8 Reading Visual Texts

What are visual texts?

Visual text simply means a text that relies on images or pictures to express the message. This might include charts, graphs, infographics, cartoons, and visual rhetoric. Reading visual texts starts with the same reading process as a written text; for example, connecting to your prior knowledge or giving a brief preview. However, visual texts often need a strategy switch during reading, and choosing the best strategy depends on the type of visual. The following sections cover specific types of visual texts you are likely to encounter in college texts–and in your future career.

Chart: Charts are most often used to communicate “how many” in a way that compares one item to other items. For example, how many books were bought in comparison to how many videos or songs. Or, in the chart below, how many high school students graduates enrolled only in college compared to other options.

Graph: Graphs may be used to compare two or more things, but they are also used to compare the change in something over time. For example, how many books were bought in 2024 compared to 2023 or 2022. The graph below compares different types of tuition rates.

Infographic: Infographics share information by using numbers, pictures, and symbols with a smaller amount of words.

Cartoon: A cartoon found in an academic text communicates a political or social message in using a drawing with a short caption.

Visual rhetoric: A piece of visual rhetoric communicates its message mainly through an image (or a combination of images), leaving some interpretation open to the reader. Although it may contain words, the written text is often displayed through intentionally designed fonts, based on size and color.