Exporting pictures

You can export in a variety of picture formats by selecting Export from the File menu and choosing one of the options in the left panel.

Pictures are exported at the size specified in the Grid Properties dialog box. There are three main types of picture you can export --- select one of the tabs in the export window.

Metafiles

These are Windows specific resizable pictures, and are good for exporting grids to other Windows programs like desktop publishers.

However if metafiles are shown on a low resolution device like a screen the grid lines may appear uneven or not show up at all (though they should print correctly). Select the For screen option to use thin grid lines which will appear correctly on screen. This is not such a good option if the metafile will ultimately be printed, but if the metafile will only be viewed on screen then this is the option to use. A metafile with the For screen option generally has a smaller file size than the corresponding bitmap and has the advantage of being resizable. However, bitmaps are more portable and reliable, and should usually be used instead for viewing on screen.

Bitmaps

You can export bitmaps at various resolutions and color depths, and in various different file formats. With bitmaps the lines will always look correct if the bitmap is shown at its natural size, or if you export at sufficiently high resolution.

The default Resolution setting is that of your screen, and will produce an image that looks much like the puzzle as you edit it in Crossword Compiler (square sizes in physical units are set in Grid Properties). Select a higher resolution setting if you want to export a bitmap for eventual printing. Either select a resolution from the drop-down list or type in a value of your own. Note that exporting at high resolution can use a lot of system memory and lead to a large exported file. You can instead specify a Target pixel width, which may be useful if you want an image with particular dimension in pixels, rather than a specific physical size at a given resolution.

Change the Colors setting to control the color depth of the exported image. The 16 million colors setting will always produce high quality results, and should be used if your grid contains any color pictures. However, if your puzzle is essentially black and white or only has a few colors you can reduce the color depth to produce a significantly smaller image file.

If you select the Anti-aliasing option the bitmap produced will use intermediate colors around the edges of letters to give the impression of a higher resolution image. If may also result in a significantly better quality export if your grid contains pictures. You cannot use anti-aliasing with the monochrome color setting.

If you export in various different picture formats

• Bitmap pictures are supported by most Windows programs and many others. The main disadvantage is that the bitmap file may be very large.
• GIF pictures is an old format for images on a web page. It is a lossless compressed format supporting a maximum of 256 colors, and no longer usually recommended.
• PNG pictures are useful if you want to use the image on a web page. It is a flexible lossless compressed format supporting any number of colors.
• JPG pictures are useful if you want to use the image on a web page. It is a full-color compressed format that does not preserve full image quality.
• TIFF pictures are similar to bitmaps, but they are compressed and are highly portable. This is probably the best option is you are exporting high-resolution images for publishing. At high resolutions TIFF file sizes can be up to 50 times smaller than the corresponding bitmap files. TIFFs are exported in full color.

EPS (Encapsulated Postscript)

EPS is an old format that may still be preferred by some publishers to PDF. EPS file can be resized in other programs without loss of quality.

Crossword Compiler can generate EPS files in two modes:

• Basic with postscript fonts
  This generates small and simple EPS files using the postscript font. This format is not available for word search puzzles, or if the grid contains images or uses a non-West European font. Crossword Compiler automatically selects a PostScript font similar to the one you have selected as the grid font. You can however select from a range of fonts in the Font combo box, or type in the name of a different font (advanced users only).
• General (font embedding)
  This generates larger files, using exactly your chosen font style. This mode supports all puzzle styles, including those containing images.

If the Include TIFF preview box is checked the file will include an embedded color bitmap which you can then view on screen as a placeholder for the PostScript that will be used when the file is ultimately printed. The disadvantage of including a preview is that it will make the file size a little larger, and may make the puzzle look less high-quality than the final result when the postscript is used.

PDF

PDF is similar to EPS (general format with font embedding), but is more widely viewable using free software such as Acrobat Reader. The function in the Export Puzzle window only exports the grid; to export a page containing puzzle and clues see Print/Export Worksheet feature instead.

Comparison

Here is a table comparing the different picture formats, the color depths available, the typical files sizes, and their suitability for different purposes. The file size examples are for a black and white grid with antialiasing. File sizes for the compressed formats (GIF and TIFF) will increase significantly if there are more colors or the grid contains pictures.

To see the effect of anti-aliasing compare these:

With Anti-aliasing	Without anti-aliasing

The ones with anti-aliasing look as though they have thicker lines and letters. That is because it looks more exactly in proportion to the settings set under grid properties than the other image. With no anti-aliasing the lines are restricted to being an exact number of pixels wide. You can also see that anti-aliasing has made the small numbers clearer, especially the 4. However, there is little point in using anti-aliasing if you are exporting at the highest resolution your printer can support. It is mostly useful for low-resolution images that will be viewed on screen.