Design Skills Workbook
211 Graphic Design Production 1 Professor DKB Hoover UW-Stevens Point Fall 2016
Kelly Krill
Design Skills Workbook Printed by the Office of Printing & Design, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
This workbook is dedicated to Diana Hoover, for her patience & Malcolm Sawyers, for the laughs and help along the way
Table of Contents 1 InDesign:
7
2 InDesign:
11
3 InDesign:
14
4 Photoshop:
18
5 Photoshop:
21
Pages,Tools, Panels, Guides, Grids & Master Pages
Type Categories & Type Basics
About Color
Working with Color
Digital Images & Printing
Table of Contents 6 Photoshop:
24
7 Project 1:
27
8 Illustrator:
30
9 Illustrator:
33
10 Illustrator:
36
Actions, Batch Processing, Sharpening & Optimizing
Photogrid
Workspace, Tools, Stroke/Fill, Panels, Layers, Pen Tool
Tracing, Closed Shapes, Gradients & Patterns
Design Principles in Page Layout, Photography & White Balance
Table of Contents 11 Project 2:
38
12 Illustrator:
41
13 InDesign:
44
14 Project 3:
49
Papercraft Creature
Blends, Gradients, Clipping Mask, Strokes, Patterns & Brushes
Type Hierarchy, Paragraph & Character Styles
Brochure
Chapter 1
InDesign
Pages, Tools, Panels, Guides, Grids & Master Pages
1
InDesign:
Pages, Tools, Panels, Guides, Grids & Master Pages Adobe InDesign is the industry standard software for page layout of print documents. With it you can control the number of pages, page size, grid structure, type styles and image placement. This is an overview of the interface and the basics on how to use the program.
To begin, setup a New Document. Go to File > New > Document--or use the key command, Command (⌘) + N--to open the New Document window. Here you can set the Intent, number of Pages in your document, Page Size, Orientation, whether you want Facing Pages and many more options.
Columns and Margins
You know that every printed multi-page document has top, bottom, inside and outside margins and that they use a grid with columns to govern content placement. When you open a New Document you have the option of setting columns and page margins OR you can set them to ‘0’ (zero) and use Margins and Guides to set these. There are a number of ways to create a layout grid for your document. One of the most common methods is to select Layout from the top menu > Margins and Columns and set your specifications.
Rulers and Guides
There are rulers running along the top and the left of your document window. The units of the ruler can be changed to read in points, picas, inches, centimeters, pixels, etc. Right click or Control click on the upper left corner where the rulers intersect to change the units of measurement. You can create a new guide by clicking and dragging on one of the rulers. Change the location by dragging it to new position.
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Different Kinds of Grids
The page layout of your document is controlled by a grid structure that you create.
There is also a Document Grid, which is like grid paper. To turn on and off the visibility of the Document Grid, go to the top menu and select View > Guides & Grids > Show/Hide Document Grid (⌘’). Another kind of grid is a Baseline Grid, which is used for aligning text. We will discuss this a bit later. Grids and guides can be adjusted to suit the document needs or your preference. Under InDesign choose > Preferences > Grids (or Guides) to get to the Preferences window. There are a number of other preferences you can set here.
Tools
In the toolbar there are basic kinds of tools to get to know. There are Selection Tools, Frame and Shape Tools, Type Tools, Drawing, Cutting and Transforming Tools, and the Stoke and Fill ‘Coloring’ Tools.
Application Bar, Application Frame and Control Bar
These are the two horizontal bars across the top of the workspace. The Application Bar can be used for setting up the workspace. You can turn on the Application Frame, which creates a perimeter around your workspace. The Control Bar can be used for controlling the characteristics of different elements. It is contextual which means it changes depending on what you have selected.
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Panels
In addition to the Tools on the left side of the workspace, InDesign has a Panels area on the right side by default, that house a slew of different options for controlling your document and content. Presets for groupings of Panels can be selected that are specific to different tasks. Individual Panels can be opened by going to the top menu bar under the ‘Window’ drop down menu. The Panels can be configured anyway you would like and the stack can be expanded, minimized, or pulled apart to suit your needs.
Pages and Master Pages
The Pages panel allows you to see a thumbnail version of your document. From here you can navigate to specific pages or rearrange them. You can add and delete pages, and choose how the thumbnails are displayed. A Master Page is like a template that you can apply to multiple pages in your document. By default the A-Master is activated. You can make adjustments to it and you can create new Master Pages for different kinds of page layout or sections of your document.
To make adjustments to the Master, double click on the name in the panel. It will highlight and the name by the thumbnail and the name will appear at the bottom left side of your document frame.
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Chapter 2
InDesign
Type Categories & Type Basics
2
InDesign:
Type Categories & Type Basics Typeface Categories
There are many ways to categorize typefaces or fonts, but the two main ways we will learn about are general classifications and how they are used. General classification is historical; usage is about the names given to the roles type plays in different parts of the document.
General Classification: Serif vs. Sans Serif One of the most basic distinctions in type is Serif or Sans Serif. A serif is that little foot or spur or appendage on the end of the stroke of a letterform. The word ‘sans’ means, ‘without’ so this category has no little spurs or appendages, the letterforms end bluntly. Both of these categories have additional classifications. Kinds of Serifs include Hairline, Bracketed, Slab, Wedge (and more) and Sans Serif include Geometric, Humanist, Transitional.
Text vs. Display
Typefaces are designed for different purposes. The two major categories are Display and Text typefaces. Text faces are used for body text meant for extended reading and so their letterforms are clear, clean and simple. Display faces, on the other hand, can be more ornamental because they are used for use titles or headlines that only have a few words.
How Type is Used
In any publication, whether for print or for screen, the text can be categorized by its use, such as: Headline, Subhead, Body Text, Pull Quote, Captions, etc. These designations are important to know as part of design terminology and because they are used when naming the Styles in your digital document.
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Type Basics
Typefaces Have Families A single typeface is often designed with several variations such as Regular, Italic, Bold, and Bold Italic. Some typefaces have large families that include variants in character width including Compressed, Condensed, Wide, or Extended fonts, and character weights such as Thin, Book, Semi Bold, Extra Bold, etc.
How Type is Measured: Points, Picas, Leading and ‘the Measure’
The units of measure used for type include: the point and the pica. 12 points = 1 pica, 6 picas = 1 inch, so 72 points = 1 inch
Type size is measured in points. This unit of measure has been around since the 1600’s and was standardized in the 1990’s for digital publishing. Conventional point sizes are available in the drop down menus of most software programs. These sizes (6, 8, 10, 12, 14, etc.) correspond to the sizes that—once upon a time, and still today—hot type or metal type is produced.
Leading
The space between lines of type is referred to as leading. This term comes from the thin strips of metal used when hot type is set by hand. Leading is also measured in points. The default amount of leading is two (2) points between each line of text.
The Measure
Line length or the width of a line or column of text is measured in picas. The length of a line or a column or block of text is called its ‘measure.’ If a the measure is too long, the reader will tend to lose their place as they go from one line to the next. If it is too short, the ideas in the text become chopped up rather than flowing. Because point size affects the number of words on a line, line length is also measured with character count. Optimum line lengths are around 45-65 characters including spaces.
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Chapter 3
InDesign
About Color
3
InDesign: About Color
Designers need to know a lot about color. From color theory, the psychology, cultural and mythic meanings of colors, to the technical aspects of how to handle color digitally, to knowing the systems of used in specifying color, the knowledge base you need to acquire is expansive. This workbook covers a few fundamental aspects including: Color Systems, Color Spaces, Spot Color vs. Process Color, and Color Books.
Color Systems: Additive & Subtractive
Humans see color because our eyes are equipped with specialized receptors called rods and cones that detect and translate different wavelengths of light. We perceive color differently depending on whether we are seeing light directly versus seeing light reflected off of a surface. These two different systems are called Additive and Subtractive.
Additive Color System
When we look at a screen on any device, we are looking at light illuminating the screen from behind. When we look at a film or slide show being projected onto a screen we are also looking at light. The colors we see are a result of light wavelengths being added together to produce the whole spectrum of other colors. Thus this color system is referred to as Additive.
Subtractive Color System
When we look at color that is painted on a canvas or dyed into a fabric or printed on paper we are seeing light bouncing off the surface. The colors are a result of wavelengths for colors being subtracted from the spectrum and those colors/wavelengths enter into our eyes. That is why this color system of dyes, inks and pigments is referred to as Subtractive.
Color Spaces (Modes): RGB & CMYK
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As a designer you need to be aware of and consciously match the color spaces with the medium you work in. Colors on screen look different than those same colors printed on paper. So, when you are designing for the web or work that is mean to be projected, you should use one color space and when you are designing work meant to be printed, you need to use another.
All of the colors we see on a screen are made up of pixels with varying amounts of Red, Green, and Blue. Thus, the color space for screen work is identified as RGB. Most all of the colors we see on a full-color printed piece are made up of dots of color ink in varying density. These colors are Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and black. Thus, the color space used for print work is CMYK.
Process Colors
There is more to know about color in print than just CMYK vs. RGB. An important term to know is that cyan, magenta, yellow and black are referred to as the Process Colors. This name references the printing process where full color images are separated out into their component CMYK colors as dots. This is done in order to print the colors one on top of another and produce a visual recreation of all of the colors present in the image.
Spot Color
A Spot color is printed as a solid color either instead of CMYK or in addition to CMYK (Process Colors). Why would you use a Spot Color? Sometimes there is a specific color that needs to be consistently presented. An example of this would be the Target Red color. This is a valuable part of Target’s brand. In order to maintain consistency the color is mixed up using a specified formula of percentages of CMYK inks.
Specifying a Spot Color in InDesign
You have to go through a set of steps to specify a Spot Color in InDesign. Note that the process varies a little in different software programs such as Illustrator. If you want to use a tint of a specific color you must make it a Spot Color first.
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Pantone Color
The Pantone Matching System is the most used color matching system in the design industry. Pantone colors allow designers to spec colors for their clients and ensures that printers will be able to reproduce the specified color. Pantone colors are available in swatch books that fan out for easy comparison and selection.
Because there are many different kinds of papers, coatings and kinds of options for printed design work, there are numerous Pantone swatch books to represent the various kinds of printing and papers. The most basic distinction between these swatch books is Pantone Coated vs. Pantone Uncoated. These simulated what the color will look like on coated and uncoated paper stock. There are also swatch books that show how a specific color will look when it is “built� out of CMYK. You can specify Pantone colors in InDesign as well as in other Adobe programs, Illustrator and Photoshop.
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Chapter 4 Photoshop
Working with Images
4
Photoshop:
Working with Images Masking, Foreground, Background
Masking allows for the isolation of a specified area so that a treatment can be applied to just that area.
Making a mask starts with using a Selection Tool. Quick Select is a go-to tool when there is enough differentiation between the subject you want to isolate and the background. You can then refine your selection using the ‘Refine Edge’ or ‘Refine Mask’ processes. These both are essentially accomplishing the same thing but are accessed from different places. Refine Edge is visible on the Control Bar when you have a Selection Tool chosen and Refine Mask is available through clicking the mask in the Layers Panel. These both contain sets of options you can use to fine-tune your mask edge.
Duotones
Duotone images carry a specific aesthetic style. As the name implies, they are created with only two Spot Colors. There are Tritones and Quadtones, also, though the most common form is a Duotone.
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Chapter 5 Photoshop
Digital Images & Printing
5
Photoshop:
Digital Images & Printing Color Spaces and Printing
Most of the time when working on digital images, you will be in the RGB format. The RGB color mode creates a smaller image size than CMYK, and you are looking at the image on a screen, which uses Red, Green and Blue to create millions of colors. The color modes RGB and CMYK are set in the Image > Mode menu. In Photoshop you also can adjust the Color Settings for the document. If you are intending to prepare your image to hand off to an offset printer, you will want to communicate directly with them about what specific color setting to use for their digital system workflow and their specific press.
Color Perception: Screen vs. Print
If you are sending your image to a desktop color laser or large-format banner printer, the sRGB format will suffice. In fact, it will often yield better results than converting your image to CMYK. However, if your monitor is not calibrated—which many are not—there can be a pronounced difference in the appearance of the colors on screen verses the colors when they have been printed. Also, some colors tend to shift more dramatically than others. Overall, on screen the colors are illuminated from behind, so you can perceive a greater range of midtones in an image, whereas a printed image reflects light off the surface of the inked paper.
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Print Quality
The quality of both the paper and the printer you use will affect the appearance of your final output and colors. Running color tests can help you see how the chosen printer will perform. Commercial copy and Print facilities can usually produce much better final results than desktop color printers.
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Chapter 6 Photoshop
Actions, Batch Processing, Sharpening & Optimizing
6
Photoshop:
Actions, Batch Processing, Sharpening & Optimizing Actions
In Photoshop, Actions are specific sets of sequential instructions for the manipulation of photographs. Similar to Styles you create for text, once you make an Action, you can then apply it to other images. There are a number of default Actions that come preset within the program, however you can also record your own custom set of commands.
Batch Processing
Once you have set up an Action, you can apply it efficiently to process quantities of photos or images. You can select a folder of images and direct Photoshop to apply a specific Action to all of them. This works great for images you need to treat the same way, such as to resize images or make all screen shots Grayscale.
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Sharpening
Almost every photograph you work with can benefit from a certain amount of Sharpening. Done correctly it will bring out the edge detail with greater clarity. Of course, you need to avoid over sharpening because it will cause your photo to look pretty awful. Sharpening should be one of the last things you do to a photo as you prepare to place into a layout or an InDesign document.
Optimizing your Images: File Formats & Resolution
The first thing to think about is how your images are going to be used. Will they be used in a print document or will they be used in a website? Maybe both. Each platform for delivery has its own requirements. These pertain to two major things: appropriate file format and image resolution.
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Chapter 7 Project 1 Photogrid
7
Project 1: Photogrid
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ART 211 Graphic Design Production I
PROJECT 1:
Section 2
PHOTOGRID AN EXP E R I MENTAL P ROJECT Working with Adobe Photoshop and your own photographs you will create a new digital composition using a series of prescribed and self-selected treatments. GOALS //// Explore Photoshop / Follow specifications / Create visually unified piece PROCESS 1. Systematically select squares within the specified grid. Copy them and Paste in Place to create a New Layer. (Command + C, and then, Shift + Command + V) 2. On each new Layer (square) use either an Adjustment, Filter or Effect and name the Layer with that process. Group the Layers together in Folders with these names. 3. Follow the requirements for specific treatments. 4. Save several versions of your work iteratively. Save them as (SFS) PDFs to upload. 5. Assess the overall compositions and adjust to create a sense of completion. You may go back into the individual Layers and change the settings or remove the layer and redo it with another process. Rename the Layer if you do this. 6. Take screenshots of some of your process as you work and specifically of your Layers Panel when you have completed the project. 7. Save your file in the native .psd format for your archive. When ready, Save your final for printing as High QualityPrint .pdf and Smallest File Size for display on screen.
SPECS ABOUT THE PHOTO • photograph must be your own original work • subject must be abstract-ish no portraiture (human or animal) • original phot should be 2M or larger in size (we will be printing these, so they need sufficient resolution) REQUIRED TREATMENTS • crop to 10.5" x 10.5" with 300ppi
• grid has 49 squares of 1.5" x 1.5" — all squares must be treated
• a minimum of 7 Adjustments, 7 Filters and 7 Effects or Blends • incorporate 1 Duotone or False Duotone • hand-drawn/scanned elements to be integrated • include an selected word in the composition
FINAL WORK
Finals are due on Tuesday, October 11.
■
Finished size:
10.5" x 10.5" (board and adhesive will be supplied for mounting)
■
Presentation:
High Quality Print PDF / for print / printed color, trimmed, mounted Smallest File Size PDF / for screen display
■
Documentation:
Original photograph and native .psd file
(archive for DSW)
Screenshots, photos, or scans of process Writing about your work (Word document)
■
Basecamp:
Project 1 folder Compressed / Zipped
(upload)
(Use naming convention: LastnameFirstinitial_211_P1_Photogrid) 2 PDF files, 1 for screen and 1 for print Your original digital photograph
GRADING
Total of 50 points possible. Following specs: 25 pts Formal/Conceptual design: 15 pts
Craft digital and physical: 10 pts
ART 211 Graphic Design Production I — Fall 2016 — Hoover
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Chapter 8 Illustrator
Workspace, Tools, Panels, Stroke/Fill, Layers, Pen Tool
8
Illustrator:
Workspace, Tools, Panels, Stroke/Fill, Layers, Pen Tool The industry standard software for developing vector-based graphics, Adobe Illustrator is the go to program for designers building logos and symbols, as well as digital illustrators. In this program you can build vector shapes and fill or color and apply a huge variety of effects, shading and patterns.
Tool Bar/Tools
Main Selection Tools Like the other Adobe programs, Illustrator has Selection Tools. These are the ‘Selection’ and the ‘Direct Selection’ Tools. The ‘Selection’ Tool (the BLACK Arrow) allows you to move an entire object. The ‘Direct Selection’ Tool (the WHITE Arrow) allows you to select a single anchor point and manipulate it. Stoke and Fill Strokes can be aligned to outside, inside or center of a shape. The cap or terminals can be blunt/flat, rounded or squared. Their joins can be square, rounded or beveled. It is important to keep track of the Stroke and Fill. You can reverse these by clicking the double-ended arrow on the Tool Bar. Illustrator has quite a few Tools that you can use to build shapes. Some are more intuitive than others.
Regular Shapes Geometric Shapes can be created with the Rectangle, Rounded Rectangle, Ellipse, Polygon, and Star Tool. All of these shape-making tools can be constrained to perfect shapes or configured to add or subtract edges or points. You can click and hold on the Rectangle Tool to get a submenu of Tools that can be detached from the main Tool Bar. Irregular Shapes The Paintbrush and the Blob Brush Tools can be used to make irregular or organic shapes. You can adjust the size of the brush and of course the color of the brush.
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Pen Tool Learning to work with the various Pen Tool options will increase your abilities in Illustrator exponentially.
Drawing with the Pen Tool takes some practice. Each time you click the Pen Tool on the Artboard, a single Anchor point appears. If you click and drag, you will automatically get two Handles that can be used to manipulate the curve of an Anchor point. These curves that make up vectors are called Bezier Curves, named after the mathematician who first described them.
If you click and hold on the Pen Tool in the Tool Bar, you can see the entire Pen Tool set. These include the Add Anchor Point tool, the Delete Anchor Point tool and the little angle icon that is simply called the Anchor Point Tool. Again, you can “tear off� this little Pen Tool sub-menu and position it anywhere in your workspace.
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Chapter 9 Illustrator
Tracing, Closed Shapes, Gradients & Patterns
9
Illustrator:
Tracing, Closed Shapes, Gradients & Patterns Tracing
There are two main ways to trace in Illustrator, one uses the Pen Tool and Layers so you can draw on top of what you want to trace much like you would do using a light table, and the other uses the Image Trace process, which digitally changes a rasterized image into a vector image.
Each of these methods is best suited for some images and both processes have pros and cons. The Pen Tool is difficult to master, though it will allow for precise control. Image Trace has many options, though it can generate a result that is less than ideal. The Image trace window has a number of preset Tracing options and many different ways to manipulate the resulting trace.
Closed vs Shapes
It is important that when you work in Illustrator you are closing your shapes. This is required for the fills to work properly.
Eraser vs Scissors vs Knife Tools
There are numerous ways to divide or subtract from shapes. The Eraser, Scissors and Knife Tools all do this, but achieve different results. The Eraser takes away parts of the shape wherever you use it, while both the Scissors and the Knife simply cut apart with no loss of shape area. For the Knife Tool, hold down the Option key to constrain the cuts to straight and use both Shift + Option for horizontal, 45 degrees or vertical constraint.
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Gradients and Patterns
In Illustrator there are numerous methods to fill shapes. Gradients allow blending colors or blend to transparency. Patterns allow you to fill a shape or area with a repeating motif. Gradients and Patterns have presets and are both customizable. The Pattern Brush Tool makes it easy to create and adjust your own original Patterns.
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Chapter 10
Illustrator
Page Layout, Photography & White Balance
10
Illustrator:
Design Principles in Page Layout, Photography & White Balance Design Principles: Visual Hierarchy
All layout design is concerned about the communication of ideas. As a designer you need to figure out what is most important and present that first in the visual hierarchy. We follow general rules for reading. In Western cultures we read from left to right and top to bottom. Thus attention usually goes to the upper left hand corner of a page. An effective poster design will have a focal point, something that catches the eye first. There are plenty of methods to create this using scale, color, and/or contrast to draw the viewer’s attention.
Alignment, Balance, Unity
Elements on a page need to have some alignment to look purposefully laid out and to unify the composition. This is a basic tenant of 2D Design. The layout also needs to achieve a visual balance either symmetrical or asymmetrical. Unity in page layout is achieved through deliberate use of a few well-chosen typefaces and a limited or purposeful color palette. Graphic elements or treatments such as gradients, specific textures or borders can add a sense of completion to a layout. Choose these thoughtfully in order to add visual power to your conceptual communication.
Photography & White Balance
When taking photographs of an object or a product, you will want to control your lighting. The White Balance is something you set in the camera so the color temperature of the lighting is recorded correctly. Auto settings can often get good results, though you may want to use a gray card or measure the light and set the WB in the camera at the time of the photo shoot. Of course, it is possible to correct color casts in an existing photo using Photoshop, however it is far preferable for you to use the proper white balance to begin with as every digital adjustment will result in a loss of digital information.
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Chapter 11 Project 2
Papercraft Creature
11
Project 2:
Papercraft Creature
1. After pieces are cut out, Glue or tape together ends of rectangle to make cylinder jar. 2. Attach circles to bottom and top of jar. The white rectangle should be closest to the front of the body for head. 3. Fold and and glue or tape head together and attach to white rectangle on top of jar. 4. Attach ears to side of head, bending the tips forward. 5. Curl tail lightly from base, color side facing up. Attach base of tail along black line on top of jar. 6. Introduce yourself to your new friend, Blue!
TAIL
HEAD
EAR EAR
TOP
BOTTOM
JAR
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ART 211 Graphic Design Production I
PROJECT 2:
Section 2
PAPERCRAFT CREATURE F ROM F LATLAND T O DIMENSIO NAL GOALS • Devise an original character + story • Learn the basics of Adobe Illustrator • Create balanced layout for a presentation poster • Use a good quality camera, seamless and lighting equipment to take quality photographs PROCESS 1. Select a character and build using the directions provided. Analyze the features and parts of the characters and different methods of assembly. 2. Develop your own character using plain paper. Put together and test out the character. Make adjustments to pieces as needed. 3. Using Adobe Illustrator develop the coloration for your creature’s parts. Print out tests, assemble and adjust the features and colors as needed. 4. Develop a layout for a poster containing the creature parts, the name, backstory, directions for assembly and a photo of the completed creature. 6. Using the provided equipment, take a 3/4 angle photograph of your creature for display on the poster. 7. Using your layout as a guide, build your poster in Adobe Illustrator. Save your poster final for printing as High QualityPrint .pdf and Smallest File Size for display on screen.
NEW INFO SPECS FOR FINALS Finished Poster size: Presentation: Documentation: Due Dates:
13" x 19" (Super B) High Quality Print PDF / for print / printed color, trimmed, mounted Smallest File Size PDF / for screen display Original photograph and native .psd file, Screenshots, photos, or scans Writing about your work (Word document) (archive for DSW) INITIAL: PDF of poster — due on Thursday, November 10 FINAL: Printed Poster — due on Tuesday, November 15 FINAL: PROJECT 2 Folder Compressed / Zipped with the following: >> Use naming convention: LastnameFirstinitial_211_P1_Papercraft >> 2 PDF files, 1 for screen and 1 for print >> Your original digital photograph — due on Thursday, November 17
GRADING
Total of 50 points possible. Following specs: 20 pts Formal/Conceptual design: 20 pts
Craft digital and physical: 10 pts
ART 211 Graphic Design Production I — Fall 2016 — Hoover
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Chapter 12 Illustrator
Blends, Gradients, Strokes, Patterns & Brushes
12
Illustrator:
Blends, Gradients, Clipping Mask, Strokes, Patterns & Brushes Creating Blends
You can blend shapes together to get a morphed shape and color gradient. The three types of blends you can choose are: Smooth, Specific Steps and Specific Distance. Smooth gives you a seamless blending of colors, whereas the other two will give you chunky steps based on the perimeters you use. You can also use the blends icon in the Tool bar. To blend the two objects using the tool, you will need to select an edge of the first object, and then select the edge of the next object, and Illustrator will blend these two objects. When using the blend tool, please note, it will blend to the next point that you select. If you shift your selection point from the original, it will warp/twist the blend. You can change a color in the blend by selecting a specific object and then changing the color on than object and it will automatically re-blend it. If you use the Direct Selection Tool (A) to select a point on the Blend you can stretch it out. By using your Anchor Point Tool in the Pen Tool set, you can introduce curvature.
Creating a Custom Gradient
Open the Gradient panel: Window > Gradient. There are several default gradients that you can apply. If you start with one of these, you can change the colors on the slider by double-clicking on them or by dragging a new swatch color on top of it. You can add more colors to the gradient by clicking along the slider. You can reposition the squares on the bottom and also the triangles on the top to the adjust the range of gradient and the transition areas. Save your custom gradient by grabbing the sample square in the upper left corner and dragging it onto your Swatch panel.
Adding Visual Texture
You can add textures to your illustration in several ways including using Illustrator’s many painting and drawing tools to make inside the program, and capturing / creating your own texture.
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Taking your own photo of a texture allows for more realism. Always resize and transform your photographic images in Photoshop first before placing them into a document in Illustrator or in InDesign.
Working with Clipping Masks
Masking areas of image can be accomplished in a few different ways. You can create a custom shape and use it to delineate an area of image you want showing through the shape. Do this by placing the shape over the image and ‘clip’ the image into it with Object > Clipping Mask > Make.
Working with Strokes
You can create a layered effect with varying weights of Strokes on copies of the same object and then using the Align Panel to center them on top of one another. When working with Strokes you must consciously select whether the alignment of the stroke is center (default), inside or outside.
Creating Your Own Paintbrush Pattern
You know you can create your own Fill Pattern. You can also create your own Pattern Brush. To do this, draw a shape or a series of shapes that you would like to use like as a brush. With the Brushes Panel open, drag the vector art into the row of choices. You will be prompted to select Scatter, Art or Pattern Brush. Scattered Brush should be selected if you want to follow a drawn line or want to randomly place a single vector art with the click of the mouse. Art Brush should be selected if you want the vector art to fill the whole line - no matter the length. It will stretch and distort to accommodate your stroke. Pattern Brush should be selected if you would like the artwork to follow the drawn line. You are able to make adjustments for spacing, rotation and size. Double clicking on the brush in the brushes panel will allow alterations.
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You can also shift select pieces and drag them into the Brushes Panel to create a new brush.
Chapter 13
InDesign
Type Hierarchy, Paragraph & Character Styles
13
InDesign:
Type Hierarchy, Paragraph & Character Styles Building Type Hierarchy
Design is about organizing things. In order to organize a layout for a page in any kind of publication for print or screen, you need to construct a visual hierarchy within your type. This hierarchy dictates what is noticed first and differentiates the roles the pieces of text play. Placement on the page, point size, stroke weight and the case of the letters (UC, lc, U&lc) are a few of the key aspects you can manipulate to build your type hierarchy. The application of color or tints is another way you can emphasize or unify typographic elements on your page.
Location, Location and Size Matters
In the western world, the top of the page in the left-hand corner is where we are trained to look first. You can use this information to add a natural flow to your page layout. You can also experiment with the orientation of type in your page layout. Note that this is generally only appropriate for things like major heads or titles, not for body text. Designers generally use a graduated approach to applying strong hierarchy to the text on a page. A section or chapter heading has greater importance than a title, so is usually larger, and a title has greater importance than a subhead, and so on.
Choosing Typefaces
There are millions of typefaces out there in the world. Just because they are out there, does not mean you should use them. Great designers learn to work with a handful of classic typefaces and add interest by the layout and hierarchy choices they make. Remember there are some typefaces designed for body text and many that are not. Know the difference! The whole point of having text on a page is so it can be read. Legibility and readability are your important goals.
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About Typographic Styles
Typographic Styles are characteristics decided on by either the designer or a company’s brand style guide. Each of the different designated roles of text in a document —such as Headline, Subhead, Byline, Body Text, Caption, etc.—will have one or more Styles applied to it. Your Styles should always be named to reflect what they are used for. That is, the name of the Paragraph Style for Body Text should be ‘Body Text’ or ‘Body Copy’ or simply ‘Body’.
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Styles are Powerful
Once you have a Style created you can apply it to any number of pieces of text throughout your document. If you are familiar with CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) for the web, the same principles apply. When you redefine the Style you only do it once and all of the instances it is applied to will change. This is the true power of creating and using Styles.
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The Two Flavors of Typographic Styles
There are two distinct kinds of Typographic Styles that you need to know about and be able to use properly. These are Paragraph Styles and Character Styles. Paragraph Styles Used when styling entire paragraphs, Paragraph Styles are used to set the formatting of the texts. This kind of Style provides options for specifying Leading, Space Before or After, Indents, Character Color, and many other aspects. Note that a new paragraph is started when you hit your Return key. This is also called a ‘Hard Return’. This is opposed to a ‘Soft Return’ which is simply a line break within a paragraph. You get this by holding down the Shift key when hitting the Return key. Because Paragraph Styles apply to entire paragraphs, you can apply this kind of style by simply placing your cursor inside the paragraph and selecting the style you created. Character Styles Character Styles are used to format only parts of a paragraph like, individual words or phrases. When you want to emphasize a specific word inside a paragraph, say by italicizing it, you would do this using a Character Style. Using your cursor, you must drag select or highlight all of the characters in order to apply this kind of style.
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Chapter 14 Project 3
Brochure
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Project 3: Brochure
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ART 211 Graphic Design Production I
PROJECT 3 | 8-Page Brochure GOALS for this project: • increase your research skills — learn about an organization • work with Readers Spreads and Printers Spreads • set up Grid and follow design specs • develop photo skills (conceptual and technical) • design an effective multi-page, saddle stitched booklet • prepare document with Bleeds to send to Printing & Design
PROJECT OVERVIEW > > Choose an organization to research on the UWSP campus. Gather information by reading existing materials (website, brochures, etc.) and also by reaching out to an officer or director, someone who knows firsthand about the background and history of the group. > > Create a research presentation about your group. Use InDesign to build a PDF slideshow. You may use some screenshots, but must also include your own photos taken of the group, their meeting place, brochures, etc. (Six screens minimum.) > > Develop a strategy to reach the audience and ways to represent the mission, activities, goals of the organization. Think about how photos communicate and plan your photo shoot. > > Design an 8-page brochure using text and your own original photos for the organization you have researched. REQUIREMENTS — Your brochure needs to meet the following criteria. 1.
TEXT can be harvested from online sources or written by you. Must include: name of the organization or group, an introductory blurb, a statement about its history, info on the who, what, where, when, why the group exists (mission statement), one quote/testamonial. Also include credits for design, photos, and printing
2.
VISUALS must use your own original, self-generated photographs that support the content of the brochure. Photos of places or people or events must have captions. All photos need to be at proper resolution for printing, color balanced and thoughtfully included in the layout.
3.
SPECS for your InDesign files are provided for setting up the Document, Master pages, Grid structure, Typography, and structures for Comps, Printing and Archiving.
4.
LOGO The UW-Stevens Point logo on the front or back cover. (Provided)
CALENDAR Thurs, Nov 11
Project Intro / Choose group
Tues, Nov 15 Thurs, Nov 17
Discuss audience, communication goals / work on presentations Present research to class / Develop photo strategy / Create blank dummies
Tues, Nov 22 Develop visual layout on paper / begin InDesign files / Build grid structure / FPO content Thurs, Nov 24 — T h a n k s g i v i n g — n o c l a s s Tues, Nov 29 Thurs, Dec 1
Have all content (text/photos) / Populate brochure layout Develop design
Tues, Dec 6 Thurs, Dec 8
In-progress crit of B&W COMPS / refine brochures Prepare final brochures for Print // Final Brochures Due Before Friday: UPLOAD TO BASECAMP
Tues, Dec 12 Thurs, Dec 14
--Present printed brochures
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