Exporting a Vector Image on a Mac
If you need a figure for a presentation slide, a vector image is usually the best choice. It is easy to create, requires little memory, and does not slow down the computer. The image will retain its appearance when pasted into other applications based on Core Graphics, the native drawing system of macOS. You will be able to magnify it without loss of quality, because it is a PDF picture, not a bitmap.
This page is intended for Mac users. If you follow the same instructions on Windows, you will generate a bitmap.
How to Export a Vector Picture:
- Verify that the option File > Free Size is checked.
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Set the size of the window to be the same as the picture you want to create.
If absolute precision is required, you can use the console command paper.
For example, if you need a picture 500 points wide and 300 points high, the command is:paper(500,300) - Choose iNMR > Settings and click Output. The parameters that affect the exported image are located in the bottom section of this panel: Resolution and Line Thickness when copying and exporting. The most important one is the Line Thickness. If you set both parameters to 1, the picture will be identical to what you see in the iNMR window.
- Use the standard Copy & Paste commands to export the image. There's no need to select it; the command Edit > Copy is always enabled. If you prefer the Drag & Drop method, choose Tools > Dragger, then click inside the window and drag to the final destination. This is exactly what the dragger tool was designed for.
The same technique can be used to generate high-resolution images suitable for printing. In this case, reduce the line thickness (for example, to 0.25) and increase the resolution (for example, to 4.0). Again, modify the pair of values labeled “when copying and exporting”. The other pair is in control when you are printing directly with iNMR.
If you need an image that will be interpreted consistently across different programs and operating systems, a bitmap is often the safer choice.