This video discusses several important formatting and design considerations that you need to remember when creating and uploading graphics. File extensions are groups of letters that occur after the period in a file name. File extensions indicate the format of the file.
File extensions we use for graphics include.png and.jpg. In the Windows operating system, One way to find a files extension is by right-clicking on a file, selecting Properties, and reading the Type of File in the General tab. In the Mac operating system, one way to find a files extension is by clicking on a file, selecting File off the Mac's top menu bar, then selecting Get Info, and reading the file name and its extension in the Name tab.
and extension selection area. It's important to remember to upload the required file type for any assignment. Other file types you may expect to use include.pdf for Adobe PDF documents,.docx for Microsoft Word documents, and.xlsx for Microsoft Excel documents.
Well-constructed graphics are essential in any science class because they communicate important information to users. That information should be sharply rendered, free from any extraneous graphic elements that detract from a user's experience, and free from pixelation. If creating a graph in Microsoft Excel, use the Format tab to change the size of your graph to enhance a user's experience.
Note that if the graph is too small, too large, or has too much vertical or horizontal dimension, a user's experience will suffer. When in doubt, consider how the size of the graph you create would look on an 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper. A reasonable size to try is a height of 6 inches and a width of 10 inches. Always avoid including any extra white space around your finished graph.
In MS Paint, accomplish this by dragging the small white squares of the canvas background into a small size. Note that the pixel size of the white background is stated at the bottom of MS Paint. A canvas background size less than 300 by 300 pixels is a good size to render prior to pasting your graph into MS Paint.
To copy a graph from Microsoft Excel into MS Paint, Right-click the graph, select Copy, then go to MS Paint, right-click on the white canvas, and select Paste. Save your graph as a standalone graphic by selecting File, then Save As, and selecting the required file extension. To avoid pixelation, never enlarge your graphic or resize it in any way within MS Paint. This stretches and distorts the pixels.
creating a fuzzy graphic that detracts from a user's experience. If using a screen snipping program, remember to cleanly snip your finished graph. Avoid including any cells behind your graph, as well as any draggable anchors surrounding your graph.