savefig

Save *cropped* figures to pdf, eps, png, jpeg, and tiff through Ghostscript.
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Updated 8 Nov 2008

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Usage: savefig(filename, fighdl, options)

Saves a pdf, eps, png, jpeg, and/or tiff of the contents of the fighandle's (or current) figure.
It saves an eps of the figure and the uses Ghostscript to convert to the other formats.
The result is a cropped, clean picture. There are options for using rgb or cmyk colours,
or grayscale. You can also choose the resolution.

The advantage of savefig is that there is very little empty space around the figure in the
resulting files, you can export to more than one format at once, and Ghostscript generates
trouble-free files.

If you find any errors, please let me know! (peder at axensten dot se)

filename: File name without suffix.

fighdl: (default: gcf) Integer handle to figure.

options: (default: '-r300', '-lossless', '-rgb') You can define your own
defaults in a global variable savefig_defaults, if you want to, i.e.
savefig_defaults= {'-r200','-gray'};.
'eps': Output in Encapsulated Post Script (no preview yet).
'pdf': Output in (Adobe) Portable Document Format.
'png': Output in Portable Network Graphics.
'jpeg': Output in Joint Photographic Experts Group format.
'tiff': Output in Tagged Image File Format (no compression: huge files!).
'-rgb': Output in rgb colours.
'-cmyk': Output in cmyk colours (not yet 'png' or 'jpeg' -- '-rgb' is used).
'-gray': Output in grayscale (not yet 'eps' -- '-rgb' is used).
'-fonts': Include fonts in eps or pdf. Includes only the subset needed.
'-lossless': Use lossless compression, works on most formats. same as '-c0', below.
'-c<float>': Set compression for non-indexed bitmaps in PDFs -
0: lossless; 0.1: high quality; 0.5: medium; 1: high compression.
'-r<integer>': Set resolution.
'-crop': Removes points and line segments outside the viewing area -- permanently.
Only use this on figures where many points and/or line segments are outside
the area zoomed in to. This option will result in smaller vector files (has no
effect on pixel files).
'-dbg': Displays gs command line(s).

EXAMPLE:
savefig('nicefig', 'pdf', 'jpeg', '-cmyk', '-c0.1', '-r250');
Saves the current figure to nicefig.pdf and nicefig.png, both in cmyk and at 250 dpi,
with high quality lossy compression.

REQUIREMENT: Ghostscript. Version 8.57 works, probably older versions too, but '-dEPSCrop'
must be supported. I think version 7.32 or newer is ok.

HISTORY:
Version 1.0, 2006-04-20.
Version 1.1, 2006-04-27:
- No 'epstopdf' stuff anymore! Using '-dEPSCrop' option in gs instead!
Version 1.2, 2006-05-02:
- Added a '-dbg' option (see options, above).
- Now looks for a global variable 'savefig_defaults' (see options, above).
- More detailed Ghostscript options (user will not really notice).
- Warns when there is no device for a file-type/color-model combination.
Version 1.3, 2006-06-06:
- Added a check to see if there actually is a figure handle.
- Now works in Matlab 6.5.1 (R13SP1) (maybe in 6.5 too).
- Now compatible with Ghostscript 8.54, released 2006-06-01.
Version 1.4, 2006-07-20:
- Added an option '-soft' that enables anti-aliasing on pixel graphics (on by default).
- Added an option '-hard' that don't do anti-aliasing on pixel graphics.
Version 1.5, 2006-07-27:
- Fixed a bug when calling with a figure handle argument.
Version 1.6, 2006-07-28:
- Added a crop option, see above.
Version 1.7, 2007-03-31:
- Fixed bug: calling print with invalid renderer value '-none'.
- Removed GhostScript argument '-dUseCIEColor' as it sometimes discoloured things.
Version 1.8, 2008-01-03:
- Added MacIntel: 'MACI'.
- Added 64bit PC (I think, can't test it myself).
- Added option '-nointerpolate' (use it to prevent blurring of pixelated).
- Removed '-hard' and '-soft'. Use '-nointerpolate' for '-hard', default for '-soft'.
- Fixed the gs 8.57 warning on UseCIEColor (it's now set).
- Added '-gray' for pdf, but gs 8.56 or newer is needed.
- Added '-gray' and '-cmyk' for eps, but you a fairly recent gs might be needed.
Version 1.9, 2008-07-27:
- Added lossless compression, see option '-lossless', above. Works on most formats.
- Added lossy compression, see options '-c<float>...', above. Works on 'pdf'.
Thanks to Olly Woodford for idea and implementation!
- Removed option '-nointerpolate' -- now savefig never interpolates.
- Fixed a few small bugs and removed some mlint comments.
Version 2.0, 2008-11-07:
- Added the possibility to include fonts into eps or pdf.

TO DO: (Need Ghostscript support for these, so don't expect anything soon...)
- svg output.
- '-cmyk' for 'jpeg' and 'png'.
- Preview in 'eps'.
- Embedded vector fonts, not bitmap, in 'eps'.

Copyright (C) Peder Axensten (peder at axensten dot se), 2006.

Cite As

Peder Axensten (2024). savefig (https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/10889-savefig), MATLAB Central File Exchange. Retrieved .

MATLAB Release Compatibility
Created with R2007a
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Version Published Release Notes
1.1.0.0

- Added the possibility to include fonts into a pdf.

1.0.0.0

- Added lossless compression.
- Added lossy compression.
- Removed option '-nointerpolate'.
- Fixed a few small bugs and removed some mlint comments.