform this function.

When trying to export to an existing file other than Default File, popup panel will appear and the user will asked to confirm the export operation. If the figure is exported to a file other than Default File, then Default File will be set to the actual export file name.

Generating an HTML Image Map

To use this facility, using Comments on the Edit panel, comment like:

HREF="url" ALT="string"

must be set for objects you want to make it clickable. Here, url is URL of the target of the link, string is alternative string for browsers which will not display images (ALT attribute is required in HTML 3.2). string will be used as label of alternative text links xfig will generate with the image map, too.

TEXT objects can't be used for links. CIRCLE, ELLIPSE, SPLINE and ARC will be approximated with polygons. Open objects such as POLYLINE or OPEN SPLINE will be treated as if it is closed. ARC-BOX will treated as if is is a BOX.