Quartz (graphics layer)

<h2 id="quartz-2d-and-quartz-compositor">Quartz 2D and Quartz Compositor</h2>
<p><a href="/facts/Quartz_2D/hGTBq5eR">Quartz 2D</a> is the primary two-dimensional (2D) text and graphics rendering library:  It directly supports <a href="/facts/Aqua_(user_interface)/JUUtQf3F">Aqua</a> by displaying <a href="/facts/2D_computer_graphics/j6dBxDpX">two-dimensional graphics</a> to create the user interface, including on-the-fly <a href="/facts/Rendering_(computer_graphics)/YYxfnmAq">rendering</a> and <a href="/facts/Spatial_anti-aliasing/od0SgvLy">anti-aliasing</a>. Quartz can render text with <a href="/facts/Subpixel_rendering/0o1TC9sl">sub-pixel precision</a>; graphics are limited to more traditional anti-aliasing, which is the default mode of operation but can be turned off.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a> In <a href="/facts/Mac_OS_X_10.4_Tiger/q6vKCpvq">Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger</a>, Apple introduced Quartz 2D Extreme, enabling Quartz 2D to offload rendering to compatible <a href="/facts/Graphics_processing_unit/PTK1RQVp">GPUs</a>. However, GPU rendering was not enabled by default due to potential video redraw issues or <a href="/facts/Kernel_panic/aSp4ojw2">kernel panics</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a> 
In <a href="/facts/Mac_OS_X_v10.5/UmXw4H5x">Mac OS X v10.5</a> Quartz 2D Extreme was renamed to QuartzGL.
</p><p>The <a href="/facts/Quartz_Compositor/etoHysmD">Quartz Compositor</a> is the <a href="/facts/Compositing/xGdHadIj">compositing</a> engine used by <a href="/facts/MacOS/Y93vVpTm">macOS</a>.  In <a href="/facts/Mac_OS_X_Jaguar/HboYAjXy">Mac OS X Jaguar</a> and later, the Quartz Compositor can use the graphics accelerator (GPU) to vastly improve composition performance.  This technology is known as Quartz Extreme and is enabled automatically on systems with supported graphics cards.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a>
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<h2 id="see-also">See also</h2>
<ul><li><a href="/facts/Quartz_Composer/4Mes5aeX">Quartz Composer</a></li></ul>

<h2 id="external-links">External links</h2>
<ul><li><a href="https://developer.apple.com/library/content/documentation/GraphicsImaging/Conceptual/drawingwithquartz2d/Introduction/Introduction.html">Quartz 2D Programming Guide</a> at developer.apple.com</li>
<li><a href="https://developer.apple.com/reference/coregraphics">Core Graphics API Reference</a> at developer.apple.com</li>
<li><a href="https://arstechnica.com/apple/reviews/2005/04/macosx-10-4.ars/13">Quartz in Tiger</a> (from a review of Mac OS X 10.4 in Ars Technica)</li>
<li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20040423020135/http://developer.apple.com/referencelibrary/GettingStarted/GS_GraphicsImaging/">Introduction to OS X graphics APIs</a></li>
<li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20061130133031/http://www.cocoadevcentral.com/d/intro_to_quartz/">Cocoa Graphics with Quartz: Part 1</a>[usurped]</li>
<li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20061205085935/http://cocoadevcentral.com/d/intro_to_quartz_two/">Cocoa Graphics with Quartz: Part 2</a>[usurped]</li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1"><p>"Apple - Developer - Graphics & Imaging Overview". Archived from the original on November 20, 2004. Retrieved February 12, 2007. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20041120084353/https://developer.apple.com/graphicsimaging/overview.html" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20041120084353/https://developer.apple.com/graphicsimaging/overview.html</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:2"><p>"Apple - Developer - Graphics & Imaging Reference". Archived from the original on December 5, 2011. Retrieved April 17, 2007. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20111205191948/http://developer.apple.com/library/mac/navigation/topic_details/resourceType_10.html" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20111205191948/http://developer.apple.com/library/mac/navigation/topic_details/resourceType_10.html</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:3"><p>"Apple - Developer - Quartz Programming Guide for QuickDraw Developers: Drawing Destinations". Archived from the original on September 5, 2008. Retrieved February 12, 2007. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080905214109/http://developer.apple.com/documentation/Carbon/Conceptual/QuickDrawToQuartz2D/tq_other/chapter_3_section_3.html" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20080905214109/http://developer.apple.com/documentation/Carbon/Conceptual/QuickDrawToQuartz2D/tq_other/chapter_3_section_3.html</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:4"><p>"Apple - Info - Docs - About the Mac OS X 10.4.3 Update (Delta)". Archived from the original on October 16, 2007. Retrieved September 20, 2007. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20071016043656/http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=301984" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20071016043656/http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=301984</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:5"><p>"Apple - Developer - Graphics & Imaging Overview". Archived from the original on November 20, 2004. Retrieved February 12, 2007. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20041120084353/https://developer.apple.com/graphicsimaging/overview.html" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20041120084353/https://developer.apple.com/graphicsimaging/overview.html</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
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Quartz (graphics layer) open-in-new

Quartz (graphics layer)