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Guidelines for Writing and Formatting Press Releases The Message The Length Lead Time Standards Format Fact Sheet Photos and Photo Captions |
Photos and Photo Captions in a press release need to follow these guidelines:
Photos are optional but may be included with staff appointments, new product releases or event announcements.
Hire a professional photographer, if possible.
Photos of people are more interesting when the people are in action, however simple head shots may be used for promotion or appointment announcements.
For newspapers, the usual format is a 5x7 or 8x10 black and white photo. It is a good idea to ask the publications about preferred photo size.
For magazines or newspapers that use color, you should also supply a reproduction-quality slide or indicate that color art is available upon request. (If a reporter calls and requests color art, ask when they need it and be certain to get it there.)
Photo captions should be written in present tense and in the active voice.
Photo captions should contain information on the who, what, where, when and why.
People in photos should be identified (from left to right) and the action in the photo described.
Captions, typed on paper, can be attached to photos with a paperclip or tape, as long as the photo is not damaged. The best method is to tape the caption to the bottom of the photo.
Information courtesy of the Small Business Administration.
