BADIE - GRAPHIC DESIGN

Graphic Design is the process of visual communication and problem solving through the use of typography, photography and illustration.The field is considered a subset of visual communication and communication design, but sometimes the term "graphic design" is used synonymously. Graphic designers create and combine symbols, images and text to form visual representations of ideas and messages. They use typography, visual arts and page layout techniques to create visual compositions. Common uses of graphic design include corporate design (logos and branding), editorial design (magazines, newspapers and books), advertising, web design, communication design, product packaging and signage.

When one chooses that he/she wishes to become a graphic designer, there are different schools one can attend in order to receive their degree in graphic design. Firstly, there is the choice than I have chosen. This is to attend MCAST Institute for the Creative Arts. To be able to attend this course, you must either have been in the Institute for a number of years according to your school qualifications before that. Or what I did. After acquiring 2 A levels(one must be Art or Graphical Communication) and 2 Intermediates, I went straight to level 6 which is BA(University Level). This course is a 3 year course.

To become a graphic designer you could also attend the University of Malta. However, to attend the University you must have 2 A levels, 3 Intermediates and a compulsory subject called Systems of Knowledge. Not only that, you must have a minimum number of points. These points are achieved according to the marks of your exams. The better the marks, the higher the points.

There then are easier ways to achieve this degree. Since they are easier, they do not teach you as much and do not able you to build a portfolio or 'character' as a designer. One in particular is the course at ICE Malta. ICE standing for Institute of Computer Education. This Institute, unlike other mentioned, is not free. There is a fee to be payed before the commencement of the course. As written on their site for the graphic design course, ICE say 'we instill the basics of the graphic design process.' So this will be just showing how to use the programs instead of building a portfolio. The certificate after passing this course is not a BA Hons certificate but a Adobe Certificate.The course is part time not full time(unlike the others), Entry requirements is only 'Good Knowledge of English', and the duration is only 16hours split into 8 lessons of 2 hours once a week. 

Screen Printing vs Digital Printing

Screen Printing is a type of printing where a stencil being hand made or electronically is placed on a screened material like nylon or silk which is stretched across a frame and tightly kept in place. Ink is placed inside the frame and moved about the stencil with a rubber squeegee. The ink goes through the screen and onto the material.

When screen printing, a few things will be needed. Most obviously is drawing fluid. Using screen filler is a simple means of preparing a screen for printing. The screen filler is used to block out those areas that you do not wish to print. This lets the ink to be forced into the screen wherever there is no screen filler.

Hinge Clamps will also be needed, which features wide-wing thumbscrew for firm fastening to the frame, and positive locking for perfect registration.

When it comes to mediums, there a re a few different types to be used or chosen from. Acrylic Extended Base is designed to create a transparent colour. Fabric/Acrylic Transparent Base is designed to create a transparent colour for fabric/acrylic inks. 

Printing screens are smooth, hardwood frame securely fastened together. It is cordlocked in grooves and can be tightened or replaced.

When it comes to Digital Printing, it describes the process of transfering a document on a personal computer or other digital storage to a printing substrate by means of a device that accepts text and graphic output. Digital printing has steadily replaced Lithography in many markets, especially at the consumer and business level, as a result of its lower production costs.

 The ink cartridge holds ink that sprays onto your paper, fabric or whatever you need. When viewed with a magnifying glass small dots of colour can be seen to make the effect of reality and to see the image you are seeing. This is also used with CMYK colours.

RGB and HSV

 Display devices like computers, mobile phones and so on generally use a different colour model called RGB, which stand for RED, GREEN, BLUE. One of the most difficult aspects of desktop publishing in colour is colour matching. Colour matching is properly converting the RGB colours into CMYK colours so that what gets printed looks the same as what appears on the monitor.

"RGB colours are also knwon as 'additive colour', because there are no colours and the colours are being added together to achieve further colours or until the outcome is white(look at the colour chart image directly below, the inside colour is white because it is all the colours added together). This is because our eyes receive no reflected and they perceive the colour to be black. However, when you add portions of red + green + blue the outcome is the CMYK colours.

HSV stands for hue, saturation and value, and also is also often called HSB, B being for brightness.

Hue is the colour chosen.

Saturation is the amount of white desired in your particular colour, being very washed out or very clean. It has also been described as The "colorfulness of a stimulus relative to its own brightness".

Value on the other hand is how dark or shaded you want your colour to be. 

If the user has selected as colorful as possible a dark purple  , and then shifts the lightness slider upward, what should be done: would the user prefer to see a lighter purple still as colorful as possible for the given hue and lightness  , or a lighter purple of exactly the same chroma as the original color  

ICC Profiles

ICC stands for international colour consortium. An ICC profile is the colour ID of a device. It contains two essential information:

• The colour space of the particular device, so all the colours can be displayed or printed

• the colour 'defects' off this device. In the case of photoshop for example, reading the ICC profile of a particular monitor, Photoshop knows how to fix the colours so they are correctly displayed.

An ICC profile is therefore a short file linked to a colour reproduction device. Each device must have its own ICC profile. It contains many different pieces of information about the colours of that device. It is also described as the colour ID of a device.

The ICC profile device on the device. It could be a of an input device such as a camera, scanner and so on,  or of an output device like a printer. 

Does an image contain a profile or a space?

when an image leaves the camera, it contains the profile of this camera but it is instantly and automatically converted into a neutral colour space. 

In fact there is hardly a difference between an ICC profile and a colour space.

These are two different aspects of the same thing which may, however, contain more or less information. It is a bit like a cylinder, either you look at it from the top and you say that it is a circle, or you look at it from the side and you say it is a rectangle.

Colour Harmony

Harmony is when two things go good together or work peacefully together. It is a sort of tranquility. Harmony is nature's way of saying that two or more things make sense together. Colour harmony represents how two or more colours work together in unity. Harmonious combinations are pleasing to the eye and attract attention.

The colour wheel becomes the designer's tool for choosing harmonious colours.

What follows are different examples of colour harmonies found on the colour wheel that all begin with the colour yellow as the main colour, but you can choose different harmonies with any colour from the colour wheel.

The picture below is a good example of the use of monochromatic harmonies.The main colour used is orange. You can see different shades and tints of orange within the same colour family.

The clocks below are a good example of Analogous colours being chosen from three of twelve parts of the colour wheel sitting side-by-side.

Complimentary colours are my personal favourite in colour harmony. Being so opposite, and working so well together is why i love complimentary colours.

Colour can come first or last in the designing process, either way the combination must be chosen carefully and must work together. The colour of a work is very important and could make it or break it.
You must also see the message you are trying to send when choosing the colour palette by taking psychology of colours into consideration.


REFERENCE: http://www.sensationalcolor.com/understanding-color/theory/color-relationships-creating-color-harmony-1849#.WAOFoOB9670

Raster vs Vector

Raster and Vector are both different type of graphics that are found in different applications for graphic design. 

Raster graphics are found in Photoshop, where these images and pixels are not done with mathematical calculations, and so will get pixilated if enlarged or changed in a way.
Vector graphics on the other hand are done using mathematical calculations and can be enlarged, reduced and still keep its proper shape and detail.

When drawing with pixels, like said before, you are at risk of losing clarity when enlarging your image.

When drawing with vectors, this will not happen as it uses a system of mathematical applications. So if you were designing a poster, business cards and a logo for a particular company, you would have to use Vectors because you will need to enlarge and shrink the logo size for posters and business cards as to keep clarity.

Since raster images' dimensions are measured in pixels, suppliers may have specific size requirements for their processes. They might require a specific pixel resolution: a specific amount of pixels within each inch.  The amount of pixels within each inch in the image represents the image resolution or PPI(pixels per inch)  

File sizes are also different from each other. In raster images like photoshop, the size is about 200MB for example, and in Vector images like illustrator, the size is below 100MB.

Raster graphics is used for photo manipulation like the example below. This is useful as because of pixels, you will not able to tell the full detail even with a magnifying glass. This helps perfect the illusion trying to be portrayed.

In order to determine what size your raster image must be for good quality printing, you have to multiply the resolution required by the area to be printed. For example, magazine size is 300PPI and you have a space of 5inches on the magazine, u multiply them and get 1500(pixels wide).

Pixel Perfect Details

Pixel Perfect Details is closely related to pixel perfect principles. Details are as said, more in-detail points for designing in itself. These are sort of principles, but in more small details.

Sharp Edges - These should be on-pixel and sharp, blurred edges are not good. Appearance wise, there is a big difference between the two. The square with the sharp edges looks much neater and more attractive.

Consistency - Consistency is very important when designing. This could be a consistent, design, style, layout, alignment of objects and so on. This could involve placement of title bars, footers etc. These should be the same to prevent objects jumping around in your work. You could set up a grid, which you can follow by when adding things to your work. Take this photo for example, consistency is used in the style of the objects being portrayed. This link them together by colour, design and sharp edges.

Text Length - Text Length is important, not just for the length of a particular actions or product, but even if it is going to be used internationally. You have to consider how long it will become when translated into other languages. Take the example below, Settings translated to German and Portuguese is much longer than in English.

REFERENCE: http://cdn.ustwo.com/PPP/PP3.pdf