Graphs

Graphs and Charts

YouTube Stats - how to create interesting looking graphs

 

Many publications that publish papers also require graphs and charts to visually represent data to be produced alongside. While programs such as SPSS, Excel and Google forms/sheets can produce graphs from the data entered, these graphs are not produced in a format suitable for printed publications.

While some publications may take graphs produced from these sources some will not. Usually these graphs will look fine when printed on an MFD (Multi-Function Device) within the university, however commercial print will show up any flaws within files and many design houses will require them in a specific format.

This format will usually be:

  • 300 dpi (dots per inch) Most software will only produce graphs and charts to 72 or 96 dpi which is for screen use only.
  • Files will also need to be set to the right colour space, CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black) or Greyscale rather than RGB (Red, Green, Blue).
  • They will also need to be saved as a lossless file. This will be a TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) rather than a Jpeg (Joint Photographic Experts Group).

On the ‘AppHub’ you now have access to a wide range of software, one program, Adobe Illustrator will allow you to create graphs and charts in the correct format as well as giving you the ability to customise them to better suit your audience.

You have a lot of freedom to design your graph/chart to suit your needs. Please see Adobe’s help pages or contact the TEL team for further advice: https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/using/graphs.html