Vector images differ substantially from pixel-based images.
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Some basic rules should be followed to minimise any loss of quality during image manipulation with such software these guidelines are described below. Typically software such as Adobe Photoshop is used for this purpose. Even when captured from the original source, these images usually require re-sizing to a specific pixel resolution and size, grey-scale manipulation, and almost always need some on-image indicators and annotation (alphanumeric characters, asterisks, arrows etc.) prior to export for publication. Pixel-based graphic acquisition and capture was dealt with in Part 1 of this 2-part article. However, its universality in all imaging software and innately lossless image storage format means it is ideal for the final common step prior to publication. The majority of images for eventual publication will have to be exported to this format, as it is rarely used for primary image capture or illustration creation. Regardless of the original type of image, the submitted images for publication are typically pixel-based image files (usually tagged image file format, or TIFF) at the resolution required by the publisher. Typically all such publications require that digital graphics are submitted in a finalised form suitable for placement, with specific resolutions and file formats which can be used directly for page layout. There are two types of graphics used for illustration: pixel-based images and vector graphics.
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Today, all illustrations are digital in nature, or become so in the course of publication preparation, simply because publishing technology is now universally digital, with all journals now laid out using computers and dedicated professional software tools. For scientific applications, dedicated scientific charting packages are to be preferred to business-style charts available in spreadsheet software such as Microsoft Excel. For many charts in particular, careful selection of the type of graphic for the data is important to ensure that the presentation is not only meaningful but avoids distracting and sometimes misleading graphic “embroidery” which is so easily applied using current charting packages. Complex graphics and illustrations will generally not be understood without intensive study, unless there is appropriate division of information presentation. It is very important for anyone in the target audience to be able to rapidly grasp what the illustration is meant to show, ideally without reading the caption (this is particularly true for charts and tables). And drawings usually require labels attached to various elements.įurthermore, simplicity is crucial. A medical image or set of images often need alphanumeric identification and appropriate arrows or other symbols highlighting specific features. Thus, a chart usually needs a title and/or subtitle, legend and sometimes data points to be highlighted. In short, if the illustration cannot be understood in the absence of any explanation other than the accompanying caption, it is incomplete. If there is a key principle to be remembered by would-be authors, it is this: the published illustration should be able to stand alone. As such, it will cover general preparation, the types of illustration needed, key software that should be used, and some basic concepts and techniques that anyone preparing their own images should be familiar with. This article highlights and describes important approaches to producing high quality medical illustrations for publication, which has differing requirements to electronic, web-based or computer presentations. This is not to say that we can all become professional artists, but rather that the simpler tasks of medical illustration are now within the reach of the ordinary person with sufficient knowledge, tools, training and practice. In the last 20 years, increasingly powerful computer software and hardware has become available to the general public, and the now-pervasive ability to create digital images through electronic radiology image archives, digital photography, scanning of paper or film and graphics software for charting and illustration, have meant that the once-arcane art of graphic design and medical illustration have become democratised and at least for many types of illustration, is no longer the province of the expert graphic artist. This part will deal with post-processing and editing of such images using specific software tools, and with the use of graphics illustration and charting software applications for creation of medical illustrations and charts.
The first part dealt with optimal capture and export of pixel-based medical images. This is the second part of an article on preparing images for medical publication.
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