Chromatography Forum

Hello,
I am being asked to export all my chromatograms to a WORD file. can anyone tell me how this is done?
Also, using the "annotate" function in offline data analysis (I run Chemstation on a old 5972 MSD) is there a way to save my annotations, because it seems like once i close the file it erases my annotations. I would like to export my chromatograms with the annotations to a WORD file.

I am only doing qualitative analysis

thanks
EC

Easiest (albeit low-resolution) is simply to do a screen capture (Shift-PrtScn) and then paste into Word.

If your Chemstation supports it try the Clip command:

CLIP window, [filename], parameter
Copies a graphics window to the Clipboard. From the Clipboard, the graphics may then be pasted into another application or, optionally, into a file with Windows metafile format (.WMF).

window
Number (1-30) of the graphics window to be copied.

filename
The file in which you want to store the clipboard image in Windows metafile format. It is a good idea to use the .WMF extension for these files to facilitate import into other programs such as Microsoft Excel, Word, etc.

Note: Use double quotes (" ") with this parameter if symbols such as ( ) or [ ] are to be used.

parameter
If the parameter is 0 or omitted an enhanced metafile is generated whenever a filename is supplied for filename. If the parameter is nonzero a classic Windows metafile is generated.

Note: If the parameter is nonzero but the filename is omitted then a classic Windows metafile is always used.

I don't know which versions support this but typing "Clip" in the command line will tell if it works on your version. The image has only screen resolution so don't expect too much.

Thanks,
I'll try those two things on Monday when i get back to work.
Happy Spring holiday!

EC

You could print as a PDF and take the image from there. If your Chemstatin doesn't do PDFs by itself then just download Primo PDF (or other PDF print driver), it appears on your PC as a printer but instead of coming out on paper it makes a PDF file (i.e. go through the usual printing process to use it).

On my 5972A, I can copy the chromatogram in Data Analysis by Clicking at the top: Options, Copy Window, then enter 2 for Window 2 when a chromatogram is loaded, then paste into Word or Wordpad.

If I've double right-clicked to search, I can do similar but that's Window 24.

Typically, with the software on my 7972A, window 2 is the TIC, window 1 is the mass spectrum, and when you search by double right-clicking, that window is 24. Window number is in upper left corner of window.

Can I recomend trying to stick to vector-graphics formats such as windows metafile format rather than bitmaps as you get if you go for screenshots? Bitmaps are easy to make, but if you stretch and shrink them, the pixels can get horrible. Vector graphics stay nice whatever you do to them.

Can I recomend trying to stick to vector-graphics formats such as windows metafile format rather than bitmaps as you get if you go for screenshots? Bitmaps are easy to make, but if you stretch and shrink them, the pixels can get horrible. Vector graphics stay nice whatever you do to them.

Vector graphics is easily scalable without loosing quality and is definitely prefered graphics format for chromatograms.

However windows metafile is not limited to vector, it may contain bitmaps as well, everything depends on source of graphics.

If source graphics is raster (bitmap), wmf won't contain vector graphics.

okay, okay! You're right, I'm simplifying! The point I'm getting at is any reasonable chromatography package will export its chromatograms as text and lines in vector style, not bitmaps. When I see blobby pixelated figures/images I can usually trace it to either a screen-shot that got trimmed and expanded, or to someone who thought it was a good idea to move their vector graphic into a bitmap-orientated piece of image software so they could add annotations, and then adjusted the size afterwards. It never ceases to amaze me how much money has been spent (wasted, frittered away, torn up and shredded...) globally on training people to use Photoshop without first checking they know the fundamental difference between a bitmap and a vector graphic. Rant over!

I always export the file as a .cdf format and use a program "Chrommerge" to zoom into the detail I want to use. works nice and its also vector based, so you keep lines and perfect chromatograms to copy in any other program, Works nice with powerpoint also..