Microsoft Publisher can import many common PC graphic formats. This
table lists which versions of Publisher can import which types of
graphics.
Publisher
Bitmap Formats Version 1 2 3 97 Extension
------------- ------------------ ---------
Bitmap X X X X .bmp
PC Paintbrush X X X X .pcx
Photo CD X X X X .pcd
Tagged Image Format X X X X .tif
JPEG Picture Format X X .jpg
CompuServe Graphics X .gif
Publisher
Vector Formats Version 1 2 3 97 Extension
-------------- ------------------ ---------
Computer Graphic Metafile X X X X .cgm
DrawPerfect X X X X .wpg
Encapsulated PostScript X X X X .eps
Micrografx Designer X X X X .drw
Windows Metafile X X X X .wmf
CorelDRAW X X .cdr
Be certain that when importing one of the graphic formats listed
above that the correct file extension is used. Publisher determines
what graphic import filter to apply to a particular file, based solely
on the file extension.
The types of graphics that can be imported into Publisher fall into
two main categories; Bitmap (Paint-Type) and Object-Oriented
(Draw-Type).
Bitmap Graphics
Bitmap graphics are commonly created by basic painting packages, such
as Windows Paintbrush. Most scanning packages also utilize bitmap
formats. Bitmaps are comprised from a series of small square dots.
Depending on the format of the particular bitmap, each of these dots
can be black, white, some particular color, or a shade of gray.
Limitations of Bitmaps
There are several limitations to note when dealing with bitmap graphics:
- Because bitmaps are made up of dots, sizing the graphic may distort
it. Sizing the graphic proportionally minimizes the distortion.
- Bitmap graphics can be very large. Scanned bitmaps at 300 DPI can
easily exceed 1 MB. This causes slow screen redraws and creates
larger Publisher files. Printing problems may also occur with large
images.
- Bitmaps do not typically output at as high a resolution as an
equivalent object-oriented graphic format.
Object-Oriented Graphics
Object-oriented graphics, on the other hand, are not comprised of a series
of dots. They are a set of instructions that tell the computer to draw
lines, boxes, polygons, and so on. Such a file is basically an equation
for generating the image, rather than the actual pixel by pixel
representation. Object-oriented graphics have several advantages over
bitmaps.
- A graphic can usually be resized without distorting the image. Because
object-oriented graphics are generated by a formula, resizing plugs
different values into the formula to compensate for the change in size.
- Object-oriented graphic files are much smaller in size.
- They output at the highest resolution supported by the output
device. In other words, if you send an object-oriented graphic to
a 1024 x 1024 resolution printer, the graphic would recalculate and
output at that resolution. A bitmap, on the other hand, is always
limited by the initial resolution at which it was created. In most
cases, this is no better than the screen resolution, 75 DPI for
VGA, unless the image was scanned.
Typical programs using object-oriented graphics are CorelDRAW!,
Micrografx Designer, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Excel, and many
others.
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