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WinGraphics

Importing graphics from Windows applications

Documents you typeset using LyX are usually exported to either a Postscript file (for printing) or a PDF file (for document exchange). On this page you will learn how to get high quality graphics in these documents.

Bitmaps

Almost all bitmaps (raster graphics) can be included directly in LyX documents. They will automatically be converted to the right format for being included in Postscript or PDF.

Vector graphics

Especially in scientific documents, vector graphics are commonly used. It is important to keep them in a vector form so they can viewed or printed at any resolution without loss of quality.

Windows applications that create vector graphics (such a graphing and diagramming tools) usually allow you to export graphics in either the Encapsulated Postscript (EPS) format or as a Windows metafile (EMF or WMF).

If EPS export is available, this is the recommended format. EPS graphics can be included directly in Postscript files and can easily be converted to PDF graphics (LyX will do this automatically).

If EPS export is not available, it is usually possible to export a Windows metafile. If both EMF and WMF are supported, you should export the graphics to an EMF file (which is an improved version of WMF). LyX will automatically convert the metafile to EPS if you install the Metafile to EPS Converter. If this converter is not installed the graphics will be rasterized which results in quality loss.

Windows