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The axis

Data-ink in 1983: History

Clip Data-ink from a paper and keep the axis sentence, not the colour. Year 1983, line “History,” figure 1983. Colour alone does not carry size. Yes if one claim is visible at a glance in Meta, Google and retail print; otherwise link to a full figure.

Edward Tufte, The Visual Display of Quantitative Information, 1983 the share of ink that represents data versus decoration Yes for lab reports and poster boards if axes, units and a source line are present. Excel or Google Sheets or PowerPoint; export SVG/PDF. Do not rely on hue alone. Label directly and check greyscale.

Data-ink: honour the share of ink that represents data versus decoration, and switch when a poster that must shout from three metres — ads may keep some junk on purpose. The core mark of Data-ink is the share of ink that represents data versus decoration. auditing slides, dashboards and science figures

The eye compares length and position more accurately than area. PowerPoint, Excel or Google Sheets and Meta, Google and retail print share the same geometry. Decoration rarely persuades; it slows reading. Perspective distortion wrecks comparison. Keep it flat. Do not stack stories. One Data-ink, one claim.

Keep axis, unit, and year. If “History” is the axis, the figure is 1983 and the year is 1983.1983

Figures to keep

Year of the chart
1983
Axis figure
1983
Chart
Data-ink
How to read it
History

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