Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Complementing
Images
with
Text
for
Stronger
Messages
Images can improve recognition and recall, and images combined with text can make
for an even stronger message—as long as the text and images reinforce the same
message. Photographs are powerful on their own and can be used to form their own
narrative, but when we combine text with photos, we alter the meaning just a bit. The
placement, style, and meaning of the text within the picture all have a part in guiding the
viewer's interpretation of the image. This goes both ways, of course. An image can also
change the meaning of text. Notice in the simple examples that follow how the meaning
changes. The photograph alone may have several different meanings depending on your
interpretation; once we add text, the message changes.
Notice how the meaning changes when text is added to the slides above. (Image in slides from
iStockphoto.com
.)
