Mastheads™
Studio
All ten editorial desks
Desk IX of X

Art Desk

The Art Desk creates the picture for an article while its words are checked.

  • Every article with images on
  • One desk, one job
  • Live
Where it sits
  1. IEditorial Director
  2. IISource Desk
  3. IIIPlanning Desk
  4. IVWriters Desk
  5. VFact Desk
  6. VIQA Desk
  7. VIIEditor-in-Chief
  8. VIIIStandards Desk
  9. IXArt Desk
  10. XProduction Desk

The Art Desk starts after the Writers Desk and works alongside the Fact, QA, Editor-in-Chief and Standards desks. Its picture rejoins the article before the Production Desk.

What it does

The Art Desk is the Mastheads editorial desk that creates the picture for an article with images turned on. It starts when the Writers Desk finishes and works alongside the checking desks, so the final words and the image arrive together.

The Art Desk reads the headline and standfirst to understand the subject and what it means, then creates the picture in your chosen visual style. Without that shared context, the picture could be generic or miss what makes the article specific. The desk makes no editorial decision about the facts.

One desk, one job. Nothing inside it is split into roles.

What it takes in

The Art Desk receives the headline and standfirst together, plus whether pictures are on and your chosen image style: realistic, editorial, illustration or minimal. The headline gives the subject and the standfirst adds its meaning. With that context the desk can focus entirely on the visual and make no decisions about the facts.

What it hands on

The Art Desk hands the Production Desk the picture, its address and origin, and alt text for screen readers. The picture follows the style selected in your settings and contains no text, logos or watermarks. The alt text is written again from the final headline and standfirst, so it describes the article as it now stands.

What it guarantees

4 things it holds to, on every article it touches.

  • The picture illustrates this article.

    The Art Desk receives the headline and standfirst together, taking the subject from the headline and its meaning from the standfirst.

  • Your chosen style carries through.

    Every picture follows the look selected in your settings.

  • Images stay clean.

    The Art Desk creates every picture without text, logos or watermarks.

  • Alt text matches the published article.

    Alt text is written again from the final headline and standfirst, so a screen reader describes the article as it now stands.

One example

A headline names a new phone that may look unfamiliar, and the standfirst explains that it is the maker's first folding phone. Together they lead the Art Desk to an image of a folding phone, which fits the article's subject better than a generic handset would.

On your article

A Mastheads article with images turned on shows the picture in your chosen style. Its alt text, the description a screen reader reads aloud, comes from the final headline and standfirst, so it matches the published article as it now stands.

Live. It works on every article with images turned on.

Questions

What people ask about the Art Desk.

What is the Art Desk in Mastheads?
The Art Desk is the Mastheads editorial desk that creates the picture for an article. It works only on articles with images turned on, reads the headline and standfirst, and follows the image style selected in your settings. It makes no editorial decision about the facts.
How does the Art Desk create an article image?
The Mastheads Art Desk reads the headline and standfirst together, taking the subject from the headline and its meaning from the standfirst. It then creates the picture in the style selected in your settings, without text, logos or watermarks.
Does Mastheads always add a picture to an article?
No. The Mastheads Art Desk works only on articles with images turned on, so an article with images off gets no picture from it. With images on, the Art Desk creates a picture for the article.
Which image styles does Mastheads offer for article pictures?
Mastheads offers four image styles for the Art Desk: realistic, editorial, illustration and minimal. You select the style in your settings, and every picture follows it.
Does a Mastheads article picture contain text, logos or watermarks?
No. The Mastheads Art Desk creates every picture without text, logos or watermarks, whichever image style you choose. Each picture follows the style selected in your settings and stays clean.
What is alt text and how does Mastheads write it?
Alt text is the written description of a picture that a screen reader reads aloud. The Mastheads Art Desk writes it again from the final headline and standfirst, so the description matches the article as it now stands.
When does the Art Desk make the picture?
The Mastheads Art Desk starts after the Writers Desk finishes and works alongside the Fact, QA, Editor-in-Chief and Standards desks. Its picture rejoins the article before the Production Desk, so the final words and the image arrive together.
Does the Art Desk check or change the facts in an article?
No. The Mastheads Art Desk makes no editorial decision about the facts and focuses entirely on the visual. It works alongside the Fact, QA, Editor-in-Chief and Standards desks, which do the checking.
What does the Art Desk hand to the Production Desk?
The Mastheads Art Desk hands the Production Desk the picture, its address and origin, and alt text for screen readers. The Production Desk receives the picture from the Art Desk and brings it into the finished article.
Why does the Art Desk read the standfirst as well as the headline?
The Mastheads Art Desk reads the headline and standfirst together to understand the subject from the headline and its meaning from the standfirst. Without that shared context, the picture could be generic or miss what makes the article specific.
What kind of picture does the Art Desk make for a real headline?
Take a headline that names a new phone, with a standfirst saying it is the maker's first folding phone. The Mastheads Art Desk reads both and creates an image of a folding phone, which fits the article's subject better than a generic handset would.
Where does Mastheads store the generated article picture?
Mastheads stores generated images on its CDN and embeds their URLs in the published article. The Art Desk hands the Production Desk the picture together with its address and origin.
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