We live in a face-paced culture. That means that as communicators, we need to visual communication (newsletters, websites, bulletins, posters, etc.) need to make effective use of their space. Don't use more words than necessary, design the project in such a way that it makes people want to look at it, etc.

One tool to getting a message across quickly is effective images. This does not mean "more is better." Overloading on the clipart will distract a reader and might give them the impression of little real content. On the other hand, a graph showing the congregation's expenses verses giving may be more effective than the numbers. Rule of thumb: use what enhances your message!

To make the space you use for pictures effective, also make sure that your readers can see the pictures. Make sure photos are cropped (if needed) and made large enough that people can see the people in them (or any other subject matter). If you're using a lower quality copier for your newsletter, you might want to leave photos out entirely as some machines don't copy them well. Also make sure that the photos are high resolution (300 dpi is a good standard) to eliminate the pixilated look (when it gets grainy and you can see the little squares). Once in the publication, don't shrink or enlarge the images. Shrinking them will take up more memory than you need (the storage required for the image is the same as if it were larger, shrink it before you put it in the publication). Enlarging it reduces the resolution and distorts them.

Looking for more on working with your photos? Take a look at the handout from Pat Kelley's, (St. Olaf College), session at the August 10 Communicators' workshop.