What a Difference an Image Makes

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What a Difference an Image Makes!

Need reasons to put images in your documents? There are many different reasons to use clip art, pictures, photos, drawings, and special graphic designs in the publications you produce. The goals of your publication will determine whether artwork is appropriate. Here are a few ways in which images help you reach your audience in an effective way:

• They capture—and hold—the reader's interest. In this time of colorful, slick marketing pieces and sophisticated Web pages, we need something that will make us take notice. A well-planned picture, whether it's a photo, a logo, or a drawing, can catch the reader's eye and get your document a closer look.

• They give the reader's eyes a break. It's a well-established fact that readers won't struggle through page after page of single-spaced text. They want healthy margins on the page, and they want both visual interest and rest—something that images on the page can give them. A well-placed image in a brochure can help lead the reader's eye from place to place. A diagram in a long report can provide a much-needed reading break.

• They support an idea in your story or report. An image in your document or on your Web page can help reinforce the theme or concept of your writing. If you're the publications director for a women's health center, for example, and you're creating your organization's annual report, photos of healthy, happy women help communicate your message and your mission. Likewise, in other documents, photos of products help build brand identity in your readers' minds, and organizational charts help befuddled staff understand who they report to in the aftermath of a corporate merger.

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