Tech Biz Writing

Technical illustrations need to be checked in much the same way as the accompanying text. In complex drawings, authors should watch particularly for omissions of lines or annotations. Annotations may be direct or indirect. That is, set on the drawing, or keyed to a separate table. In the latter case all cross-referencing should be confirmed.

The following checklist suggests points to look for when vetting a technical illustration:

* Has the specification been adhered to?
* Is the format correct?
* Are there any technical inaccuracies?
* Is the titling correctly placed and worded properly?
* If the illustration is to be reduced, is the lettering readable?
* Is the page identity or figure number accurate?
* Is the security marking present and correct?
* Is the layout and composition clear?
* Is the line thickness to spec and uniform?
* Are cross-references correct, or hyperlinks live and true?
* For double-page spreads, is the material across the fold readable?
* For simulated shadow-lines, are these placed correctly and uniformly?
* If a variety of tints are used, have they been correctly indexed?

For more detail in this peripheral area for the author, there are many good books available.

Next: 41. Materials and Equipment.

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 3rd, 2006 at 6:41 pm and is filed under Technical Writing, Publishing, Documentation, Photography, Digital Cameras, Technical Vetting, Editing, Illustrations. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.