Definition: The caption is a phrase, sentence, or paragraph describing the contents of an illustration such as a photograph or chart. The caption is usually placed directly above, below, or to the side of the picture it describes. Similiar to captions, a call out is usually more label-like in nature, identifying specific elements of a photo or illustration while a caption is more of a general description of the photo.
After headlines and graphics, captions are the third most looked at portion of most printed pages. Captions provide an opportunity to both explain the illustration and summarize the accompanying story. Well-written captions are one more opportunity to pull the reader into the publication.
Ways to make captions more readable and to keep them from being mistaken for body copy:
- Contrast (type size, type style, alignment, color)
- Space (keep separate from body copy but close to illustration, use rule lines to separate, place captions in margins)
- Proximity (group and number the illustrations or provide a familiar pattern such as "left to right" or "clockwise from the top")
- Brevity (edit carefully, avoid long captions under wide paragraphs, consider using 2 columns with a wide alley)
- Consistency (same type, color, alignment, etc. throughout a publication)
Page Layout Terms Related to Captions: call out | A-Z Glossary
For Further Study Related to Captions: 5 Step Ad Formula | Mug Shot Creativity
Also Known As: call out | label
