Integrating Visuals into Technical Documents

General Practices for Tables & Figures

Other pages in this section refer to some of these guidelines. However, integrating visuals into text is important enough to warrant a summary of common guidelines for using visuals.

Placing Visuals within a Document

Identify places in text where visuals will increase your communication’s usability and persuasiveness. In general, put visuals as close as possible to their accompanying text, but make sure that they do not alter the flow of the text. Introduce each visual in the text first, and always make sure that visuals have accompanying text; no visual should stand alone. Visuals enhance text.

Title Placement for Visuals

Place table titles above the table, since we read from top to bottom. Place figure titles below the figure, since a reader’s eye will go to the image first before the text.

Numbering Visuals

Number the titles so that there’s a clear relationship between the visual and the text information the visual represents. For most documents, use regular numbers in sequence (not roman numerals or letters), for example Table 1, Table 2, Figure 1, Figure 2. If you have a very lengthy technical document with a large number of sections and a large number of visuals in each section, you may label by section, e.g., Table 1.3, Table 2.6, Figure 1.7, Figure 4.4.

Citing Visuals

If you’ve taken a visual from another source, include a footnote at the end of the title, and the full citation at the end of the page or the document. You may also opt to mention that source as part of the title; you still need the footnote in most cases.

Referring to Visuals

Whenever you use a chart or graph, refer to it in your text by number and/or name. Do not refer to it by location (“the photograph above” or “the table below”).

Explaining Visuals in the Text

Your text usually offers fuller explanation, analysis of, and/or conclusions drawn from the information provided in the visual. Remember that visuals provide information in shorter form; your text provides information in full.

sample chart integrated into text

Note that the text immediately before and after the chart calls attention to the chart and briefly indicates its significance.

 

In recent benchmark tests performed by PC Magazine, all three of the systems compared here performed at or near the same levels. [1] The Micron system comes out on top with slightly better average scores, as shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5. Benchmark ratings of system performance [1]

It is important to note that the Gateway P5 system used in these tests was equipped with 256K Pipeline Burst cache—a feature not present in the basic configuration noted in Figure 5. The lack of secondary cache in Pentium systems is widely regarded to result in a decrease in system performance of up to 30%.

Level of Information in Visuals

Make sure your visuals are appropriate to your audience, subject matter, and purpose. Don’t overload non-technical audiences with highly technical information in visuals.

Clarity

Make sure visuals are clear and easy to read. Text within a visual should be sized appropriately.