Graphics tips: Screenshots

Screenshots in tech docs: helpful or high-maintenance?

Screenshots are the potato chips of technical documentation. They’re easy to grab, but they're not always the healthiest choice.

Screenshots can clarify complex interfaces, confirm user actions, and reduce ambiguity. But there are risks: huge documents, outdated images, and translation headaches. Use them sparingly, as integral parts of your content model, and only when they add value!

Also, instead of pasting full-screen captures into your content, isolate key elements (easy and quick) or use mock-ups (a bit more work). Tools like Snagit and Illustrator allow layering, callouts, and blur effects. This makes your visuals cleaner and easier to localize.

Screenshots are most effective when they:

• Confirm the user is in the right place, or has achieved the correct result.

• Clarify a confusing GUI and thereby explain the visual language of the software.

• Stay version-proof and editable, which is always greatly appreciated by the user.