The ImageGear ART component includes low-level functions for fine-tune image annotating and high-level functions for the most typical operations. ART creates annotations on a layer that sits above the image or document that is to be annotated. The original image and the annotations can be stored separately or merged together permanently.

ImageGear ART Component helps developers to add redlining and annotation capabilities to any application built with ImageGear. If you have an application that can read, display, and print images, with ART component attached you can add marking capabilities, such as arrows, highlighting, and sticky notes to documents images, and use them as though you were working on printed sheets of paper. You can design applications that allow end users to easily access mark objects from the ART toolbar. You can also add your own mark objects to the toolbar. Some of the marks, such as the Ruler and Protractor, are especially useful when combined with DICOM images.

To save marks created for an image either:

• Save the annotations in a separate .ART file,
• "Burn in" the annotations permanently, or
• Save the annotations in the header of a TIFF image.

You may also combine these methods. You can, for example, leave classified information in an ART file and "burn in" non-classified information into the image. ART and ImageGear support the .ART file extension. You can print the resulting image with or without the marks.

This section provides information about the following:

• Getting Started with ART
• Attaching the ART Component
• Working with ART Marks
• Important Structures and Types
• Mark Objects: Descriptions, Types, and Attributes