Export

Dia has very powerful export filters, which means that you can integrate diagrams into other applications using a standardized image format. File | Export… lets you open a small file manager for this purpose. In the selection field at the bottom, you specify the desired target format (Figure 4). The diagram can be converted to PDF, PNG, JPEG, BMP, and CGM, as well as several PostScript variants. In addition, the DXF format used in AutoCAD CAD software is also available.

Figure 4: Dia exports diagrams to numerous formats without any problems.

Printing

While the canvas onscreen always appears in landscape format, the finished diagram does not have to print or be saved in that format. The File | Page Settings… dialog lets you modify paper size, print orientation (landscape or portrait), and scale (Figure 5). The changes made here only apply to the current diagram. If you want to change the default settings for all new drawings, you can modify the settings in the File | Settings dialog. Among other things, you can specify the default paper size and orientation.

Figure 5: The Page Setup dialog for printing is intuitive.

Conclusions

Dia supports an intuitive work approach and focuses on the essentials without requiring extensive training. You can quickly create diagrams using numerous ready-made objects and add text, geometric elements, connecting lines, or even images. The powerful export function saves the finished product in many common formats for further processing in other applications. If you only need to make the occasional diagram, Dia offers a real alternative to heavyweights like Gimp or LibreOffice Draw.