Whether you're a newbie, a student or just in need of a refresher,
check out our guide to the essential terms every graphic designer should
be familiar with.
Graphic design, like any profession, is littered with jargon and
terms you may not be familiar with. Here are just some of the key terms
you should know, and a brief explanation in words you can understand -
plus where to go to learn more.
So whether you're a student or beginner, or just need a refresher course, read on...
Vector-based images (like this one) are made of points; raster images are made of pixels
Raster images (sometimes referred to as bitmap images) are made up of
thousands of pixels which determine the colour and form of the image.
Photos are raster images. Photoshop is the most common raster editor,
enabling you to manipulate the colour and other properties of the
pixels. But, because raster images are made up of a finite amount of
pixels, resizing can be tricky. If you make a raster image larger
dimensions in Photoshop, the software has to make up data in order to
add the size. This results in loss of quality.
Vector images
Vector-based images (such as those created in Adobe Illustrator) are
made up of points, each of which has a defined X and Y coordinate. These
points join paths to form shapes, and inside these shapes you can add
colour fills. Because everything is generated based around this, vectors
can be resized to any size without any loss of quality.
In recent times, Illustrator has progressed so much that vector
graphics have become incredibly complex - and you can now add gradients,
complex shapes and more to create highly detailed, scalable vector
images. Because vectors can be resized, they are often used for creating
logos and other graphics that need to go across many different outputs
(from leaflet to billboard, for instance). For more details see our
articles Get started with vector illustration and How to create vector art: top tutorials.
02. CMYK and RGB
CMYK stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key
CMYK is the standard colour mode for sending documents - be it
magazines, newspapers, flyers, brochures, annual reports and so on to
the printers. It stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Key (or black -
key because in four-colour printing, cyan, magenta, and yellow printing
plates are carefully keyed, or aligned, with the key of the black key
plate). When you send a job to the press, cyan, magenta, yellow and
black plates are made (on a traditional press, anyhow) and then aligned
to print on paper. You can add Pantone, or fifth colours, which are
created as separate plates.
When working in Photoshop or Illustrator, you have the option to set
your document's colour mode as CMYK, RGB (red, green, blue - for screen
output) or other colour modes (but the former pair are the two you
really need to know about). For more on colour systems, read this article.
Because CMYK has a more limited colour gamut than RGB (which is
essentially what the eye sees and how screens output) you can experience
a loss of colour when converting from RGB to CMYK in these
applications.
03. DPI and PPI
The more dots per inch, the better quality the printed image will be
Resolution is another key term that is often confused. There are two
main acronyms used when dealing with resolution: DPI and PPI.
The former is only of concern when you're creating work for printed
output. It stands for 'Dots Per Inch' and refers to the number of dots
per inch on a printed page. Generally, the more dots per inch, the
better quality the image - and 300DPI is the standard for printing
images.
PPI refers to 'Pixels Per Inch' and, as you'd expect, is the number
of pixels per inch in your image. If you resize an image in Photoshop -
making it larger - you will increase the number of pixels per inch (with
Photoshop making up the data) and you will lose quality. There's an
excellent explanation here.
Bear in mind that resolution only applies to raster graphics -
because vectors do not work in pixels. And for a comprehensive guide to
printing terms, this app will serve you well.
04. Typography
Can you name these typographical elements? If not, head to http://www.creativebloq.com/typography/what-is-typography-123652
Put simply, typography is the art of arranging type. It's one of the
fundamentals of graphic design and one every designer should read into
in great detail.
The difference between good type and great type is often what sets
brilliant designers apart. And being able to spot a kerning (the space
between two characters) error from a distance is somewhat satisfying! A
great place to start your typography education is our comprehensive
article What is Typography?.
05. Grids
Setting up a grid enables you to get your composition right
The best way to describe a grid in graphic design in a series of
intersecting vertical and horizontal lines used to organise and
structure content. Whether in InDesign, Photoshop or Illustrator, setting up a grid enables you to get your composition right and balance your type and imagery.
Common grid systems include a large header across the top with
equally sized columns beneath - but there's no real limit on what can be
created. The Grid System provides an excellent resource including lots of further reading and templates. Grid Systems in Graphic Design by Josef Muller-Brockmann is also an essential read.
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