Graphics: An Overview

Graphics can add interest and variety to your publication and are placed in PageMaker in much the same way as text. Graphics can be cropped, sized, and moved in PageMaker, but no changes can be made to the graphic itself; that must be done in a graphics program, such as Adobe Photoshop.

This overview discusses the following topics:

Graphics Sources

Graphics can be obtained from a variety of sources, but pay attention to their format. Not all formats are suitable for use in PageMaker publications. Some can be converted to a compatible format using a graphics program. Some sources for graphics include:

• graphics created in programs such as Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, or similar programs
• images which have been scanned
• images found in clip art collections (e.g., on CD or on the Web)
• images from digital cameras
• images downloaded from the Internet

Graphics Formats

PageMaker typically uses a graphics format for images such as:

• Windows Bitmap (.BMP)
• Tagged Image File Format (TIFF or .TIF)
• Graphics Interchange Format (.GIF)
• Encapsulated PostScript (.EPS)
• Joint Photographics Expert Group (JPEG or .JPG)
• Macintosh Picture (PICT or .PCT)

PageMaker suggests using EPS for vector graphics and TIFF for bitmapped graphics. These file formats support precision output for text and high resolution graphics.

Because PageMaker uses the Tagged Image File Format (TIFF), you must change your image to CMYK color mode so that it will be printed correctly in a color publication.

Consult your graphics program’s documentation for additional information.

Graphics Placement Types

When placing graphics (not including PageMaker lines or shapes), you place them as either in-line or independent graphics. The type of document that you are working on and the nature of the graphic will generally determine the kind of placement that you use.

Independent vs. In-line Graphics

Independent or placed graphics are simply placed on the page. Regardless of what you do around the graphic, the placement will not change unless you move it.

In-line graphics become a part of the text block. As you edit the text, the graphic retains its same relative position to the text but it will change position on the page (or may actually change pages) as you edit the text. Inline graphics are appropriate for documentation and reports, and can be modified just like independent graphics.

NOTE: The important thing to remember is that how you place the graphic is determined by your choice of either the Pointer tool or the Text tool.