Request
I wish to generate graphics and images directly into a file, but I'm confused as to just what i need to do this with python here.
Response
Have a look at the GraphicsAndImaging page. It depends somewhat on the kind of graphics you want to produce: some libraries like [http://matplotlib.sourceforge.net/ matplotlib] are focused on graphs and charts, whereas the PythonImagingLibrary supports both bitmap manipulation as well as line and shape drawing (and other similar operations) using the ImageDraw module.
Many on-screen graphics packages also support drawing onto and the saving of bitmaps (eg. ["PyGame"]), and it is possible to draw to off-screen bitmaps or devices in various graphical user interface toolkits and frameworks - see ["GuiProgramming"] for details of the different choices.
An example of printing some off-screen picture using PyQt (rather than writing a file, although the principles are the same) can be found in the following message: [http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/msg/a4514729bc3430a1 "Placing graphics & text on printed page - jan06call.jpg (0/1)"]. -- PaulBoddie