NOTE / 003 / OUTPUT

A chart is only useful
if you can use it.

The studio is a place to make a draft. Your chart becomes useful when it reaches the document, discussion, or presentation where it can answer a question.

Choose PNG for easy placement

PNG is a raster image: a fixed grid of pixels. It is a straightforward choice for slides, documents, messages, and tools that do not accept vector graphics. MetricDraft exports a 1680 x 940 pixel image on a white background, twice the dimensions of the SVG canvas.

Keep the image's aspect ratio when resizing it. Reducing the image is generally fine, but enlarging it far beyond its original dimensions can make type and lines look soft. If the labels are too small at the final display size, simplify the chart or give it more space.

Choose SVG for resizing and editing

SVG describes shapes and text rather than a fixed grid of pixels. It stays crisp when scaled and can be opened in many vector editors. Use it when you expect to adjust typography, place the chart in a large layout, or keep an editable original.

The export uses system fonts and keeps text as text. Another computer or editing application may substitute a different font. Check the result after importing it into your destination application, especially if a title or label is close to the available width.

Both formats include your chart title, selected measure, labels, and an observation count. Long labels may be shortened in the graphic. The downloadable image is a picture of the selected series, not a replacement for the source table.

Inspect the actual exported file

Open the downloaded file before sharing it. Verify the selected column, title, and chart type. Check that the chart covers the intended time window or categories and that no necessary label is abbreviated beyond recognition.

The preview and export share the same limit of 120 numeric observations. Rows with empty or non-numeric selected values are omitted; when applicable, the export notes that omission or that only the first 120 values are shown. To publish a different subset, filter the CSV and import it again.

Add the context the chart cannot infer

A charting tool does not know who collected your numbers or how. Add a source line, collection period, unit, and relevant caveats in the document around the graphic. If the data is illustrative, say so. The studio's built-in monthly activity dataset is fictional.

For accessible documents and web pages, write alternative text that states the measure and main pattern. If exact values are important, also provide an accessible table. A short description is useful, but it cannot replace every number in a detailed chart.

Keep your working data separately

MetricDraft processes data in the current browser tab and does not save your workspace. A refresh starts again with the example dataset. Keep the original CSV and your downloaded chart somewhere you control. Filenames derived from chart titles are cleaned up for compatibility.