The 5 Types of Graphics You Should be Using in Your Publications

The 5 Types of Graphics You Should be Using

We all know that graphics can add value to your documents. Why tell when you can show? But it’s not as simple as slapping in a graphic to fill space. To make visuals impactful, graphics should be thoughtfully considered and carefully placed. 

Graphics can:

  • make your document more appealing to read by breaking up large blocks of information. They’re like an oasis for the eye in a text desert.
  • set the tone for the overall message of your document, whether it be hope, progress, innovation etc.
  • help explain complex topics and processes by simplifying them with visuals.
  • highlight key info such as quotations and stats to allow for easy skimming.

So what types of visuals should you think about using? Here’s a list of types of graphics you may want to incorporate into your publication:

1. Photos

Often the most impactful images are those that are unique to your organization (either taken by a professional photographer or a staff member with some photography chops). If you have access to relevant, quality photos – use them! (Provided you have the rights/permission, of course).

Pros: Unique images that are fully aligned with your message.

Cons: Your “library” of images may be limited or what you do have may not be of the best quality (poor lighting, low resolution). Even if it’s “on theme”, avoid using poor quality images; it will bring down the overall quality of your document.

Stock Photography

If your internal photo bank is lean, an alternative is to purchase stock photography online. If you plan on using multiple images, look for photos with a similar style in terms of lighting, theme, etc. If you find an image you like, you can often search additional photos by the same photographer, which can help in terms of finding more photos with a similar style.

Pros: Low-cost alternative to hiring a photographer.

Cons: Others are able to purchase the same image as you. The images can often feel less authentic, especially if they’re overly posed.
Avoid overly posed stock photos.

2. Illustrations

There are many styles of illustration out there, so consider what will best compliment your content. You can hire a fine artist, graphic artist, or illustrator to create custom pieces.

Pros: Unique to your document.

Cons: Could be costly, takes time.
Stick with a consistent illustration style.

There are also stock illustration sites out there, with the same pros and cons as stock photography. There is a slight advantage (over stock photography) if vector files are purchased; these file types can be manipulated using certain software, such as Adobe Illustrator, allowing for customization/manipulation.

3. Callouts

Graphics don’t have to be just photos or images. You can break up large blocks of text by ‘calling out’ key nuggets of information. The most common callouts are quotes and statistics. These should look different than the rest of the text, whether it be larger, a different colour or font used. Make sure there is adequate white space (empty space) between the callout and the text around it so it doesn’t feel totally cramped. You don’t want to add to the congestion.

To add more visual separation, you can also place text callouts within shapes or add horizontal rules (lines) to set it apart from the main text.
Give callouts breathing room.

4. Infographics

You can help clarify complex processes for your readers by creating a visual breakdown of steps. You can also use infographics to tell the highlights of a story or journey.

There are sites available online that help you build your own infographics, but for anything beyond the most basic concept, I would recommend finding an expert designer who can visually translate a concept for you.

5. Data Visualization

Reinforce what’s described in the text with a visual representation of the data. This could be a: chart, graph, map, calendar, timeline etc.

Let the numbers and visuals do the talking by using minimal words – but make sure there are enough words that a reader can interpret the piece. Minimalist is good but it still needs to function.
Use minimal text on charts and graphs.

So, how many?

As with most things in life, there can be too much of a good thing. The text is still the “meat” of most documents and graphics are there to enhance the content, not be the stars of EVERY page. If everything is “important”, then nothing is.

So how many graphics should you use?

There’s no magic ratio of the number of graphics per page, as it should be dictated by the content. Generally, the longer the document, the lower the visual-to-page ratio.

For longer documents, such as reports, one graphic for every two pages would be a good starting point. Aim to have visuals at section breaks (chapters) to help with document navigation. For shorter documents (< 8 pages) you may have 2 or more graphics per page.

The rule is: support the text when needed. Go through your document to pick out the key point(s) on each page and identify what could benefit from some visual explanations, then find or create a visual to accompany it.

And if you only take away one thing, let it be this: avoid clip art at all costs

For the love of good design, please resist the urge to ‘jazz up’ your document with the tired clip art that comes standard with some office software. They may suffice for internal memos but they will (significantly) bring down the professional level of your work. The content may be amazing but if it looks cheap, it could affect the credibility of the overall piece –  at least based on initial perception.

Avoid clipart.
We do tend to judge a book by its cover. Make the right impression with quality content and smart graphics.

Share this

2 thoughts on “The 5 Types of Graphics You Should be Using in Your Publications

  1. Would be nice to have a further explanation of what an illustration is and the difference of a clip art. Use one but not the other, so more understanding of difference would be helpful.

    1. Good point! Clip art IS still illustration, but I find the images that often come pre-loaded in office software tend to look a bit goofy or unpolished. Although, I’m sure things have come a long way since I wrote this post. I’ve heard Office now offers icons that allow users to change the colour and style.

      Whichever graphics you decide to use, the main thing is to make sure the style fits the tone of the piece and that a consistent look and feel is maintained.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *