Apple 2 manual Designing Picture Buttons

C H A P T E R 3

Controls

its picture has an unbroken line around it—a sort of self-border. Figure 3-8 shows where you should omit picture button borders and where you should keep the borders.

Figure 3-8Where to use borders with small, self-bordered picture buttons

Avoid borders on a separator bar, but use them on a status bar or at the bottom of a slip

Don’t add borders to self-bordered buttons on a separator bar, and don’t omit them on a status bar or at the bottom of a slip

Designing Picture Buttons

Picture buttons are tempting to use because they are more compact than text buttons. But designing an unambiguous picture small enough for a picture button is very hard. A button’s function may be more evident if you label it with a short name instead of a picture.

Avoid pictures that look like the buttons of other applications, such as Names and Dates. Users may think your look-alike button will open the corresponding built-in application, and may be confused if your buttons do something else.

3-8Buttons