With Canvas 3.5, you can combine these layers into a single PICT, saving
disk space and redraw time. I think you select all the layers, then select
Object Specs and check Convert to Paint Object. Use 1-bit for black-and-
white plots, and 8-bit for color plots.
Also with Canvas 3.5, you can improve the PICT resolution, from the
standard 72dpi to at least 300dpi (the resolution of most contemporary
printers). For the PICTs, select Object Specs, then select (for example)
300 from the pop-up menu next to DPI. Answer the "maintain size" dialog
by clicking on No.
The PICT will be approximately 4-times smaller, so make sure to start
with a bigger PICT in CellQUEST. There is no advantage to changing the
resolution if you click Yes to maintain size; in fact, you will just be
using more disk/RAM space.
Personally, I edit each plot separately. Most investigators don't request
that many plots for presentation/publication, so I don't feel it is all
that time consuming. I too use CellQUEST to draw one plot at a time for
this purpose, the same as Roger mentioned. After all, CellQUEST is NOT
a graphics manipulation program, it is a flow cytometry analysis program,
and lacks certain things I find important, such as rulers and positioning
options. CellQUEST is fine for analysis, but I prefer Canvas for graphics.
/\/\/\_ Eric Van Buren, vanburen%flovax.dnet@rocdec.roc.wayne.edu
\ \ \ Karmanos Cancer Institute and Immunology & Microbiology
\_^_/ Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan