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Re: Edge effect on cropped screenshots?

Subject: Re: Edge effect on cropped screenshots?
From: "William Sherman" <bsherman77 -at- embarqmail -dot- com>
To: <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Wed, 8 Jun 2011 10:54:07 -0400

I've done many manuals with screen shots and partial screen shots. What is driving Rick crazy is not the fact that the button or toolbar floats alone, but that the writer failed to convey the proper information. An overall view of the screen needed to be given as a locator prior to showing buttons only or toolbars only. A recent operator's manual had several layers of menus, buttons, and such that obviously had to be shown alone to convey information, but they were proceeded in the section by an overall view of that menu or screen. Actually, in the case of this software, these menus and toolbars could actually float anywhere on the screen, so the reference was only a suggestion as a "typical" view.

Borders and edging often gets in the way, but with partial screen shots, having a white background makes the partial screen shot blend with the page too much and borders help. But then consistency is necessary, so you need borders on all pictures and images, which looks very '70s or '80s. the best is to have a colored screen background that is plain and unobtrusive yet clearly shows a screen.


----- Original Message ----- From: "Rick Stone" <rstone75 -at- kc -dot- rr -dot- com>
To: "Al Geist" <al -dot- geist -at- geistassociates -dot- com>
Cc: <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Sent: Tuesday, May 31, 2011 10:39 AM
Subject: Re: Edge effect on cropped screenshots?


Hi Al

Interesting - I never considered an edge effect to be along the lines of a "high school gimmick". As with anything, they can be overused as well as inappropriately used. But I find them invaluable when you are trying to coax the user to view only a section of an area. They provide the immediate feedback that there is much more involved with the screen or dialog in question but we are only concerned with this area.

One thing that drives me crazy as an end user is when authors choose to only capture the button or toolbar in question and present that. I find that this technique fails (at least it fails for *ME* as a reader) because I'm not oriented to *WHERE* the object is on the Screen or Dialog.

My question would be to ask you what (if anything) you elected to replace the screen captures with?

Cheers... Rick :)

On 5/29/2011 5:39 PM, Al Geist wrote:
I once inherited manuals that used fancy edges, marching ants, and a host of
other "special" effects by a writer who use them to cover up totally
inadequate content. They're gone and he's gone and the customers are much
happier because the manuals address their problems and not high school
gimics.

-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+al -dot- geist=geistassociates -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+al -dot- geist=geistassociates -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On
Behalf Of Di
Sent: Sunday, May 29, 2011 6:24 PM
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: Edge effect on cropped screenshots?

Question: if you crop screenshots to be used in printed and online software
documentation, do you use an edge effect and if so, what?

Background to question: Our software development company uses screenshots in
our release notes and training materials. These are primarily used in PDF
format, both online (release notes) and printed form (training materials).
We print training materials and user guides in grey scale. Clients also get
the pdfs so they have the option to print in colour. The release notes are
also available in CHM.......... I inherited a standard for cropped
screenshots - to use a shark tooth border. This standard was around back in
the dot matrix days that I remember very well, and so I think it is probably
a very old-fashioned effect, now. I'm tempted to drop the standard
altogether - just crop without an edge effect. My justification for the
change could be that we crop screenshots to eliminate the unnecessary and
draw attention to the essential information. An edge effect is at
cross-purposes with this purpose. Cropped screenshots should not need an
edge effect. However, the truth is that I cannot think of anything better!
I've Googled on this a few times and not come up with anything.

Thanks and regards,
Di
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