Re: How Much Editing of Graphics Do You Do?

[Jan Henning <henning -at- r-l -dot- de>]

>how much do other people on the list edit graphics?

When creating manuals, I routinely edit screenshots and other graphics
(in our case, almost exclusively line drawings). Here's what I do:

- Change inappopriate contents (e.g, if I do a screenshot of a list of
folders and they happen to be named "666", "CocaineHell", and "Crap",
I'll try to find names that fewer readers will find objectionable)

- Edit out artifacts left by add-on software the reader might not have,
so as not to confuse them.

- Edit out indications of the beta character of the software we often
have to use for screenshots.

- Crop the image to just show the desired elements (if for some reason
the screenshot had to be taken with irrelevant elements visible).

- Recalculate the resolution of line drawings (when the customer requests
them to be converted into bitmaps).

- If line drawings are required, I create or edit them within my limited
abilities.

Here's what I do not do:

- Muck around with brightness, contrast, or color management. (We
normally only do screenshots - so far none of image-editing software -
and monochrome line drawings, so there simply is no need.)

- Recalculate resolution in the image editor for screenshots.

- Create or edit graphics when this requires artistic capabilites.

As a rule, I do what is required to make the graphics look as I want
them, as long as I know how to do so and it does not take up too much time.

Hope this helps
Jan Henning

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Jan Henning
ROSEMANN & LAURIDSEN GMBH
Am Schlossberg 14, D-82547 Eurasburg, Germany

Phone: +49 700 0200 0700, Fax: +49 81 79 93 07 12
E-Mail: henning -at- r-l -dot- de, Web: www.r-l.de
Handelsregister: München HRB 99345
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