Notes on file formats



Clicking on each thumbnail brings up a page with a larger version of the figure and a table of 6 different versions to download. The easiest way to download a file using Windows/Internet Explorer is to right mouse click on the one you want and Save Target As...

The choices with a white background are suitable for placing on a white or lightly colored background and the map and labels are drawn in black. Similarly, the choices with a black background are suitable for placing on a black or dark background and the map and labels are drawn in white.

There are 3 different file formats available: GIF, EPS, and WMF. GIF files contain a raster image and are suitable for on screen applications like web pages but dont look that great when scaled or printed out. EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) and WMF (Windows MetaFile) files are vector formats and retain the fonts and lines to render the figure at any resolution. Under Windows XP/Office XP both EPS and WMF files will work when inserted into a PowerPoint presentation, for example, and look great when printed out but for some reason the fonts are rendered better on screen when using the WMF version. I still need to investigate what works best on the Mac.