Pictures should always be scaled properly

Wednesday’s Production Tip for Graphic Designers

One of the first things I notice right away is if a picture is scaled properly.

I don’t know why, but a lot of designers out there, think that the picture should be proportioned by the space available and allocated to the picture.

So, if they draw a square (or rectangle) then the picture should fill the entire area.

2 Rules for including pictures in your document:

1. NEVER disproportionately scale your pictures (or, never scale the picture with different values for the vertical or horizontal) Always keep the dimensions the same.
2. NEVER flip the pictures on the horizontal.

C O N C L U S I O N :

I hate pictures that are stretched or distorted. I always say to myself, you’d never see that in a magazine!

And that second rule may sound a little weird, but trust me, in this day and age where everyone has tattoos, it can get a little confusing if suddenly the tattoo which is in reality on his right arm is suddenly for the purpose of this layout on his left.

FURTHER READING:

• Read here how pictures should always tell a story
• Read some more of my pet peeves of design here
  

Technorati Tags: Design, Design Theory, Pet Peeves, Tips & Techniques

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