GRAPHIC COMMUNICATIONS

• What is Graphic Communications?– Graphic Communications are methods of

sending messages using primarily visual means.

– Examples:• Printing• Photography• Drafting

VISUAL DESIGN• Visual Design refers to how something looks --

this is extremely important regarding the effectiveness of the message– What makes a design effective?

• Logo & brand identification• Grabs & holds attention• Appeals to target audience

– Principles of Design• Balance (visual weight/symmetry)• Proportion (size relationship of all parts of design)

• Contrast/Emphasis (drawing attention to certain parts of design through color, underlining, changing font,

TEXT SIZE• Variety (adding different things to a design so it isn’t

boring)• Rhythm (the design flows and keeps attention• Unity/Harmony (design aspects work together & flow)

CREATIVE DESIGN PROCESS• All printed products are designed first through a

three-step process:– Thumbnail sketch (basic ideas, “napkin sketch”)– Rough layout (more detail, getting closer to real item)– Full-color comprehensive layout (actual rendering of

final product)• Mechanical – “camera-ready” product reproduction that is ready

for final print reproduction

• Designing With a Computer– Desktop Publishing: using a computer to completely lay-

out a publication. The entire three-step process is accomplished using software (quicker, allows easier changes/modifications for lay-out, color, sizing)

PRINTED COMMUNICATION• The Importance of Printing

– Expressing messages would be difficult without printed words

– Printing processes have made it possible to send thousands of duplicate messages

– Printing preserves information & knowledge

• Types of Printing Processes– The type of printing process used depends on:

• Quality of reproduction desired

• Cost

• Speed

– Major groups of printing surface• Relief: methods that print from a raised surface. Ink is picked up

from a raised surface & transferred to paper– Types include letterpress & flexography

• Porous: ink is transferred through many small holes in the material (usually an image or design), allowing ink to pass through the image or stencil onto the printing material

– Types include screen printing

• Planographic: any process involving the transfer of a message from a flat surface (most common used today)

– Types include lithography (based on principle that water & oil don't mix).

• Gravure: images are transferred from plates that have sunken areas, where the images are etched or carved into the surface. The exact opposite of relief printing. Provides very high-quality results.

• Electrostatic: based on the principle that opposites attract and like particles repel, the image area is given a positive charge while the ink is given a negative charge, sticking to the correct areas. Heat sets the image. Most copiers use this process.

• Photographic: light is projected through a plate (the negative) onto light-sensitive material

• Ink-Jet: ink jets spray ink directly onto the surface, controlled by digital computer data

• Laser: similar to electrostatic, they print on regular paper using a narrow, high-energy beam.

• Digital Technology & Printing: integrated circuits dominate the printing industry today ensure accurate ink coverage, they allow easy changes in format/color/style, drive all the machines in the printing process, and allow print jobs to be performed “on-demand.”

– Types include screen printing

COMMUNICATING THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHY

– Photos help us capture images, feelings, expressions, concepts, and information.

– Photographic Process works similar to how our eyes work. Reflected light is picked up from a subject and focused through the camera lens onto film and the image is recreated when the film is developed. Parts of a film camera include:• Light-tight space (where image is recorded)

• Lens (used to focus on the image)

• Aperture with aperture diaphragm (lets light in & the diaphragm controls the amount of light)

• Shutter (controls the amount of time light is allowed to reach the film)

• Film holder (holds the film in place so it won't move)

• Viewfinder (used to locate & position the image for the picture)

– Film: comes in many formats & sizes. Contains an emulsion which is a sensitive material on the film that captures the image

COMMUNICATING THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHY

– Digital Photography: Images are stored electronically instead of on film, making it possible to see the image instantly without processing film. Because the image is stored digitally, it can be e-mailed or uploaded onto the Internet, or easily integrated into some publication. Because the image is digitized, it can be altered or manipulated before publication.

– Photographic Composition: composition is the way in which all the elements of the photograph are arranged.• Balance: the image to be photographed should be balanced within

the image frame using the “rule of thirds”, where the image into thirds horizontally & vertically. The image is placed at an intersection two of the imaginary lines creating balance.

• Framing: a foreground image is used to frame a background image.

• Simplicity: photos should be kept simple, concentrating on the picture's center of interest.

• Leading Lines: used to pull the attention into the focus of a scene

– Holography: using lasers to record realistic images of three-dimensional objects, giving X, Y, and Z datum planes.

DRAFTING– Drafting: the process of accurately representing 3-dimensional objects

and structures on a 2-dimensional surface. Drafting allows for the exact recreation of any product idea by the use non-verbal details.

– Drafting goes through a two-step process:– Sketching (getting main ideas on paper)– Detailed drawings (drawing that accurately depicts the exact

physical characteristics of the product idea)– Multi-View Drawing: shows two or more different views of an object

from right angles, perpendicular views of the same object, etc.. The idea is called orthographic projection – drawing an object from every conceivable position in which it can be viewed. Most multi-view drawings are also known as working drawings – drawings that are fully dimensioned to show exact size, shape, and location in every detail.

– Pictorial Drawing: show objects as they appear to the human eye. Fall into 3 categories:– Isometric: object is tilted so its edges form equal angles– Oblique: made from a front view where the top and side views are

from any angle other than 90 degrees– Perspective: resemble the way something would appear in real life– Technical Illustrations: provide technical information in a visual

way

DRAFTING

– Computer Aided Drafting (CAD): Simply put, it is a computer software program that allows for virtually every visual input for a product or building being designed. All datum planes (X, Y, and Z) can be manipulated, material strength calculations can be made based upon anticipated or known stresses, and three-dimensional models (modeling) can be produced.

– CAD/CAM systems have developed to the point that first operational models can now be developed tested, and prototyped to operational status.