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Subject:RE: How Much Editing of Graphics Do You Do? From:"Andrew Dugas" <dugas -at- intalio -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Wed, 6 Mar 2002 11:46:43 -0800
When writing new material, I try to stick with unedited screenshots (OK,
maybe a black border) and focus more on the callouts in the graphic Frame.
When updating, however, I sometimes find it easier to modify the shots I
have than to go through the trouble of getting the product to right state
with the same data, etc.
I have also found that much depends on product maturity/stability. Sometimes
a product in development can't give me the shot I need and I have to mock it
up.
WARNING - Too much mockup is very dangerous. More than once I've created a
mockup only to find a glaring inconsistencies later, like the cursor doesn't
represent the tool selected in a toolbar. And of course, these mistakes can
repeat through out a doc....
-----Original Message-----
From: bounce-techwr-l-88324 -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
[mailto:bounce-techwr-l-88324 -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com]On Behalf Of
jgarison -at- ide -dot- com
Sent: Wednesday, March 06, 2002 11:28 AM
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: RE: How Much Editing of Graphics Do You Do?
Yes, we use screen shots.
Yes, we crop. This is important to focus the reader's attention
appropriately.
Yes, we edit. (Often it's easier to fake the screen shot than it is to set
up the system to return the necessary data.) Once edited, it's saved and
used and reused.
We try to stick to two 'standard' sizes - 60% and 75% of original size. We
don't do additional size reductions for importance or page fit.
Our tool of choice for editing is Paint. Now, if only it would allow us to
save directly into GIF and JPG format ... for that, we use Fireworks (came
with Dreamweaver).
John
John Garison
Documentation Manager
IDe
150 Baker Avenue Extension
Concord, MA 01742
-----Original Message-----
From: Bruce Byfield [mailto:bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 06, 2002 1:55 PM
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: How Much Editing of Graphics Do You Do?
Yesterday, I was talking with another writer, and was surprised that his
attitude towards screen shots and photos in documentation was nearly the
opposite of mine.
Without mentioning my own attitudes for now, I was wondering: how much
do other people on the list edit graphics? Do you crop them? Clean up
moires? Remove writing in the background that's incomplete? Touch up
photos? Adjust contrast and brightness? Change their sizes to emphasize
their importance or improve page breaks? Is editing of graphics part of
your production routine, or do you just insert them and forget about them?
--
Bruce Byfield 604.421.7177 bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com
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