Graphics Part1

Why use graphicsDifferent learning stylesMany things are hard to explain in textProvides interestRelationships are visual

Use relevant graphicsGraphic draws the eye First thing the reader will see on a pageChoose graphics that support and expand upon the textGive the graphics the same look & feel Use graphics appropriate to the audience

How relevantQuestions to ask is:What does the graphic add?Why bother?How does this enhance the material?Large, but not relevant graphics are distracting. The reader tries to make sense of it.

Same look & feelGive the graphics the same look & feel

All images are similar

Inserting graphics into textPlace after first text referenceAlways use a captionFigure captions go below Table captions go aboveDont leave excess white space either before or within the graphicMinimize use of boxes or lines around the graphic

Placement on the pageGraphic draws the eye First thing the reader will see on a pageA graphic is placed too low on the page, it pulls the eye to it and causes skipping of the material above it.Photographs of people are always the first thing noticed. If you have one, it must contribute to the communication.

Graphic numberingFigures and tables are numbered separately (If its not a table, then its a figure)Start both at 1 and continue to end of documentFolio numbering (1.3, 4.2) are only used when the document contains chapters

White space around graphic

Figures fit within the margins

What is perception difference?

Use of graphs

Avoid 3D graphs

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2D versus 3D

Bar versus line graphsBar Discrete dataLine Continuous data

Not interchangeableNot what looks best to you

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Avoid overly large simple graphs

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Use true scales (start at zero)

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Time scales left to right

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Use entire graph

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Have scale make sense

Data with rangesWhat if this was data from a customer satisfaction survey from each of your 52 stores. Overall customer satisfaction has not changed much (although the left hand graph uses poor scaling to make it seem it has. But the ranges between stores is much greater than the change in the average. Business decisions often need to focus on how to tighten up that range.

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Years

Wins

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Same info.Different scale.

Are they the same?

Putting graphs side by sideSales Revenue in USfrom 1981-1992Sales Revenue Outside USfrom 1981-1992

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Text and graph support each otherDuring the past four years the number of pages produced monthly by each writer has increased. In 1991, we produced 40 pages per month, in 1992 the production was 44 pages, in 1993 it was 55 pages, in 1994 it jumped to 58 pages, and in 1995 production was 60 pages per month. Figure 1 shows this change.Text just repeats the graph

Text and graph support each otherFigure 1 reveals a steady increase in page production. During the past four years the number of pages produced monthly by each writer has continued to increase at a rate of about 2 pages per year. Growing from 40 pages per month in 1991 to 60 pages per month in 1995. The jump between 1992 and 1993 occurred when we switched to Frame.Text interprets the graph

Color

Color in graphicsWeb has lots of colored figures, but most technical documents are produced in black and white.Loss of color can create a gray blob.Convert the graphic to BW with a image program, do not let the copier do it.

Gray scale9 steps of grayEye is best at lighter shades of grayFalse color is really gray scaleGrays are converted to colorEasier for eye to see/compare colors

Color and BW graphic

Changing images to grayscale

Color in printingEach color requires a separate printing step2 colors doubles the costFull colorUses 4 inksMost expensive printing processCrisp color requires coated paper (more $$$)

Color touching colorEye is very good at comparing two colors when they are closeVery poor at subtle differences when it cannot see the them or they are separatedTouching colors can be almost the sameThe more separation, the more contrast the color needs to be distinguishedIf not seen at same time, use different colors

Color contrast illusionHorizontal rows are the same color

Color blindnessAbout 10% of male audience is colorblindMust watch the color choices, especially on graphsNormalRed-greenBlue-yellow

Line drawing vs. photos

Line drawing or photoLine drawingEmphasis on specific partsCan remove extra materialSome things are too big to photographPhotoGives better overall imageContains lots of extra material

Power window switch

FedEx sort facility

Line drawings

Ethernet card imagesNote how shading helps in the drawing

Bitmapped graphicsWord uses graphics that are bitmapped. You can reduce, but not enlarge them without losing clarity.Bitmapped means they are made of lots of little pixels, with each pixel being one color.

Enlarged bitmapped graphic

ResizingPrograms can resize proportionally or not. Means both dimensions change equally.In essentially all Windows-based programs, use the corner handle bars.Shift-corner handle bars should cause a proportional resize

Resize example

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