Graph Print Options

If you are printing a Graph (or a Sensitivity or Risk Analysis, which includes a Graph), you may set some or all of these Graph Print Options, in addition to any Print Options that pertain.

Output to allows you to direct the graph to the Printer, or to a file in either vector (WMF) file format or Bitmap (BMP) file format. If you select to save a graph file, you will be asked for the file name. Graph files are useful when you want to put the graph into another application at a later time. If you want to transfer the graph to another application now, you should use the Export option on the Print or File Menu.

Print Format may be set to Half Page Portrait, Full Page Portrait, Full Page Landscape, Portrait/Grid Above, or Portrait/Grid Below. The portrait options with a grid print a grid of the graphed data in addition to the graph.

Color Treatment may be set to Gray Scale, Use Patterns, or True Colors. Gray Scale prints the graph using three shades of gray. Use Patterns prints with a different pattern for each variable. True Colors prints with the colors shown on screen, and is appropriate for color printers. Experiment with these controls to find the best for your particular printer. If your graph prints too dark on your B/W printer using Gray Scale, try setting the on-screen color to light gray and using True Colors.

Optimize Graph for Resolution is shown only when saving Web Pages. It allows you to vary the size of the graph shown on the Web Page. It is rare that you will want to change this from the 640x480 setting. Even on high resolution monitors, this setting is attractive, and larger settings cause higher file sizes (therefore longer times to download) and will not display attractively if you send the page to others who may not have larger resolution monitors.

Show Graph Data Grid is shown only when saving Web Pages. The routine we use to put numbers into graphs does not work well with graphs saved in Web Pages (the fonts are too small to be read). Therefore, you probably will want to use this option to display the numbers graphed. This option is not displayed (or necessary) for Pie Charts.

Aspect Ratio is shown only when saving Web Pages. It controls the width versus height of the graph displayed on the Web Page. 200% means that the Graph is twice as wide as high (a good and normal setting). 133% means that is is 4 unit wide and 3 units high (4/3 is 133%) Depending on the nature of the Graph and the data in it, you may want to set this to unusual values, but 200% or 175% should be pleasing 99% of the time.