PICTURE Data Formats

Advanced > Understanding Clipboard Formats > PICTURE Data Formats

The proper name for this format is actually METAFILE.  It is also called MetafilePICT, and Vector Drawing.

Metafiles are graphic images that consist of one or more common drawing objects, such as rectangles, circles, lines, and formatted text. Metafiles are most suited to human- or machine-generated images, such as architectural or engineering drawings, or Clip art.  Metafiles are scalable, and they often look as good full-screen as they do when scaled down.  Metafiles often contain text, with font information.  This often makes them desirable for corporate logos.  When printed, the image is re-drawn at printer resolution.  If you have True Type fonts in a Metafile, they will look FANTASTIC when printed.

Most commercial drawing programs can generate Metafiles, and so can the OLE drawing module (DRAW) that comes with many of the Microsoft products.

Note: Windows now supports the Enhanced Metafile, which ClipMate can also copy and paste.  But it will only (currently) display the regular old MetafilePict format.