How much is too much?

#1 Posted by JediXMan (22917 posts) - 10 months, 29 days ago - Show Bio

My apologies for asking what I am sure might be annoying questions, but...

How many images in an article is too many? Is there a picture-to-text ratio that should be followed?

#2 Posted by pikahyper (6598 posts) - 10 months, 29 days ago - Show Bio

@JediXMan: The best ratio is one image for every four standard length paragraphs (using this ratio you shouldn't be able to see more then 2.5 images in the viewable browser window at a time) but 1 image per paragraph is pretty common unfortunately. There are some instances where images are used more often though, for example listing Other Media types where each requires an image i.e. video games, movies or novels.

Moderator

#3 Posted by JediXMan (22917 posts) - 10 months, 29 days ago - Show Bio

@pikahyper said:

@JediXMan: The best ratio is one image for every four standard length paragraphs (using this ratio you shouldn't be able to see more then 2.5 images in the viewable browser window at a time) but 1 image per paragraph is pretty common unfortunately. There are some instances where images are used more often though, for example listing Other Media types where each requires an image i.e. video games, movies or novels.

How about the Tahiri page? Check that out, let me know. I put one image into each "phase" of her life that was relevant.

#4 Edited by pikahyper (6598 posts) - 10 months, 29 days ago - Show Bio

@JediXMan: Looks perfect to me, only 2 to 2.5 images are viewable at any given time while scrolling. I'd recommend breaking up that massive paragraph for the Second Galactic Civil War section though into at least two paragraphs.

Moderator

#5 Posted by Mercy_ (83388 posts) - 10 months, 29 days ago - Show Bio

My thing with images is this

Make sure it's appropriate to what you're putting it with. IE a picture of Iceman using his powers for the powers section. Or a picture of Scott with the Phoenix ~~and Dick Grayson's rip off costume~~ for an AvX section. Don't throw an image in there just to throw it there.
Images are NOT required. If there are so many images in an article (and the paragraphs are short), it can warp the formatting. In cases like that, less is more.
Make sure it's a good quality image. Again, don't just throw it in there to throw it in there.

Moderator

#6 Posted by Billy Batson (54321 posts) - 10 months, 29 days ago - Show Bio

as long as it looks good :p
BB

Online

#7 Posted by RazzaTazz (7894 posts) - 10 months, 28 days ago - Show Bio

@JediXMan said:

My apologies for asking what I am sure might be annoying questions, but...
How many images in an article is too many? Is there a picture-to-text ratio that should be followed?

I know it is tempting to add images, doing so is worth 25 points and is an easy way to accumulate points. Unfortunately because of that a lot of people over do images. Out of my 100k plus points I would say no more than 1 k of that has come from adding images. As Mercy said they really are designed just to highlight something specific about a character, as for general image information there is always the galleries. Really as far as the site works it would be much easier to sort out the galleries into relevant fields than to put a bunch of images on the page.

Moderator

#8 Posted by aztek_the_lost (30738 posts) - 10 months, 28 days ago - Show Bio

@RazzaTazz said:

@JediXMan said:
My apologies for asking what I am sure might be annoying questions, but...
How many images in an article is too many? Is there a picture-to-text ratio that should be followed?
I know it is tempting to add images, doing so is worth 25 points and is an easy way to accumulate points. Unfortunately because of that a lot of people over do images. Out of my 100k plus points I would say no more than 1 k of that has come from adding images. As Mercy said they really are designed just to highlight something specific about a character, as for general image information there is always the galleries. Really as far as the site works it would be much easier to sort out the galleries into relevant fields than to put a bunch of images on the page.

I do this (making galleries super sorted and such)...not that I've ever pulled it off because other people upload crap and I don't know where it comes from but I think galleries should be more easy to navigate personally when you want to find a specific image

and really I've always felt you would just know when you have the appropriate amount of images but apparently some people don't because there are some horrible pages sometimes where people just overload it with images, you shouldn't ever have a situation where images are so plentiful or close together they are screwing up the page format, then if images are still necessary, you can link to them

Moderator

#9 Posted by RazzaTazz (7894 posts) - 10 months, 28 days ago - Show Bio

Also while on the subject, always float images to the right on wiki pages except in rare exceptions. The exceptions are so rare that probably only mods or staff or anyone above 100 k in points knows when to use them.

Moderator

#10 Posted by JediXMan (22917 posts) - 10 months, 28 days ago - Show Bio

Typically, I don't use a lot of images. The Kyle Katarn page has a few images, but they're spaced out and relevant to what's happening. The only time were were a few in rapid succession were in three separate categories: the first was part of the character's history (picture of the first Sith Lord he ever fought), second was powers/abilities (picture of one of his earliest duels), and the third was the character's portrayal (picture of the actor).

as long as it looks good :pBB

as long as it looks good :p
BB