# Dose .eps graph has fixed size? so \includegraphics[scale=0.7]{foo.eps} means 0.7 of that size

An .eps graph is too large to fit in a two column article. So I have to increase the font in the graph, and scale it down, otherwise the font is too small to see.

I am thinking if the .eps graph has fixed size, then I can change that size and don't need to increase font and scale down.

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David Carlisle gave a good answer. As a sidenote, your thinking is correct. –  mvkorpel Jun 28 '14 at 17:34

an EPS file always has a comment of the form

``````%%BoundingBox: 1 2 3 4
``````

whre the first two integers give the coordinates of the lower left corner in PostScript points, and the second two integers give the coordinate of the top right corner.

LaTeX looks for this comment and deduces the natural height and width of the image, and any scaling applies to that size.

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by the way, what is the unit of those number? –  Tim Jun 28 '14 at 20:23
Big points (AFAIR), ie 1/72in, the TeX points is almost the same but not quite. –  daleif Jun 28 '14 at 20:30
@Tim to the rest of the (desktop publishing) world they are "points" to TeX they are "big points" bp as daleif said, that is 1in/72 –  David Carlisle Jun 28 '14 at 21:16