Tufte's Data-Ink Ratio: Why Chasing 100% Is a Mistake
Demystifying Tufte's data-ink ratio
Edward Tufte's data-ink ratio measures how much of a chart's ink actually shows data. This interactive guide takes apart a cluttered bar chart step by step, showing how the ratio rises from 3.4% to 9.0% as you erase non-data ink. But pushing to 100% strips away titles and labels, losing information. The lesson: keep ink that helps readers, cut the rest.
It only compares the ink that's left, so it can't see what's missing.