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Is the term graphics gallery or graphic gallery more appropriate for a gallery that contains images?

Graphics gallery sounds more right. However, I would choose photo gallery over photos gallery and image gallery over images gallery.

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2 Answers

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If it's a gallery of graphics, I'd call it a graphics gallery.

If it's a gallery that is graphic in nature, it's a graphic gallery.

Graphic can be a noun or an adjective, but used with gallery it sounds like an adjective. Using graphics, which can only be interpreted as a noun, eliminates the ambiguity.

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To be clear, what is your stand on "image gallery" vs "images gallery" ? – Pacerier Sep 13 '11 at 16:45
@Pacerier, that's a great point... I'll clarify the post. To answer the question, image isn't an adjective, so there's no room for confusion. – Caleb Sep 13 '11 at 16:52
ok thanks for the clarification =D Btw grammatically speaking "images gallery" is acceptable as well ? Or is "image gallery" the only grammatically correct one here – Pacerier Sep 13 '11 at 16:58
I'll reverse my original opinion and say that usually, you'd just use a singular noun: image gallery, photo gallery, sculpture gallery. As @BarrieEngland points out, though, the plural graphics is usually used when a noun is required. Ambiguity happens when the word can be an adjective or "noun adjunct". If you went to a football gallery you'd probably expect images and sculptures related to the sport, not a room full of footballs. I'd call the latter a gallery of footballs. – Caleb Sep 13 '11 at 17:14
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The OED records ‘graphic’ only in the plural when used to mean ‘an example of the graphic arts or of graphic design’. You can use it adjectivally to describe what the gallery contains.

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