Graphic types and quality

Graphics in your article or tutorial should be necessary, readable, and appropriate. The size and file format of the graphics you deliver also affect their quality.
Necessity
Graphics are used to enhance, explain, or illustrate the messages of the content. They should not be underused or overused. For example, if you want to tell readers what to enter or type into a command window, it’s generally better to provide a code listing, rather than a screen capture, with your article or tutorial. A listing is more compact in size, and readers can easily cut and paste the code into their application. Ultimately, whether and where to include graphics are editorial decisions. Your developerWorks editor can help you determine what sorts of graphics will enhance your article.
Readability
All graphics should be of high quality and legible. Any text in the graphic should use sentence-style capitalization and a 12-point Arial font, and should exclude captions and borders. Graphics should also use the developerWorks Web-safe color palette. The graphic design team may adjust the text style and colors in the graphic as needed.
Appropriateness
Out of consideration for developerWorks' worldwide audience, take care to avoid visual elements that are meaningful only to a particular geography or that could be construed as controversial. For example, don't use holiday symbols, religious symbols, hand gestures/images, mailboxes, country-specific flags and maps, jets/airplanes, nuclear weapon symbols, or any kind of weaponry symbols.
Size
All graphics, including technical illustrations, screen captures, and photographs, should not exceed 572 pixels in width and 800 pixels in height at 72 dpi. See Size of screen captures for additional detail about this particular type of graphic.
File formats
These file formats are acceptable for your graphics: .psd, .ai, .pdf, .tif, .png, .eps, .gif, .jpg, and .bmp. If you wish to use other formats, check with your developerWorks editor. For advice on the best format to use for saving your screen captures, see File formats for screen captures.

As an author, you can help ensure these five basic requirements for quality are met. Direct any questions to your developerWorks editor. Once you've submitted your graphics, the developerWorks graphic design team ensures that they meet additional developerWorks-specific requirements for color, text style, and image style.