RE: User documentation - drawings or photographs?

["technical writing plus" <doc-x -at- earthlink -dot- net>]

Photographs are more expensive in terms of maintenance and computer memory.
Drawings are less so. Good vector drawings ought to be a pleasure to behold
- but regardless of how the aesthetic effect is, drawings are in general
'easier' to look at than photos, because they are less dense (in the
information that they present) and usually they are designed in such a way
so that the user pays attention to just that one thing or feature that is
being illustrated. 

Not to say that photos are always out - sometimes they are needed. 

By the way, screenshots are a kind of photo, I suppose, but for the purpose
of this particular reply only, I'd consider them to be illustrations and a
kind of 'drawing'.

Jim Jones

-----Original Message-----
... Originally all the graphics in our user documentation (MS Word) were
done done in Corel Draw (vector).

We slowly introduced photographs for procedures (Photoshop is easier) but
the tendency is to slowly replace drawings with photographs. Some of these
drawings were originally created because the product did not exist yet but
most products were simply drawn with Corel Draw.

It was my impression that vector graphics for user documentation was "more
professional" even if we try to have nice photographs of the products.

So, what is the recommendation? Drawings or Photographs and why?..

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