Graphic Design Basics
Chapter 1
3000 BCE- Summerians created the first written language
1050-1500 AD-: typography and books and letters became essential
1040 AD- first movable printing press
Typography-posters, newspapers
1950's- digital era
Chapter 2
Graphic Design Theory and Principles
Graphic Design/Designer- uses design principles for communication.
William Addison Dwiggins- "New kind of printing calls for new design"
Chapter 2.1
Basic Design Principles
-set of rules that designers follow to create a visually pleasing work. (The Principles of Design)
•Balance- range from size, shape, color, and texture.
-any element placed on a page carries a visual weight.
2 types of balance:
-Symmetrical (S) : when the elements of the right side has the same element of the left side.
-Asymmetrical (AS) : both sides don't have the same elements.
•Unity- harmony produced by all the elements graphic design in a design place.
•Contrast- refers to the level of difference between design elements in order to create visual hierarchies.
-you can apply contrast by using colors, textures, sizes, and shape.
•Repetition- using repeated elements in the layout can be placing to the user.
-repeating a single element throughout the design.
•Pattern- repetition of more than one design element.
•Rhythm-a visual temple of a combination of elements when used repeatedly and with variation.
•Movement- refers to the path the viewer's eyes take through a composition.
•Emphasis- strategy to get the viewer's attention to a specific design out.
•Proportion- sense of unity created when all elements in a composition relate well with each other.
•Harmony- as a principal of design is the sense of cohesiveness.
•Variety- about creating visual interests that will keep viewers or users engaged with your design.
The principles of design give function and purpose to every element.
Chapter 2.2- Color Theory
Color Wheel- essential for understanding color theory concepts.
Sir Isaac Newton - created the traditional color wheel in 1666.
Primary Colors: Red, Blue, and Yellow
Secondary Colors: Purple, Green, and Orange
Tertiary Colors: Blue-Green, Blue-Violet, Red-Orange, Red-Violet, Yellow-Orange, and Yellow-Green.
Color Qualities -
Hue- also called color.
-similar to color.
-the same thing as color
-another word for color
-any color in the color wheel
Saturation -intensity or purity of the color
-vibrant or dull
Value- how light or dark a color is.
-light and dark
Shade- created by adding black to a hue or color to create a rich color.
Tint- created by adding white to make a color less intense.
Tone - created by combining black and white or gray with a hue.
Color Harmony - aesthetically pleasing color combinations.
-refers to colors that look appealing, balanced, and just work beautifully together.
Complementary - complementary color harmony pairs two colors directly opposite on the color wheel.
E.g.
•Red and Green
•Blue and Yellow
-"Traditional" RYB color model
-RGB color model
•Split Complementary - The color scheme uses one base color and two secondary colors.
•Analogous- works by combining a main color with colors that set next to.
•Monochromatic- this takes just one basic color from the color wheel that uses it different shades, tones, or tints to create a palette.
•Triadic- color scheme uses three colors, forming a triangle.
•Tetradic- two sets of complementary colors that form one part.
Color Psychology
•Red- Positive: power, passion, excitement
Negative: danger, anger, aggression
•Blue- Positive: trust, security, serenity
Negative: cold, emotionless
•Green- Positive: health, hope, prosperity
Negative: boredom, stagnation
•Yellow- Positive: joy, bright, light
•Pink- Negative: shy
•Violet- mysterious
•Black- rich, dark, classy
Typography - strategic arrangement of type in order to make written language.
•14th Century- Johannes Gutenberg adopted the movable type printing.
•Capital lettering was used to inscribe monuments and buildings, characters were created by chiseling on a stone.
•Gutenberg - develop the first ever type face, the black letter.
•Industrial Revolution - printing presess paved way for advertisement
-condensed and stretch type for newspaper
•Slab Serif Typefaces- punchier and boldier revivals of existing serif styles.
-the upside of the typographic freedom was the development of Slab Serif Typefaces.
•Roman Typestyles- became popular since black letter was difficult to read.
1900's- modernist times, designers were creating some geometric and humanistic typeface were created such as Futura, Gill Sans, and Helvetica.
-was introduced as functional and ultraligible typefaces.
Type Anatomy
1. Serif- have a small feet at the end of a stroke on a letter or a character.
-are you usually used for a long body copy because they are highly legible.
2. Ascender - any part of a lowercase letter that extends above the x height.
3. Descender- any part of a lowercase that extends below the baseline, for example g, p, or q.
-that is the vertical stroke goes downward.
4. Axis- refers to the direction of the stroke in a letter form, often taking inspiration from how letter forms might appear if drawn with a pen.
5. Ears- finishing stroke usually on the upper right side of the bowl of the lowercase g.
6. Bowl- curved part of the character that encloses the circular or curved parts.
-Also called counter.
7. Shoulder- round part of a letter, all lowercase.
-Comes from the fact that it resembles a human shoulder.
8. Stem- main, usual vertical line stroke of a letter.
9. Spine- left to right curvy stroke in uppercase and lowercase S/s.
-almost vertical or horizontal depending on the typeface.
10. Ligature- special characters
-combination of two individual characters.
11. Lowercase- small form of letters
12. Uppercase - capitals
13. Eye- usually found on the letter lowercase e