Graphic Design Terms
basic terms used in graphic design
Terms
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- Kerning
- adjusting the horizontal space between letters
- DPI
- dots per inch. resolution of output device
- True color system
- 24-plane graphics subsystem which produces the entire range of 16.7 mil colors
- Density
- higher density, greater opacity
- High Resolution Image
- image with a high level or sharpness
- Flash
- vector graphic animation software from Macromedia that allows flash graphics to look the same across all browsers
- Paste board
- area around a page surface in a page layout program
- GIF
- Graphics Interchange Format
- Saturation
- color intensity of an image
- Perfect bind
- bind sheets by trimming at the binding edge and gluing them to a paper cover
- Resolution
- determines output quality
- Compound path
- illustration software that enables users to create compound paths from two or more paths. Image with transparent hole in middle.
- Opacity
- density of color or tonal value
- Camera Ready
- artwork/material ready for reproduction
- Saddle Stitch
- bind by stapling sheets together where they fold at the spine
- Noise
- occurence of pixels that contain random colors
- Bitmap Image
- graphic image stored as a specific arrangement of screen dots. [web graphics]
- JPEG
- Joint Photographic Experts Group. file format for full-color and b&w images
- Vector graphic
- graphics drawn in paths
- Trapping
- the ability to print a wet ink film over previously printed ink
- Register marks
- crosses or other targets applied to original copy prior to photography
- Low Resolution Image
- low-detail scan
- Portable Document File. format for transferring designs across multiple computer platforms
- Bezier
- a pen tool that draws curved line segments that can be reshaped by changing its anchor points and/or direction lines
- Frame
- a single graphic image in a sequence of graphic images
- TIFF
- graphic file format used for saving bitmapped images
- Grayscale
- images contain black, white, no color, and up to 256 shades of gray
- Pixel
- smallest picture element
- Value
- a term used to describe brightness
- Master page
- feature found in page layout software that allows the user to create a consistent page layout
- Collate
- to gather separate sections or leaves of a book together in the correct order for binding
- Pantone Matching System
- used for specifying and blending match colors.
- Rasterize
- image that's been converted from a vector image to a bitmapped image
- Non-printing guides
- alignment aids found within page layout software
- Bevel
- a function in graphic design software that gives an image appearance of being raised out of the surface
- RGB
- Red Green Blue. modes used to project color on a monitor.
- Overprinting
- printing over an area that's already been printed
- Shadow detail
- amount of detail contained in the dark areas of an image
- Animation
- a timed sequence or series of graphic images or frames together to give the appearance of continuous movement
- Register/Registration
- fitting two or more printing images in exact alignment with each other
- Trim marks
- marks placed on the copy to indicate the edge of the page
- CMYK
- Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black. in print design, colors defined as % of CMYK.
- Bleed
- when an image or printed color extends beyond the trimmed edge of a page
- Duotone
- printing an image with two colors, usually black and other color
- Spot color
- a method of specifying and printing colors in which each color is printed with it's own ink
- Hierarchy
- logical way to express the relative importance of different texts by making them different fonts, weights, sizes, etc.
- Dodge
- to bleach (lighten) a part or the whole of an image
- Clipping path
- function that allows a shape to mask part of an image
- Filter
- applied to images to create effects
- Dummy
- an example of a piece of design work that needs to be approved by a client
- Overrun
- copies printed in excess of specified quantity
- Four Color Process
- printing process that reproduces colors by combining CMYK. dots printed on top and next to each other
- Logotype
- name of a company or product in a special design used as a trademark in advertising
- Tolerance
- range of pixels a tool in graphic software operates in
- Leading
- vertical spacing between lines of text
- Page layout
- design of a page