How Much Editing of Graphics Do You Do? - Summary

[Bruce Byfield <bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com>]

Thanks to everybody who took the time to answer. I received exactly 25 
replies on and off list. I tried to categorize the replies as best I 
could. If I had offered a complete list of different types of editing, I 
probably would have received more exact replies, but here's a summary of 
what I did receive:

- Only one person generally did nothing to graphics.

- Several said that how much editing they did depended on the type of 
project, the size of the audience, or the medium (on-line or paper)

- Almost everyone else considered editing graphics an important part of 
their work. Several said that they liked the change of pace that editing 
graphics

- PhotoShop was the most mentioned software, although Paintshop Pro, 
Corel Draw, and unspecified screen capture programs are also used.

- Cropping (18), Removing background noise (12), adjusting contrast and 
brightness (11) and creating mockups (11) were the most common graphic 
editing mentioned by those who replied. (I'm surprised here by the 
number of people who have to fake screen shots for one reason or another 
- usually because they're working with a beta version of the product and 
know or expect changes later)

- Remove Confidential Information received only 7 mentions. (I'm a 
little surprised; I expected that to be higher)

- The types of editing specifically mentioned are:

- Crop
- Eliminate moires
- Remove background noise
-Touch up photos
-Adjust contrast and brightness
-Resize
-Decrease file size
-Edit Background Errors
-Create Mockups of Shots
-Edit Illegible Text
-Convert Color to BW or Grayscale
-Create Line Drawings
-Add border
-Change file format
-Scan images
-Add Callouts and Inserts
-Remove Confidential or Objectionable Information

Conclusions?

First, many tech-writers edit graphics, and a small majority edit them 
heavily. Instructors take note: there seems to be room for at least a 
seminar, if not a short class in handling graphics.

Second, for once I can claim to be normal. Anal-retentive perfectionist 
that I am, I edit graphics as thoroughly as I have time for.

The writer who lead me to ask the questions seemed surprised that I did, 
and seemed to think that nobody else did. Not that I'm about to say "I 
told you so" to the writer, but I did wonder.

Thanks again, everybody.

--
Bruce Byfield 604.421.7177 bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com

"For they marry and go as the world rolls back,
They marry, and vanish, and die,
But their spirits shall live on the outside track
So long as the years go by."
- Henry Lawson, "The Outside Track"






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