INTRODUCTION
Considering the size and complexity of today's Army, it is hard for commanders to keep track of the
multitude of information they receive on a daily basis. Everyday, commanders receive statistical data
and operational information that guides them in their decision-making process. They must receive this
data clearly and in a timely fashion to make their command decisions.
With the use of visual aids, you can prepare this data for presentation shortly after receipt. You must be
able to prepare these aids easily and quickly, and in a fashion that lets you change or update them as
required. The use of visual aids makes it possible to take quicker action and to cover more vital
information than otherwise possible.
This part of the lesson describes the basic techniques you use for preparing VGTs for projection. You
will learn to prepare the master copy for the overlay. In part B of the lesson, you will learn to transfer
the master to diazo film. You will go through the steps to expose and develop the film, and then
mount it in a permanent protective frame.
PART A - IDENTIFY VIEWGRAPH COMPONENTS
The preliminary information you need for preparing viewgraph overlays is projectional design and the
lettering size. To communicate ideas or to show information properly, your overhead projections
(viewgraphs) should be simple, direct, and to the point. The illustrations should be pleasing to the eye,
but do not lose the meaning of the message by using fancy frills or unnecessary detail. Another
important factor is legibility. To ensure that your graphics are effective, make them visually fluent,
conveying the requestor's ideas clearly and concisely. As with your map overlays, simplicity should be
your watchword when making VGTs.
1. Design.
You design VGTs and VGT overlays to project on a screen using an overhead projector. The VGTs are
usually 7 1/2 inches by 9 1/2 inches (aperture area). The glass surface of most overhead projectors is 10
X 10 inches. Although you can use all the projector's glass surface for projection, you should avoid
using the outer edges, as this causes distortion at the extremes.
When you design your VGT, use a horizontal format. This means that you place the 9 1/2-inch
dimension of the VGT horizontally on the projector. The horizontal format is preferable to a vertical
format, as some parts of vertical VGTs are difficult to see in some environments. Horizontal formatting
also ensures that the projected image fills as much of the viewing screen area as possible.
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