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What is stroke?
Stroke refers to the thickness of a line. You can have pretty much any size stroke that you want. The stroke can be on the outside of a box, text, a line by itself is considered a stroke. Strokes a lot of times are used as lines to add organization and they are simple. You can either use the line tool, add a difference color to the outer edge of the box or you can use the pen tool to create curved strokes or to follow a path.
Written by: Kim Woods
Opacity is used by Graphic Designers
I wrote this article because I found that web progammers sometimes have no clue graphic design terms, as you will read in the next blog tomorrow. Both graphic designer and web programmers both use opacity. Opacity is having something transparent or partially transparent. There are different levels of opacity that can be used and they are meant for specific purposes at times other times to just add some dimension. Each layer can be an opacity which usually you don’t want to do, but you can depending on the project.
Written by: Kim Woods
Bleeds are for printing
When a graphic designer needs to get something printed that goes all the way to that edge that is called a bleed. It is called this because the ink bleeds to the edge. To get a bleed you have to overdesign usually by an 1/8th of an inch though be sure to ask the printer how much of bleed you will need. Some will need you to set up the bleed with crop marks while others will not, it varies from printer to printer.
So the next time you hear a graphic designer talk about bleeds they are almost done with your project or at least someone’s. What did you use to think when you heard this term?
Written by: Kim Woods
Bitmap Images are made up of pixels
Bitmap images are all around us. They make up our pictures, our color and anything that is not designed in a vector program. Pixels are what make up the bitmap meaning that each color is a pixel. Pixels are little squares of color that if you get really close to an image or if the image is blown up or downsized can be seen. And you do not want to be able to see the pixels. Each specific color is a pixel. To the ordinary eye this is no big deal, but if you have a small picture and need it to fill a big area you will notice the difference. The image will become blurry and pixelated. Pixelated is when you can see the individual pixels in the image.
Bitmap images are meant to stay one size and not to be resized. Have you ever seen a pixelated image? I have and they are not pretty.
Written By: Kim Woods
What are vector images?
There are two kinds of images in the graphic design world. Graphic designers prefer to vector images. Your asking why. Vector images are created using a math formula. This means that no matter how large or small be need them we can change them to do that size without having to worry about the quality of the image changing when we do. This makes our lives a lot easier. With bitmap graphics, which are pictures or things made up of pixels they image will become blurry, grainy, and not be high quality. These images are usually created in a program.
So if you have a vector image, be sure to give that to your graphic designer.
Written By: Kim Woods
Programs can be designed to look how you want.
Designers do all sorts of things, but what a lot of people don’t realize that they programs can be designed. This may be for a wedding, an event, a play, or anything in between. Programs help give direction and lead you through the event so it is pertinent that they be done neatly and are easily understandable. If they are not, what is the point really. So the next time you need a program, give it to a designer and do one yourself. I encourage you to see the difference and if they are a good designer you will see a big difference.
Written By: Kim Woods
More than just graphics
Design is the planning that lays the basis for the making of every object, system, idea or corporation. Think about it design is all around us, you just don’t notice it. Your house was designed by architects, and then built by construction workers who used tools designed for building your house, then your parents designed how they wanted to inside to look with their belongings. It is about how things go together, why they work and don’t work and the interminglings of everything you never thought of. Graphic designers like we are here at TriLeaf pay attention to our design in a lot more places than just our work. I like things designed to look certain ways. My own personal designs are different than the designs I do for clients, because clients want a specific design or have an idea in mind. So design think about it is everything you do. Your schooling is designed, your schedule is designed by you, you in fact then are a designer of a sort.
Depth of Field Addressed
Depth of field is a term you will hear photographers use. It refers to how far in focus the background of the image is. Depth of field is all about what you want to the focal point of the image and if you want everything clear and crisp or if you want part of it out of focus. I switch this up a lot in my photography, but be sure you know your particular setting for your camera or you will always be stuck in one mode of in focus background or out of focus. By changing it up you are adding variety to your work and an added dimension. Some pictures just look better with the background being in focus for instance trail photos in my opinion at least look weird with the background being out of focus. The foreground or front of an image can also be out of focus while the background is in focus.
Horizontal vs. Vertical
When you begin to layout your composition the design of horizontal of vertical is a big decesion. For photography, it’s not a big deal typically just take the photo two ways. I actually suggest doing this especially with photography, I feel it will help you learn about compositions in general and make you see why compositions work. Things that are taller in nature are going to typically be better in vertical compositions, but the horizontal version is going to greater for a more laidout version. Landscapes you are going to always want to do in horizontal layout because you are showing the land. It really depends on the photo or the imagery you are representing. I have completely done something say vertical for a painting class that was abstract and then flipped it and liked it that way better and decided to turn it a different way. That is the beauty of abstract. Vertical is also better for people, especially one person. You don’t need all that extra space to get the whole shot of the person, unless of course your going for the scenery.
Again it all depends on you. Study it and as I suggest try taking pictures in both forms and then decide for yourself.
Written by: Kim Woods
Even though design has rules, sometimes you have to break them
Rules are meant to be broken. You can’t not have a rule and not break it it’s like that unwritten law. Put a rule in place and at some point it will be broken and may turn out horribly or in some cases beautifully. Certain rules for certain things can be broken and you get an amazing affect, but the key is to not do this all the time. Broken rules are okay but not in large amounts. You only want to break one rule in the composition typically, that or every single rule because otherwise it just looks like bad design. You either want it to be an obvious breaking of the rules or just one that is that thing that is perfect.
Written By: Kim Woods