Visual Communication and Graphic Design Principles

Comprehensive review flashcards covering visual hierarchy, typography, lines, photo composition, image file formats, and Adobe Illustrator interface basics.

What is a vector graphic built from?

A digital graphic built from mathematical formulas (points, lines, curves, and shapes) rather than a grid of colored pixels.

What are the characteristics and a common example of a Serif typeface?

It is based on Roman inscriptions and features little tails on the endpoints of the letters, such as Times New Roman.

How is a Sans Serif typeface characterized in terms of origin and stroke thickness?

It originates from Greek and Swiss inscriptions, and the thick and thin parts of the letters at the end are not as pronounced as they are in most Serif typefaces.

What is a Script typeface based on?

It is based on people's handwriting.

How are Decorative typefaces classified?

Fonts that do not fit into a standard category.

What is Negative Space in typography and design?

The open, empty, or background area surrounding and trapped inside the letters.

What is Positive Space in typography and design?

The actual ink, pixels, or physical shapes of the letters or characters themselves.

How do size and scale influence visual hierarchy?

Larger elements demand attention more prominently than smaller elements (such as headlines versus body text).

How do color and contrast direct the viewer's attention in a design?

Bright saturated colors or high-contrast colors pull the eye toward specific focal points.

How does typography establish visual hierarchy to structure readability?

By using distinct weights, cases, and scale, such as a $3$-tier setup for headings, subheadings, and body text.

How do proximity and white space affect a design layout?

Grouping related items together and using open background space isolates focal points and prevents visual clutter.

What type of content commonly aligns with the F-pattern scanning layout?

Text-heavy pages.

What type of content commonly aligns with the Z-pattern scanning layout?

Minimalist pages or landing pages.

What is leading in typography?

The vertical space between lines of type.

What is the historical origin of the term 'leading'?

Thin strips of lead that typesetters manually placed between metal lines of type.

How is leading measured and calculated?

It is measured in points and calculated as the point size of the type.

What is the 'frame within a frame' composition technique?

Using natural or man-made elements to border your subject and add depth.

How is the Rule of Thirds applied in photo composition?

It divides the vertical and horizontal space into three equal sections each to create asymmetry, placing the focal point at the intersection of the two lines.

What feeling or impression do horizontal lines evoke?

A feeling of stability or calmness.

What impression do vertical lines tend to create in an image?

An impression of dignity and strength, like a skyscraper or a tall tree.

What visual sensation do diagonal lines produce in a composition?

A feeling of tension or movement.

What impression do curved lines create in a composition?

A sense of fluidity.

What is tracking (letterspacing)?

Adjusting the horizontal spacing of an entire word, line, or whole section of type, making the letters closer together or farther apart.

What is kerning in typography?

Adjusting the horizontal spacing between two letters.

What are the common file formats and creation software for vector images?

Common file formats are EPS and SVG, created in vector drawing programs like Adobe Illustrator.

What is a raster image, and what are its common file extensions?

An image converted into a pixelated or bitmap form, with common file formats including JPG, TIFF, GIF, PNG, and RAW.

What are the primary goals of a visual communicator?

Conveying important information effectively and efficiently.

What key factors should be considered when choosing a typeface?

Readability and legibility, serif vs. sans serif, avoiding display fonts, leading, and typeface pairing.

What is the primary objective when selecting a font?

Ensuring maximum readability and legibility.

How are isolation and placement used to create emphasis in design?

By separating an element from a group of similar objects or placing it at a dominant structural position (like a focal point or center of a visual hierarchy).

Which design principles can be used to establish visual emphasis?

Contrast, size and scale, isolation and placement, leading lines, and typography hierarchy.

What does the word 'pixel' stand for?

Picture element.

How does pixel density compare between high-resolution ($300\,\text{pixels per inch}$) and low-resolution ($72\,\text{pixels per inch}$) images?

A high-resolution image has smaller and therefore more pixels within the same surface area compared to a low-resolution image.

What does the acronym JPG or JPEG stand for?

Joint Photographic Experts Group.

What are the key advantages and file size characteristics of JPG files?

They are compatible with virtually every software platform and tend to have fairly small file sizes compared to other raster types.

What does TIFF stand for, and in what context is it widely used?

Tagged Image File Format; it is widely used in printed publications because it retains more data, detail, and quality close to the original file.

What does GIF stand for, and where is it predominantly used?

Graphic Interchange Format; it is used almost exclusively online.

Why can GIF images not display subtle tone changes in photographs effectively?

Because they only use $256$ colors.

What does PNG stand for, and what is its primary advantage?

Portable Network Graphic; its main advantage is supporting a truly transparent background for stacking images.

What does the term 'RAW' signify regarding an image format?

It is not an acronym; it simply means a raw or unprocessed digital image.

What is the main advantage of taking a photograph in RAW format?

It is the highest quality setting for capturing a digital photograph.

What are the two major disadvantages of using the RAW format?

The file sizes are very large, and the format is not recognized by most software applications.

What does Adobe Illustrator call the document size?

The artboard.

What is the menu navigation path to change artboard dimensions in Adobe Illustrator?

"File" followed by "Document Setup", then "Edit Artboard".

Where is the Properties Window (Control panel) located in Illustrator, and how is it made visible if hidden?

It appears at the top right above the artboard; it is made visible by checking "Control" under the Window pull-down menu.

What is the default workspace setting in Adobe Illustrator?

"Essentials", which displays controls for the most common tasks.

Where is the Toolbar positioned by default in Illustrator, and what is its role?

It appears on the left by default and contains the main tools used to create and edit paths, shapes, and type.

What is a 'Hot Key' in Adobe Illustrator?

The letter shown in parentheses next to a tool's name when hovering the cursor over it.

What is the purpose of the Selection Tool in Adobe Illustrator?

It selects entire objects, text boxes, and shapes, displaying the object's bounding box when clicked.

What is the specific function of the Direct Selection Tool?

It selects specific points that make up an object to edit or alter part of that object.