8.9: Special ideas for editing visual materials
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Most of the concepts and techniques described in this chapter focus on editing text, but they can also apply to other technical materials. This section will address ideas specific to editing visual elements.
Consider these six concepts when you edit visuals:
Appropriateness
- Decide if text, an image, or a combination of the two is most effective.
- Match the type of image (e.g., table, bar chart, scatterplot, pie chart, Gantt chart, flowchart, map, line drawing, cutaway, cross-section) to the idea/thing being discussed.
- Match the illustration's emotional tone to the subject matter's emotional tone.
- Follow established design conventions.
Clarity
- Use contrasting colors. Bright colors and dark shades attract the most attention.
- Make sure the visual elements' layout follows consistent rules on the screen or page.
- Omit any "non-data pixels" that do not carry information.
- Place an illustration next to the text that references the illustration.
- Explain every illustration's content and relevance in the text, preferably before the illustration appears.
- Label and caption every illustration.
- Use the correct type of label.
- Use a sequential numbering pattern.
- Number tables and figures separately.
- Include "white space" (blank space) around illustrations.
Emphasis
- Use arrows, callouts, and boxes to highlight elements that a user will find important, but don't go overboard.
Ethics
- Avoid images that exclude categories of people or play to stereotypes.
- Avoid inhumane images that downplay effects on people.
- Follow copyright law and create, cite, and/or pay for images.
- Use undistorted images of the actual object.
- Use realistic numbering scales that display quantitative differences in context.
Size
- Strike a balance between making images large enough to see details but not so large as to waste space.
- Minimize images' file sizes, but avoid making the images grainy.
Cost
- Compare the cost of publishing images to your printing budget. Color pixels are free, but color ink is expensive, and projects that require a professional printer can be very expensive.