Graphics for Illustrations
Carl Grafton, Anne Permaloff · PS Political Science & Politics · 1990
Microcomputer programs that generate graphic images on paper come in many forms including ones that produce statistical plots, maps, and drawings for illustrations. Generally speaking, statistical plots are best produced with statistics packages, although relatively simple ones can be generated with business oriented programs such as Harvard Graphics. Business graphics software is also sometimes used to improve the appearance of images produced by statistics packages. Some also contain drawing modules. Maps, typically containing shaded boundaries to characterize data distributions, are usually best done with dedicated mapping programs such as ATLAS*GRAPHICS and MapInfo, but a few powerful statistics packages such as SYGRAPH and SASGRAPH can also be used.1 This article deals with software used for the production of graphics for such purposes as high quality illustrations for articles, book chapters, reports, and professional presentations, as well as transparencies and handouts for classroom use. The programs we examine generate three major categories of images: flow and organization charts; drawings; and paintings.