korby Imagery » Graphic Design

Digital Graphic Design Essentials

Shanna — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 15:00:05 +0000

This class is available through the Skills and Technology Training Center in Fargo, ND. Check the STTC schedule for class availability.

What is Graphic Design?

Using text and images in a way to communicate information. More specifically, Graphic Design is a way to sell something visually.

About.com defines it this way:
“Graphic design is the process and art of combining text and graphics and communicating an effective message in the design of logos, graphics, brochures, newsletters, posters, signs, and any other type of visual communication. Today’s graphic designers often use desktop publishing software and techniques to achieve their goals.”

Dictionary.com says:
“The practice or profession of designing print or electronic forms of visual information, as for an advertisement, publication, or website.”

The Digital Graphic Design Essentials class covers various print and electronic mediums. The focus is on learning graphic design and design techniques. Some of the topics covered are:

Design Method, sketching and comps, design rules
Print Design
Digital file formats
Typography
Color Theory, Color Psychology
Branding
Advertising
Digital Printing

Principals of Design / Composition

Print Design

Digital File Formats

What is the difference between raster (bitmap) and vector?

Raster or Bitmap -> Vector – >

Typography

Color

Advertising

Digital Printing

Should you design in RGB or CMYK
What is Rich Black

Videos

Artist Series
Stefan Sagmeister – happy

Legal

Using Graphic Bullets in InDesign

Shanna — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 12:55:31 +0000

You can use any character of any font available to you in InDesign as a bullet point. If that isn’t enough, you can also use the vector graphic of your choice. Here’s how.

Add bullet points to your text in InDesign. I am using CS4, but this probably works in other versions.

Bullet points can be added two different ways.

Select the text.
Go to the options flyout menu on the paragraphs panel.
Choose Numbering and Bullets.
Select Bullets from the drop down menu in the dialog box.

-or-

Select the text.
Go to the paragraph styles panel.
From the options flyout menu of the paragraph styles panel, select NEW STYLE.
Name your new style
When the dialog box opens, select Bullets and Numbering from the list at the left.
Select Bullets from the style drop down menu.

The benefit of adding bullet points as a paragraph style is that you can reuse the bullet style with a click.

Note: Only change bullets to graphics when you are finished editing the text. This process changes bullets to text instead of bulleted lists, so they will not be editable as bullets. You can still edit them as text with tabs.

Get your graphic for the bullets.

Bring your vector image into InDesign. I am copying and pasting from Illustrator, but you can also place (file -> place) in InDesign.
Size it to the size you need for the bullets.
Copy your vector image to the clipboard.
Select the bulleted text.
Under Type -> Bulleted & Numbered Lists -> Convert Bullets to Text.

Change the bullet to a graphic.

Select the bulleted list.
Go under Edit -> Find/Change.
In the dialog box, make sure you are in the TEXT tab.
Click the flyout menu button to the right of the Find What drop down list.
Select Symbols -> Bullet Character.

Click the flyout menu button to the right of the Change To drop down list.
Select Other -> Clipboard Contents, Unformatted.
Click Change All.

Your bullet points are now graphics!

Divine Proportion Template Download

Shanna — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 19:25:38 +0000

This zip file contains an Illustrator CS4 template and an Illustrator 8 EPS file. The guidelines are set up in a golden spiral. Use this as a template for your layouts or illustrations to create a visually pleasing design. If you are designing a website, this golden ratio calculator can help determine column widths.

The divine proportion, also called the Fibonacci Sequence, golden mean or golden spiral, has been used by master architects and sculptures for thousands of years.

Download the Golden Spiral Illustrator template