RE: Screenshots Too Light

["Karen Field Carroll" <kfcarroll -at- cox -dot- net>]

Can....of....worms....everywhere....
Yes, usability is an issue. It's been discussed. I'm just trying to help the
user in my own little sphere of control. Also, I don't want to make them
significantly different, just easier to read.

Robert, not professionally printed, just printed. Our users are folks who
won't necessary think to use or like using online help, so I've gotta allow
that they'll print the docs.

Thanks everyone. Going back to experimenting with some of the advice I've
gotten privately.
Karen

-----Original Message-----
From: Combs, Richard [mailto:richard -dot- combs -at- Polycom -dot- com] 
Sent: Friday, August 21, 2009 2:37 PM
To: Karen Field Carroll; techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: RE: Screenshots Too Light

Karen Field Carroll wrote: 
 
> I'm using SnagIt for screenshots, which I love, but the Web sites I
> document
> use light-colored objects, such as baby-blue buttons, and my graphics
> always
> appear way too light in the guides. I've tried experimenting with
SnagIt's
> contrast features, but I don't think I'm doing it right. Does anyone
have
> any ideas on how to darken page objects without darkening the whole
image?

Well, you can do that using just about any graphics program more
sophisticated than MS Paint (including a number of free ones). But I'm
not sure you should. 

First of all, if these buttons are so light that they're hard to see in
a screen shot, somebody should think about their usability on screen.
What about people with vision deficits or the elderly, or those with
less than optimum monitor size, placement, and brightness/contrast
settings? 

Second, if you make your screen shots look significantly different from
the what your readers will see, they may serve to confuse instead of
clarify. 

Richard


Richard G. Combs
Senior Technical Writer
Polycom, Inc.
richardDOTcombs AT polycomDOTcom
303-223-5111
------
rgcombs AT gmailDOTcom
303-777-0436
------





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