However the image is obtained, it has to be stored on disk before it can be used. There are perhaps twenty or so common formats, but those found most often on the Internet and in the Usenet newsgroups are:
GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) a rather old-fashioned but very commonly found type of graphics file. Almost any software can read this format. This is the most common format on Anonymous FTP archives.
TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) Technically more versatile than GIF and just about as common. A very good choice for exchanging files between different programs.
JPEG () A special compressed image format that is becoming common in newer software.
EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) Not really a graphics file per say, but a set of instructions for drawing an image. The success of the Postscript page description language for Laser printers has led to a new stategy for including graphics in word processing files. Many high end word processing programs like Microsoft Word allow you to include a reference to an external Postscript file containing the figure.
Desktop publishing and high-end word processing programs can often save and import graphics in any of these formats, especially TIFF and EPS.
In addition, you may find files in proprietary formats like Macintosh PICT files. These formats serve as standards for their line of computers but not across different brands. Fortunately you can find free software that will convert TIFF to PICT or vice versa.
STEP 3. Transmission to point of use
Suppose you have a graphics file or a word processing file containing your brochure. How do you send that file to someone?
If you work in an academic environment, it is quite possible that one or the other institutions is an Anonymous FTP site. You may be able to use the Anon. FTP site as a "mailbox" to transfer the file in binary mode— or you could exchange passwords and transfer the file directly, if both have a direct connection to the Internet.