Computer Graphics Overview

Balance

The placement of elements in a design to create stability

Contrast

The difference between elements to add variety and create interest in a design.

Dominance

The principle of making 1 element stand out more than others, guiding the viewer's attention.

Proximity

The closeness of related items to show their relationship and improve organization.

Repetition

Reusing design elements to create consistency and unity in a layout.

Closure

the principle where the mind fills in missing information to see a complete image.

Continuance

the eye is compelled to move from one object through another on a site or page.

Negative Space

empty spaces surrounding shapes and forms. The space around elements.

Unity

The state of elements working well together, forming a whole.

Rule of 1/3s

Splitting a segment into thirds, producing an aesthetically pleasing ratio.

Golden Ratio

Segment ratios of long segments divided by approximately 1.618 and is believed to be aesthetically pleasing in art.

Hue

Tone or actual color (red or blue).

Saturation

intensity of color

Shade

Adding black to a hue, creating a darker color.

Tint

Adding white to a hue, creating a lighter color.

Value (of color)

The lightness or darkness of a color. Tint has a higher value, shade has a lower value.

RGB

mode that uses red, green, and blue light to create other colors.

CMYK

A color mode that creates colors by mixing cyan, magenta, yellow, and black to create other colors. (It's subtractive)

LAB

Color mode that combines levels of lightness with 2 color channels; a and b (1 green to magenta, other blue to yellow).

Web-safe colors

216 colors that all users can see, regardless of their computer displays.

Color Schemes

An organized method of matching colors based on their position on a color wheel

Monochromatic Color Scheme

Color scheme that uses a single hue with a variety of shades and tints.

Complementary Color Scheme

A color scheme that uses any 2 colors directly opposite each other on the color wheel.

Analogous Color Scheme

Color scheme with colors next to each other on the color wheel

Split-complementary Color Scheme

Color scheme using a color and the 2 colors on either side of its complementary.

Typography

The art of working with text.

Readability

The measurement of how easy an extended amount of text is to read.

Font

The size, style, and design of a set of characters.

Typeface

The set of 1 more fonts.

Legibility

the quality of being clear enough to read

Line Length

The physical length of a line of text

Serif

A font that has small lines at the beginning and end of characters and that is usually used with large amounts of text.

San-serif

Typeface that does not have the small projecting features called "serifs" at the end of strokes

Device Dependent

The appearance of the page varying depending on the device

Graphic Artists

Artists that work in the field of art known as graphic design

Graphic Designer

A career that involves designing or creating graphics to meet specific commercial or promotional needs

Software Owner

A person that doesn't have a lot of knowledge in designing, but owns a design product.

Stock Art

Includes existing artwork and photographs that can be licensed for use

Royalty-free Images

Images that the user pays a one-time fee for the image. Under this license, users can use the image for as long as they like after they pay the license fee.

Public Domain

Images that are free to use.