Graphic design is concerned with controlling a viewer's eye by emphasizing the visual impact of specific elements in the design field and diminishing others. The designer is compelled to consider how the visual symbols are scaled, colored, and positioned for emphasis.

Tone and color relationships also create visual hierarchies. Brighter, more intense colors have a tendency to be emphasized over more subdued color values. Another important factor that effects the visual gestalt of a design field is the position of elements relative to each other on the page. A static composition rests the eye in a central location and prevents it from wandering. A dynamic composition forces the eye to move and to emphasize specific visual elements. This can have a profound effect on the viewer's perception.

Most designers work within a grid. A grid enables the designer to align the extremities of text and images to contain the content so that the viewer's eye does not wander aimlessly around the page or off into the margins. Grids can be very creative, employing sub-grids and diagonals to align the edges of elements on the page.

However, even the most creative grid structure is no substitute for the designer's sensitive eye for unity and balance. The grid provides a framework but the designer must still make decisions about the scale and location of the graphic elements and their relationship to each other. Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator both offer the ability to display non-printable grids that are used as a convenient layout tool. The grids can be configured with grid-lines and subdivided to any dimension, and are editable in the Preferences function.

Design is such and important aspect of production that it can make or break the message of a printed piece, especially where type and images are combined. With a strong, well-balanced design that contains texts and images that work in harmony, the concept will be enhanced for maximum effect. What follows are a couple nuts-and-bolts software techniques that combine words and pictures. These operations are relatively simple tricks that can be used under a variety of circumstances.

Stayed tuned for Part 2!!

Virtually all graphic elements, from the simplest letter-form to the most complex color image, have duel identities. They are optical phenomena with visual characteristics, and they are symbols that communicate a concept, whether it be a simple sound as with a text character, or a profound inner reality as in a surrealist painting.

Graphic design is concerned with controlling a viewer's eye by emphasizing the visual impact of specific elements in the design field and diminishing others. The designer is compelled to consider how the visual symbols are scaled, colored, and positioned for emphasis.

Tone and color relationships also create visual hierarchies. Brighter, more intense colors have a tendency to be emphasized over more subdued color values. Another important factor that effects the visual gestalt of a design field is the position of elements relative to each other on the page. A static composition rests the eye in a central location and prevents it from wandering. A dynamic composition forces the eye to move and to emphasize specific visual elements. This can have a profound effect on the viewer's perception.

Most designers work within a grid. A grid enables the designer to align the extremities of text and images to contain the content so that the viewer's eye does not wander aimlessly around the page or off into the margins. Grids can be very creative, employing sub-grids and diagonals to align the edges of elements on the page.

However, even the most creative grid structure is no substitute for the designer's sensitive eye for unity and balance. The grid provides a framework but the designer must still make decisions about the scale and location of the graphic elements and their relationship to each other. Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator both offer the ability to display non-printable grids that are used as a convenient layout tool. The grids can be configured with grid-lines and subdivided to any dimension, and are editable in the Preferences function.

Design is such and important aspect of production that it can make or break the message of a printed piece, especially where type and images are combined. With a strong, well-balanced design that contains texts and images that work in harmony, the concept will be enhanced for maximum effect. What follows are a couple nuts-and-bolts software techniques that combine words and pictures. These operations are relatively simple tricks that can be used under a variety of circumstances.

Stayed tuned for Part 2!!

What are vector graphics?

Anyone who works with digital printing must know not only how to operate digital devices but also how to prepare files for output. With so many graphics file formats, it’s helpful to know the purpose of different file formats and the applications that create them. In this article, we will explore vector graphics in Adobe Illustrator for Mac and Windows. CorelDRAW is a similar program for Windows only.

Vector graphics are based on mathematical descriptions of points, lines and curves. This means they are resolution-independent and can be scaled to any size without losing quality. Since they have no resolution until printed, the final valuei depends on the output device used. The first vector-graphics drawing program, Adobe Illustrator, was introduced in 1986. It was based on font development software and the PostScript file format. Originally designed for Macs, it is also available for Windows. CorelDRAW was originally developed by Microsoft Windows and was initially released in 1989. Both programs are used for drawings, diagrams, logos and type.

Vector graphic programs such as Adobe Illustrator and CorelDRAW allow you to create and edit vector graphics. A combination of points, lines and curves are used to create shapes and graphic illustrations that are based on a mathematical formula. These vector graphic programs are most ideal for logos and diagrams that do not require a lot of detail. Advantages of vector graphics include being scalable and having smaller file sizes compared to raster images, which makes it appropriate for sign printing.

Strokes and Fills

A stroke is a visible outline of an object or path. You can change both the width and the color of the stroke could be in Illustrator. In addition, dashed strokes can be created using Path Options while stylized strokes can be created using brushes.

A fill is a color, gradient or pattern inside of an object. Both strokes and fills can be configured right on the toolbar. The stroke color is set in blue and the fill color is set in red.

Color, Swatches, and Patterns

Colors in Illustrator are available in CMYK or RGBi modes. In a printing environment, the CMYK mode is usually used as opposed to the RGB mode. Select a specific color for your stroke or fill can be done using the Color Picker. The color can be chosen based on HSBi, RGB, CMYK, or Hexadecimal values.

Swatches are colors, tints, gradient and patterns that are named. Swatches can appear individually as well as in groups. Libraries of swatches from other documents can also be chosen in the Swatches panel.

There are two types of patterns that exist in Illustrator: fill patterns and brush patterns. Fill patterns are used for filling objects, while brush patterns are used to outline objects. Illustrator does come with a number of default patterns for you to use, but customized patterns can also be created.

Tracing

Use tracing when you want to make a new drawing from a photo. Tracing is used to convert raster images into vector graphics, gaining the vector’s resolution independence and small file size, and also artistic effects. There are two ways to trace images: automatically and manually.

Automatic tracing is the fastest way to turn bitmapped into vector artwork. First, open the source image that you want Illustrator to trace automatically. Once the image is opened, simply select Object > Live Trace > Make. The program will automatically produce a vector graphic based on the source image.

Manual tracing artwork is easy with Illustrator’s templatei layers. First, place the image you want to trace (File > Place, then select the Template option) in a new template layer. Then, trace it manually using the Pen Tool or Pencil Tool.

Spot Colors

Spot colors are color inks that are made from unique pigments or dyes, many of which are outside the gamut of four-color processi printing. In digital publishing applications, spot means that the color will be transmitted to the print file as a named color, such as “Pantone Orange 021 C.” When printed as separations, named colors will come out on separate printing plates.

The Pantone Matching System (see Figure 4) is one of the most widely recognized spot-color systems. The system includes several swatch books printed on coated, uncoated and matte paper, including solid, process, metallic and pastel colors. Pantone solid colors are based on 14 primary-color inks that are mixed to form over 1,400 colors specified in the swatch books.

A CMYK printing process has a much smaller gamut than Pantone. As spot colors are made from unique pigments and dyes, they cannot be matched exactly on press or proofer in CMYK.

Although it is sometimes difficult to simulate spot color on press and printer, an inkjet printeri has a larger gamut than a press. Therefore, when using an inkjet printer to proof for a printing press, the inkjet may be able to match more spot colors than the press.