If you’re lucky enough to have clear vision, a good internet connection, and a large monitor, you can probably read the text above without much trouble.
However, you are probably out of luck if you:
- Are using a small screen
- Need to enlarge text to make it legible
- Need to adjust color or contrast of text to meet your needs
- Rely on a screen reader for onscreen text
- Can't download images for any reason
Accessibility Equals Flexibility
To make materials accessible, we need to give users the ability to adjust text to meet their particular needs. When we embed text inside an image and place that in our materials, we lock in the size, contrast, and layout of the text.
Worse, screen readers cannot read text inside images. Neither can search engines or the search bar in any Microsoft products. For these essential tools, the text is functionally invisible. For all users, it’s not clickable, not copy/paste-able, and not searchable.
Best Practices for Text in Images
You don’t have to swear off attractive graphics with well-designed typography. Images do have impact for many users! Just follow these best practices when using text in a graphic:
- Use alternative text so all users understand the purpose of the graphic.
- Limit text to a brief, high-impact message. Put all essential details (like time, date, and location of an event) in the body of your email or document.
- Make sure any info in a graphic gets conveyed in text. For images like a newspaper clipping or book page, provide the full text either below or available via link.
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