Going digital: Image preparation for biomedical publishing

Authors ape more often being held responsible for readying their own data f igures for digital publication by scanning them at the proper resolution an d preparing them for presentation in both print and on-line journals. In th is manner, the visuals can be printed at the highest quality the publisher can provide and be ready for rapid electronic distribution on the Internet, Therefore, authors must become knowledgeable in the Visual preparation pro cess in order to generate electronic images that will be as true a represen tation of the original image as possible; Perfecting this procedure can be a learning experience and often requires some experimentation. When accompl ished, the author will have more control of exactly how the images will loo k before they are published. In addition to the scan resolution, the type o f digital scanner and software applications used are very important, and in struction manuals should be followed closely so as to understand the full p otential of the digitizing equipment. (C) 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.