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General: Screenshots are great for a visual aid when necessary.
Use screenshots sparingly: When something changesKnowledge Base contributors can insert images into their articles to illustrate directions or to clarify the information they present.

Screenshots of applications and webpages are useful visual aids when necessary. This article provides Knowledge Base contributors with basic standards and guidelines for the images they insert. 

Guidelines for Using Images

General

Use screenshots sparingly. When software, web pages, or procedures change, they are not as easy to update as plain text.
When to use screenshots: When  

Appropriate Use of Screenshots

Use screenshots when the instructional steps are complex or several actions are incorporated into a step or into many steps.

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Use your best judgment when deciding whether or not to add a screenshot.

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Consistency: All KB contributors should be using Consider if it is really necessary to insert an image. 

• Can I still clearly convey this information by writing it out?

• Will adding an image to this step add any value for the reader?

Consistency

All KB contributors should use a standard image capturing method . This will to allow for consistency among the KB article

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across all Knowledge Base articles. 

PCs and Macs have different image capturing methods. Use the method that is appropriate for your operating system. 

PC

• Use the Snipping Tool.

• Make sure you take your snip at a high enough zoom so that the resolution is maintained once you place your image into the article.

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Mac

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• Use the print screen function and crop the image.

• Make sure that the section you want to crop is not too small and that it will retain a high resolution when you input the image to your article.

Tip
title Tip
Remember, screenshot things as big as you can. You can always size down, but you cannot size upWhen you are writing an article in edit mode, you can edit the sizing of an image.

Images on the Page

Image

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Size

Screenshots should be big enough to get the point across without having to click on or enlarge the image.

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However, images that are too large can disrupt the end user's experience. Again, judgment here is essential. You need to ensure that you size the image

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so that

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:

• It does not extend past the text around it

  , and so that it

  .

• It is not too small

  either

  .

  Judgement is key here.Make sure your image

• It is not blurry.

• As a guide for how to size your image, consider that users should be able to clearly view the image contents without having to click on it.

Image

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• Images with a white background will get lost on a white page, so consider adding a 1x black border around the image.

Image Positioning

Screenshots should

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be inserted below

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written instructions

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Alt Text

Inputting Alt Text

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.

1. Place the cursor at the end of the preceding line of text.  

2. Hold down the Shift key. 

3. Press Enter. The cursor will shift to the next line without disrupting existing number formatting.

4. Press Shift + Enter again. You can, then, proceed with the rest of your article.   

Inputting Alternate Text (Alt Text)

Alternate text helps provide the context of images to users who use screen readers and other assistive tools by describing an image's content in words. When you add alternate text (also known as alt text) to an image, you do so under one of two conditions. You are either:

• Adding alt text to an image that has explanatory text above it.

• Adding alt text to an image that does not have explanatory text above it.

Images with Explanatory Text

Use null alt text when you have adequately described the purpose of the image in the text above the image. To insert null alt text, enter double quotes ("") into the alt text dialogue box. 

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Images without Explanatory Text

In this case,

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there is no explanation for the purpose of

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an image in the text above it. Because there is no explanatory text above the image,

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use descriptive alt

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text.

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• ALT TEXT EXAMPLE: WITH explanatory text above the image.
  • Use a NULL alt tag when you have adequately described the purpose of the image in the text above the image.

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