# Output of drawings to files **URL:** \ **Category:** Questions & Answers\ **Created:** [March 9, 2026, 10:25pm UTC](https://racket.discourse.group/t/output-of-drawings-to-files/4139 "2026-03-09T22:25:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jsampson45](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/77aa72/32.png) [@jsampson45](https://racket.discourse.group/u/jsampson45)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2026, 10:25pm UTC](https://racket.discourse.group/t/output-of-drawings-to-files/4139/1 "2026-03-09T22:25:23Z")
Is it possible to output a drawing made with the draw module or Metapict or the turtle graphics library to a file such as png or jpeg? ---
**Author:** ![soegaard](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/racket.discourse.group/soegaard/32/19_2.png) [@soegaard](https://racket.discourse.group/u/soegaard)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2026, 10:49pm UTC](https://racket.discourse.group/t/output-of-drawings-to-files/4139/2 "2026-03-09T22:49:52Z")
The `save-pict` function from `metapict` can be used to save picts as png files (or jpeg for that matter). ---
**Author:** ![EmEf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/53a042/32.png) [@EmEf](https://racket.discourse.group/u/EmEf)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2026, 11:00pm UTC](https://racket.discourse.group/t/output-of-drawings-to-files/4139/3 "2026-03-09T23:00:17Z")
Do you mean something like that: ```scheme #lang racket (require pict) (require racket/draw) (require pict-abbrevs) (define points '((100 . 100) (0 . 0))) (define (connect-points dc dx dy join) (define a-pen (send the-pen-list find-or-create-pen "black" 10 'solid 'round join)) (send dc set-pen a-pen) (send dc draw-lines points dx dy)) (define a-dc (dc (λ (dc dx dy) (define old-pen (send dc get-pen)) (connect-points dc 20 50 'round) (send dc set-pen old-pen)) 460 170)) (save-pict "foo.png" a-dc 'png) ``` ---
**Author:** ![jsampson45](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/77aa72/32.png) [@jsampson45](https://racket.discourse.group/u/jsampson45)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2026, 8:51pm UTC](https://racket.discourse.group/t/output-of-drawings-to-files/4139/4 "2026-07-17T20:51:43Z")
No. If I learn how to use turtle graphics in Racket, will I find that I can save the output from it to a file, either as a raster image or vector graphics? ---
**Author:** ![soegaard](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/racket.discourse.group/soegaard/32/19_2.png) [@soegaard](https://racket.discourse.group/u/soegaard)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2026, 9:23pm UTC](https://racket.discourse.group/t/output-of-drawings-to-files/4139/5 "2026-07-17T21:23:26Z")
There are several turtle libraries. This example implements the turtle commands, then draws the Peano curve. > If you use > **[Turtle Graphics](https://docs.racket-lang.org/turtles/index.html)** then use `save-turtle-bitmap `. If you use > **[8 2D L-system turtles](https://docs.racket-lang.org/lindenmayer/2D_L-system_turtles.html)** then you get a pict, which you can then save in different formats. ---
**Author:** ![LiberalArtist](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/racket.discourse.group/liberalartist/32/151_2.png) [@LiberalArtist](https://racket.discourse.group/u/LiberalArtist)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2026, 11:10pm UTC](https://racket.discourse.group/t/output-of-drawings-to-files/4139/6 "2026-07-17T23:10:12Z")
> [@jsampson45](#): > > If I learn how to use turtle graphics in Racket, will I find that I can save the output from it to a file, either as a raster image or vector graphics? Essentially all drawing libraries in Racket are higher-level layers over `racket/draw`, which can save a drawing context as SVG, PDF, PostScript, PNG, JPG, and a few miscellaneous raster formats. Some higher-level libraries for things like turtle graphics may make these things more convenient than others, but the underlying functionality is definitely always there. ---
**Author:** ![estrella\_snyder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9dc877/32.png) [@estrella\_snyder](https://racket.discourse.group/u/estrella_snyder)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2026, 10:54pm UTC](https://racket.discourse.group/t/output-of-drawings-to-files/4139/7 "2026-08-02T22:54:27Z")
The turtle example they showed is more about implementing the turtle interface itself — you'd still need to hook it into something that can actually write to a file. Looking at that peano.rkt example, the turtle state is building up a list of line segments, but there's no saving step. You'd want to either render those lines to a pict (which you can then save with save-pict) or draw them to a dc like in the second reply. The dc approach is probably more direct if you're going the turtle route. ---
**Author:** ![soegaard](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/racket.discourse.group/soegaard/32/19_2.png) [@soegaard](https://racket.discourse.group/u/soegaard)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2026, 9:42am UTC](https://racket.discourse.group/t/output-of-drawings-to-files/4139/8 "2026-08-03T09:42:46Z")
The last expression turns the curves into a `pict`. If run in DrRacket the image will be displayed in the repl. ```scheme ;;; Produce image (set-curve-pict-size 400 400) (with-window (window -1 81 -1 82) (peano 6 90 3) (draw* c)) ```