Illustration Guidelines

visual elements, such as figures, charts, graphs, etc., in technical reports have specific purpose and convey specific information. Visuals are used to explain, illustrate, demonstrate, verify or support written material. Visuals are only valuable if their presentation is effective. The general guidelines for preparing effective visuals (illustrations) are as follows

1.

Reference all illustrations in the text

2.

Reference the data source

3.

Carefully plan the placement of illustrations.

4.

Specify all units of measure and the scale used in the drawing

5.

Label each illustration with an identifying caption and title. Include figure source, if it was obtained from another document

6.

Spell words out rather than using abbreviations

7.

When a document has five or more figures, include a list of figures at the beginning of the report.

8.

Avoid putting too much on an illustration