Choose colors carefully.

Many colors have religious or political significance, such as those that are found on flags or used for country or region–specific holidays. Neutral colors are usually all right.

Choose simple or generic images that are appropriate worldwide.

Soccer players and equipment, generic landscapes, pens and pencils, international highway signs, and historic artifacts such as the Egyptian pyramids are examples of worldwide images.

Be especially careful to avoid images that are offensive in some cultures, such as holiday images and situations, whether work or social, involving men and women. Do not use hand signs: nearly every hand sign is offensive somewhere.

Do not use art based on English idioms, such as using a line of cars and a jam jar to indicate a traffic jam.

Limit graphics and animations on the web. In some countries or regions, users pay for telephone calls by the minute, and long page loading times can be expensive.

For localized content, do not use text in graphics unless you have no other choice.

Some worldwide users use automatic translation software to read English content. This software does not translate text in graphics. In addition, it is expensive to localize graphics, and graphics can present accessibility issues. Use captions instead, or provide an explanation in the main text.

Create descriptive alt text for each image, especially for button images. Users who do not understand the image can rely on alt text for an explanation. If you use art to label buttons, include text that describes the function of the button.

Whenever possible, store art in a separate file and link to it from within a document. Subsidiaries or localizers can modify linked art. If a static copy of the art is embedded in the document, localizers might need to re-create the art, which is expensive.

Ensure that you are legally permitted to distribute the art worldwide.

Check whether worldwide distribution affects royalties. Check expiration dates on art licensing and ensure that you can remove the art before the license expires. Verify that copyright statements will protect the art anywhere it may be seen.

Check for restrictions on imported content in countries or regions where your product, service, or website is likely to be used. For example, maps are often subject to government review before they can be imported. If you include maps in your content, be careful about treatment of disputed territories. Improper treatment of a disputed area might be illegal as well as offensive.