Export figure or axis as vector graphics or as a bitmap.

'export_figure_as_vecgra' exports a figure or axis as vector graphics; 'export_figure_as_bitmap' exports a figure or part of it as bitmap.
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Updated 17 Feb 2020

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function export_figure_as_vecgra(fh, filename, format0, axh)

EXPORTS A FIGURE OR AXIS PLOT TO A VECTOR GRAPHICS (PDF, EPS, EMF, SVG, PS) FILE.

INPUTS:
fh: Handle to figure. If omitted (or empty[]) the current figure is exported.
filename: A name for the file, without the extension. If omitted (or empty[]) a dialog asks for the name and format.
format0: A vector graphics format to export the figure (see possible values below). If omitted (or empty[]) a dialog allows to choose the format.
axh: Handle to axis in figure. If omitted, the whole figure is printed.
If there is a value, it must be a handle to the axis to be exported.
If empty[], then the current axis is exported.

Advise: possibly the best performance can be obtained exporting the figure or axis to SVG and, if needed, then editing (by using suitable software, like Inkscape (https://inkscape.org/), which is free and open-source) and exporting it to a different format.

Based on: FIGURE2PDF (https://uk.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/71053-figure2pdf) Export the current MATLAB figure to a PDF file.

OPTIONS FOR format0 FILE EXTENSION
'-dpdf' Full page Portable Document Format (PDF) color .pdf
'-deps' Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) Level 3 black and white .eps
'-depsc' Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) Level 3 color .eps
'-deps2' Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) Level 2 black and white .eps
'-depsc2' Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) Level 2 color .eps
'-dmeta' Enhanced Metafile (Windows® only) .emf
'-dsvg' Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) .svg
'-dps' Full-page PostScript (PS) Level 3 black and white .ps
'-dpsc' Full-page PostScript (PS) Level 3 color .ps
'-dps2' Full-page PostScript (PS) Level 2 black and white .ps
'-dpsc2' Full-page PostScript (PS) Level 2 color .ps

EXAMPLES:
export_figure_as_vecgra : exports the current figure (complete), asking first for a file name and format.
export_figure_as_vecgra(f1) : exports the figure with handle 'f1' (complete), asking first for a file name and format.
export_figure_as_vecgra([], 'myfile') : exports the current figure (complete), with the given file name and asking for a format.
export_figure_as_vecgra([], 'myfile', '-dpdf') : exports the current figure (complete) as PDF, with the given file name and format.
export_figure_as_vecgra([], [], [], []) : exports the current axis, asking first for a file name and format.
export_figure_as_vecgra([], 'myfile', '-dsvg', []) : exports the current axis as SVG, with the given file name and format.
export_figure_as_vecgra(f1, 'myfile', '-dmeta', ax3) : exports the axis with handle 'ax3' of figure with handle 'f1' as EMF, with the given file name.

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function export_figure_as_bitmap(fh, filename, crop, varargin)

EXPORTS A FIGURE OR PART OF IT TO BITMAP (many possible formats) FILE.

INPUT ARGUMENTS:
fh: handle to the figure to be saved. If omitted ([], or nonexistent) the program takes the current figure;
filename: name of the file to be created (extension included). If omitted ([], or nonexistent) the program opens
a dialogue to ask for the name and extension. If the user chooses 'jpg' and no properties are given, the program asks for quality;
crop: logical value to ask for a crop of the figure. If omitted ([], or nonexistent) or it is false,
the program simply exports the whole figure, without cropping it;
property-value pairs: to set properties to certain formats.

VALID EXTENSIONS:
bmp: Windows Bitmap
gif: Graphics Interchange Format
hdf: Hierarchical Data Format (HDF4)
jpg (or jpeg): Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG). The program will ask for quality of file.
jp2: Joint Photographic Experts Group 2000 (JPEG 2000)
pbm: Portable Bitmap
pcx: ZSoft Paintbrush
pgm: Portable Graymap
png: Portable Network Graphics
pnm: Portable Anymap
ppm: Portable Pixmap
ras: Sun™ Raster
tif (or tiff): Tagged Image File Format
xwd: X Windows Dump

EXAMPLES:
export_figure_as_bitmap exports current figure, asking first for file name and extension.
export_figure_as_bitmap(f1) exports figure with handle 'f1', asking first for file name and extension.
export_figure_as_bitmap([], 'myfile') exports current figure, asking first for the extension.
export_figure_as_bitmap([], 'myfile.jpg') exports current figure, with the given file name and extension (it will ask for quality of final file).
export_figure_as_bitmap([], 'myfile.jpg', 0, 'quality', 100, 'comment', 'perfectimage') exports current figure, with the given file name and extension and property-value pairs.
export_figure_as_bitmap([], [], 1) exports current figure, asking for file name and extension.

Cite As

Jesús Lucio (2024). Export figure or axis as vector graphics or as a bitmap. (https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/74168-export-figure-or-axis-as-vector-graphics-or-as-a-bitmap), MATLAB Central File Exchange. Retrieved .

MATLAB Release Compatibility
Created with R2018a
Compatible with any release
Platform Compatibility
Windows macOS Linux
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Version Published Release Notes
1.0.3

Just corrections in the description.

1.0.2

Minor corrections in description.

1.0.1

Minor corrections to description.

1.0.0