Imagine This!
Using images in documents, whether social media posts, embedding into emails or course content, can help make a document come alive, but taking the time to make it accessible will make it enduring. Learn tips and tricks for creating images and make them accessible for all who interact with them.
Workshop Recording & Slides
Please see the recording of our workshop and the slides with speaker notes, or review the step by step guidance below.
Consideration when choosing images
Purpose
Understand the purpose of your poster or flyer. Is it advertising an office, service, or event? Knowing the purpose will ensure you select appropriate images. Although some people like to throw curve balls or create evocative images that stray from the topic, most of the audience will focus on that, not your message or event.
Image Format
What is the size of the promotion (flyers, postcards, postcards or even email). Select an image where the dimension fits in the available space, which will not overwhelm the text, or other required images.
File Type
JPEG / .jpg is a format that is good for posters and flyers when using photo-realistic images, because it maintains quality and is relatively small in storage size.
PNG’s (Portable Network Graphics) are used if you need sharper images, transparent backgrounds, and text overlaid the image.
GIF’s support animations, but are not typically used for print or “static” promotion like posters and flyers, mostly for electronic communication like email and text messages.
Generating images with AI
Artificial intelligence tools can generate images based on the prompts that you provide. For example the images of the collegiate-looking brick buildings were generated with DALLE. Two tools for generating images are:
The Artificial Intelligence in Teaching & Learning page of the STCC library has a wealth of information on working with AI. It includes guidance for citing content obtained from AI.
Alt Text for your images
Alt text, or alternative text, is presented to someone using a screen reader, and allows them to hear a description of an image. Alt text may also be displayed on the screen if the image fails to load due to a slow connection or other technical difficulty. Alt text should be kept short, but informative, so that your readers who cannot see your image can still understand the information it conveys. Alt text is context specific and relates to the meaning that the image presents in your specific flyer. Alternative text for graphics, such as cartoons or charts, needs to include any text presented in the graphic while describing the overall meaning. See more on adding Alt text in Google Slides. To add Alt text:
Right-click on your image, and select Alt Text from the menu.
Add a short phrase in the Description box. You do not need to say “image of” as part of your description. Only use words like “photograph of” or “painting of” if the type of image is important to the context.
Distributing your images
Export to a PDF
A PDF document preserves the layout and design of your image while maintaining accessibility. A PDF is a great choice for flyers, memes, and graphs that combine images and text. Grackle, a Google chrome extension licensed for STCC use, creates an accessible PDF from your Google slide. To export to a PDF using Grackle:
From the Extensions menu select Grackle.
Click Launch.
If this is your first time suing Grackle, follow the prompts to allow Grackle access to your Google Slides.
On the Grackle Slides menu, select Export to PDF.
In the Progress Monitor window, select Start.
Once the PDF is processed, you will have the option to View or Download. The PDF document is also saved in your Google Drive. You can see the folder location by expanding the Options menu.
The PDF document can be shared as an email attachment or printed. STCC has a Copy Center that can help you with printing needs.
Download as a PNG or JPEG
A PNG or a JPEG file can be downloaded from Google Slides. These file types create static images with a smaller file size that can be added to other materials that you create such as presentations or email communications. Use a JPEG for photos and drawings. A PNG is best for graphics and logos. Remember, that to ensure accessibility you will need to add Alternative Text for you image in the final document. To download your image from Google Slides:
Hover over File, and select Download.
Select your desired file format.
You will be asked for the folder location where you want to save your image.
