Libart is a free software graphics library of functions for 2D graphics supporting a superset of the PostScript imaging model. Libart was designed to be integrated with graphics, artwork, and illustration programs. It is written in optimized C and is fully compatible with C++. With a small footprint of 10,000 lines of code, it is especially suitable for embedded applications.

Libart provides a vector graphics-based API. Cairo obsoletes almost all uses of libart.

Libart supports a very powerful imaging model, basically the same as SVG and the Java 2D API. It includes all PostScript imaging operations, and adds antialiasing and alpha-transparency.

History

Libart was a library for high-performance 2D graphics. Prior to being replaced with Cairo, it had been used as the anti-aliased rendering engine for the Gnome Canvas and for Gill, the Gnome Illustration app.

Gdk-pixbuf used to be a wrapper around libart.

A component of Libart, containing all functions needed for printing and running GNOME Canvas, was released under the LGPL. The version maintained under the GPL contained enhancements for unspecified specific applications.^[1]

References

External links

• Official website
• Gnome Illustration app (levien.com)
• The libart library – a tutorial (gnome.org)