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Graphic Design: Basics

Glossary
Alias When the lines of an image become jagged, based on the resolution of the image. Alignment Position of a block of text or image. Alignment is typically left, right, center, top or bottom. Asymmetrical When the images, logos, text, etc. are not identical on both sides of the central line of a document. Binding Putting individual pages together through stitching, gluing, etc. Bitmap (Raster) Image that is comprised of pixels such as a photograph. Bitmap graphics can be taken down in size, but it is difficult (and sometimes impossible) to take them up. They are considered resolution dependent or they need to be 100% size at the pixel resolution needed for your distribution. Bleed Any element that extends past the edge of the page. When printed, this area is cut off so there is no white space between the element and the edge of the paper. It looks to continue off the edge of the page. Body type / copy Main typeface that is used in a document. Border Decorative design around text or an image that creates an outer boundary. Copy Basic text provided to the designer to include in the designed piece. Crop To cut off a portion of an image or a tool that does so in image manipulation programs. Cropmarks Marks that indicate the edges of your printed document. Bleeds (see above) will extend past these marks.

Graphic Design Basics

Die cut Most printed items are cut into a rectangular shape. For specialty cuts, a die is created that is used on the printed sheet to cut the piece out. You may have seen small die cut machines at your local scrapbooking or craft stores. Dingbat A font made up of images or an ornament used to add space. DPI Dots per inch. Measures the number of pixels that are in an inch. Drop shadow An effect added to an image or letter to make it appear that it is above the background and casting a shadow. Element Any specic part of a layout logo, headline, image, rules, borders, etc. Export Save a le from the format it is in to another usable by a different program. Feather Edges of an image appear softer, also a tool to make this effect. Font A group of characters (alphabet, numbers, punctuation, etc.) created in one style and size. A font family is a group of fonts that are similar and may contain roman, italic, bold and bold italic versions. Footer Text which appears at the bottom of the page. Graphic design Communicating via text and / or image to present an idea, including digital and print documents as well as the parts to create them. Grayscale Images that are black, white or up to 256 shades of gray. Header Text which appears at the top of the page. Headline Large text used to grab your attention and give you an idea what the body copy is about. Often, the headline is in a different font than the body copy. High-resolution File or image has a higher pixel count to allow press printing. For example, a standard press would need about 300 dpi while a glossy magazine would need 450 dpi. Italic Style of letter that usually slopes to the right. On a typewriter, it is indicated as underlined text. It adds emphasis within a body of text, but if used too much can make the text difficult to read. Italic letters are usually created separately, unlike oblique letters which also slant but are just an adjusted version of the roman font.

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JPEG / JPG Image format that compresses based on how close colors are to one another. It averages the colors and the more it is compressed, the more it drops out. Once gone, those shades (and details) are lost. Do work in a non-compressed format and then save your nal le to a JPG for distribution. Justify Type that lines up on both sides by placing additional space between letters and words. Kerning Spacing between two letters to help eliminate white space and break up the ow of the text. Layers Levels to work on a le so that you can control which elements you choose. You may need to atten (make one layer) before sending out your nal les. Leading Space between lines of text, measured baseline to baseline. Logo A graphic element used as identication on branded materials (print and web). It may be for an organization, company or even an individual. Low-resolution File or image has a lower pixel count to allow for faster transmission on the Web. For example, most web images are 72-100 ppi. Margins White space on the outside areas of layout that remain blank. For printing, it allows binding without interfering with printed elements and also gives a white area for your eyes to rest. Master page In layout software, this page holds elements that will be consistent on all other pages so you only have to lay them out once. Some programs will not allow you to adjust elements from your layout pages that are placed on the master page. Orphan Single line, word or sentence fragment is on the top of the next column or page. Outline Outside edge of a font or vector graphic. When asked for an outlined font, you convert letters to graphics so that the font does not need to go with the job for printing. Page size Final size your layout will be printed or displayed. This may be standard such as US letter (8.5" x 11" or 216mm x 279mm) or A4 (8.26" x 11.69" or 210mm x 297mm) for printing. For more effect, an odd size may be used. NOTE: The AEP uses 8.25" x 11" for a standard paper size so that all materials can be printed at 100% without adjustment.

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PDF Portable Document Format (Adobe Acrobat). Universal digital format to allow materials to be shared online, archived or printed in a consistent manner.

PMS Pantone Matching System. Color system used to dene colors and gives formulas to recreate the colors so it is consistent. PNG Portable Network Graphics format. Graphic compression format similar to JPG frequently used on the Web. Primary colors Colors needed to create a full range of colors. For additive means (monitors), it is RGB or Red, Green, Blue. For subtractive (print), it is CMYK or Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black. Spread (layout) Two page that face each other placed so that the design can carry over them. Template Basic information for a job size, shape, folds and sometimes style sheets. Text wrap Shaping (wrapping) text around an image. Uppercase All letters are capitals, making text more difficult to read. This is usually done for emphasis or in headlines. Vector Graphic that is created in a drawing program, mathematically combining dots and lines to make a graphic that can be resized with no loss of quality. Widow Single line, subhead, etc. at the bottom of a column or page.

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Graphic Design: Basics

Visuals: Type

Ascender Letter area that is above the x-height

Allegory
Descender Letter area that is below the x-height

X-Height Area of a letter that ts in the same area as the letter x

Baseline Imaginary line where the letters sit

NOTE: Each of these fonts is set in a sample style. The styles can be broken down further, but this is a basic list. The size and style is the same for each. Sans Serif The word above is in a sans serif fonts. It does not have serifs or feet. In print, use this for headlines. For the web, use this as body copy. Serif Fonts such as Times are serif. They have serifs or feet which allow your eyes to follow the serif from one letter to the next. This paragraph is set in Times. In print, serif fonts are often used for body copy.

Cursive / script Decorative fonts are those that are designed to look like they have been written. They are great for invitations, but reading large blocks of copy can be difficult. Use these only when a small amount of copy is used.
Monospace Monospace fonts have a xed width like a typewriter. Each letter takes up the same amount of space.

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Graphic Design: Basics

Tips and Hints: Type
Flush left is the easiest to read. Centered type is the hardest. Upper and lower case is best for titles. Initial caps and lower case is best for text and some headings. It is best not to use ALL CAPS, accept for acronyms. Avoid hyphenating more than two consecutive lines. Dont leave orphans (a word or short line at the top of a column or page). Dont leave widows. Serif vs. sans serif type. It is best to use serif type (like Times) for printed text. Sans serif is best for signs, Web viewing, presentations, graphics and large headings. When using more than one type face, make sure they are different enough for easy identication. Italic. Use italics for book titles in text and bold for subheads or very sparingly for emphasis as an attention getting device. Leadingthe space between lines and how to use it. Leading should be two points more than the point size of the type (e.g. 9 point type, 11 point leading) for legibility. More leading makes your type more inviting and easier to read. If you need to pull up a line, try reducing a paragraph by a tenth of a point size. By the way, 72 points equals one inch. Kerning. Letter spacing or tracking can be adjusted so that letters are closer or farther apart. Bigger type needs less space between letters. Kerning makes spacing look more even because it adjusts for individual differences in letter combinations.

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Graphic Design: Basics

Tips and Hints: Page Layout and Design
When deciding page size consider cost and standard envelope sizes. Using standard paper sizes saves on cost! Keep design elements consistent: i.e. subhead use and styles, photo caption placement and styles. Text should be easy to follow: sequence of photos and art should be logically placed. Use columns for text layoutavoid lines that are too long. The easy way to test this is to read across a line. If you feel your eyes move because you cant see the entire width without moving them, its too wide. Dont overdo the design. Use a few colors and typefaces. The best looking documents use minimal colors and effects. White space in a document is good. Unless youre creating a photo montage, limit yourself to one graphic for every dollar-sized area in your layout. Proofread. Ask your friends to proofread. Studies have shown that if you are working on a project for a long time, you dont see whats on the page, you see what you think is on the page. Create a style sheet when you create a document so you dont have to reinvent the wheel when you create a similar piece the next time. Consider creating your own graphics or taking your own photos so you wont have to worry about violating someones rights. Make your backup when you have completed the project. If youre going through a printer or email service, wait until its completed. That way, youre assured to have the correct version on le.

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Graphic Design: Basics

Spot a Newbie
Alignment All of the type is centered on the page. Boxitis Overuse of boxed items, rules and screens can cause confusion. Its a ght to visually move through the page and often your reader will just go elsewhere. Fontastrophy Too many fonts makes it hard to read and difficult to output. Limit yourself to 2-3 fonts. you can have a couple extra for special call-outs, ads, etc. The worst job I was ever given to output from a new designer came in and it took forever to open. After writing down the rst twenty or so fonts I didnt have, I contacted the designer. I was asked, I used every font on my computer. Dont you have them all? Gray pages Too much type, not enough white space and graphics to break it up. Hierarchy You should have elements on your page that are more important and least important. That is also how your eye should travel through the page. Type sizes and weights should vary. Images used when needed to communicate and move the story. Hyphenation Multiple hyphens used to indicate en-dashes and em-dashes. Inch and quote marks used interchangeably. Investigate ASCII characters if you need help and utilize your Character Map. Image overload Too many images will have your reader looking at the images and not your words. Inappropriate graphics Placement of images because they look cool, not because they help the copy or move the story forward. Lack of white space Solid set copy lling the entire page is hard to read. Too much happening in your page design makes it difficult for your reader to focus. Lost elements, part or all When you move items layered on a page, youll sometimes cover text or images you do not intend to. Check these before distributing. Narrow columns Narrow columns with justied type end up with gaping holes that draw your readers attention instead of your copy. Orphans and Widows See the denitions for these. Watch where your copy falls.

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Text wraps One text wrap draws attention in. Wrapping everything is distracting. Unbalanced type Long lines of small type or short lines of large type, making it difficult to read. Unnecessary spacing Only one space after periods. (My personal pet peeve.) Dont leave graphic elements such as bullets oating. Hyphenate to eliminate large gaps or massage your type by moving different words to nd better ways for the copy to fall.

If youre ever unsure of your design, ask someone to review your layout. They might not be able to tell you how to x it, but they can tell you what is bugging them.

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