[Covenantor]

Found Tufte’s book, “The Visual Display of Quantitative Information” back in 1983 while browsing the new arrivals display at NYC McGraw-Hill store, my chief technical reference source back then. That poster was included with the book. Had it framed and hanging in my studio space for years.

Data to ink ratio, never lose track of that in data presentation...when the data is prime then it was designed to inform, high ink ratio indicates ignorance of data significance or an effort to obsure data significance...as a general rule

[rlmorel]

"...Data to ink ratio, never lose track of that in data presentation...when the data is prime then it was designed to inform, high ink ratio indicates ignorance of data significance or an effort to obsure data significance...as a general rule..."

Boy, if there was ever a graph to support your statement, it would be that elegant graph I posted (and the one that is the subject of this thread)

[FreedomPoster]

Are you still in the NYC area? Have you ever been to his gallery?

I like his sculpture, wish I could have made it to one of his farm open houses to see the really big stuff.

[poconopundit]

...when the data is prime then it was designed to inform, high ink ratio indicates ignorance of data significance or an effort to obscure data significance...as a general rule.

* * *

I like that rule. And I would add, a very low graphic to text ratio may indicate a lack of imagination in "selling" the data -- or making it more readable to those interested.

Over the years, magazines like Fortune and National Geographic have excelled in data presentation.

But if you search on infographics, most of what you see are examples of high ink ratio -- distracting from understanding.

Sometimes you see a splendid combination of art and information as in this one of wine tasting. Preview below.