GRAPHIC DESIGN for

NON-GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

1Before You Begin to

Design• TARGET AUDIENCE

– Decide Who Your Audience is. The more you know about your audience, the better equipped you are to attract their attention and communicate your message. Knowing who the audience is will help you determine the best format in which to communicate with them.

2Before You Begin to

Design• CONTENT

– What do you want to convey? It helps to know exactly what words you want to use (or have to use) on the page to convey your message, because the amount of words and the message will affect how you design your layout. Be ready to edit or cut text.

3Before You Begin to

Design• IMAGE AREA

– Consider the size, shape, and function of your layout.

– Draw a mock-up showing where artwork, photos, etc should be placed relative to copy.

4Before You Begin to

Design• COLOR

– Spot color vs. process – Use color for

emphasis– Computer-screen

color is not necessarily printed color

– Paper color affects ink color

– PMS - Pantone Matching System

5Before You Begin to

Design• PRINTING

– What printing processes to use.

– Communicate with your printer

– Make sure materials are available

– Spell out everything – leave nothing to “guesswork.”

– Provide a hard copy.

Before You Begin to Design

• Consider these five things before you begin to design:– TARGET AUDIENCE– CONTENT– IMAGE AREA – COLOR – PRINTING

Say What?bleed typeface serif

bi-foldpica font san serif

tri-foldwidow leading rag

saddle stitchorphan kerning justified

RGBPDF PMS

CMYK

Good Graphic Design Utilizes:Simplicity

Emphasis

White Space

Simplicity• KISS

– Have a good reason for everything you add, and take away anything that you don’t need

– Keep headlines and lead paragraphs short

• Have a purpose for everything - when in doubt, leave it out

• Stick to three or fewer fonts in a layout

• Contrast -

Balance -

Alignment -

Repetition -

Flow

Emphasis• The most important element on

the page should be the most prominent

• Emphasis Techniques:• Make it the biggest• Make it the boldest• Placing the element in

a shape that is different from others on the page

• Making it full intensity when everything else is faded

• Adding a border around the element

• Changing its color so it is different

• Surrounding the element with lots of white space

• Tilting it at an angle when other elements are horizontal

Readability/Typography• Style of type, font

• Size of type, point• Font enhancements,

– underline, shadow, word art• White space• Line length and justification• Color of the text and color of the text background• Page layout

Style of Type• Fonts – There are seven different font groupings, each with

their own intended purpose.

Old Style used in the body of text where legibility is important.

Sans Serif used for display, headlines, and captions.

Modern much like old style in purpose but has higher contrast on the lettering strokes.

Square Serif used for display, headlines, and short blocks of text.

Occasional for special effects, and should be used sparingly.

3

Text used for special occasions like wedding invitations.

Cursive used for special effects.

Type Nomenclature

ThyAscender Line

Waist Line

Base Line

Descender Line

Ascender

Descender

Fillet

Serif

Thick

ThinFont Size

Old Style TypeOld Style typefaces have slight differences between the thick and thin strokes, rounded serifs and fillets. These features allow for an eye pleasing amount of white space thus making the fonts easier to read and good for blocks of text.

Century GaramondGoudy Old Style

Modern TypeModern Type is very similar to old style. The major difference is there is a much larger contrast between the thick and thin strokes. Modern is light and airy, it is considered a stylish type, and it is very readable in a block of type.Bodoni Times New Roman

Century Schoolbook

San Serif TypesSan Serif Types San means without. San serif types have no serifs. There is little or no difference in the thickness of any of the strokes of the letters. Their primary use has traditionally been for headlines and captions. But these typefaces have gained popularity for their use in blocks of type. The lack of serifs allows the letter to be closer together allowing more words to be on the page. The readability is decreased but the cost is reduced.

Arial Franklin GothicLucinda Sans

Square Serif TypesSquare Serif Types have square serifs and even stroke width. The common uses for the seldom used square serif types are for display, head lines, and occasionally for a short block of text. Rockwel

l

Occasional TypesOccasional types are used for special effect and create high contrast but should be used very sparingly. These types should never be used to set a block of text. Chiller

Algerian

BroadwayPlaybill Stencil

Text TypesText Type and Old English are very difficult to read and are reserved for formal events such as weddings. Due to the ornate nature of the capitol letters, text type should NEVER BE SET IN ALL CAPS.GothicE

Cursive TypesCursive Types are also occasional types and should be used for special effect. They have the ability to show style and class when used in advertising. They can be hard to read and should not be set in all capitol letters.

Commercial Script

Line LengthA long line length with small font size allows for a lot of

words to be placed on a page which saves money but makes the information very hard to read. It is for that very reason that contracts use this format. It is hard to stay on the correct line because readers have to reposition their eyes several times as they read down the length of the line.

A short line length with a large font size results in exactly the opposite situation.

White SpaceWhite space can add or detract

from the readability of a design depending on how much is used. Too little and the design is cramped.

Too much and the design is disjointed

and

unorganized which makes finding what

information goes together difficult.

White Space• Allows the eye to

“rest”• Makes type easier

and faster to read• Resist the urge to fill

entire space with words, pictures, charts and graphics

• Avoid “gray” pages• White space creates

emphasis

Photographs• Resolution - low vs.

high– ppi (display) and dpi

(printer)• Size - too big or too

small• Cropping – when and

how• Photo-editing

programs (Paint)• Formats – jpg, gif, tiff• Vector images – what

are they?

Logos• Less is more

– Convey the idea as simply as possible. Few words and colors.

– Create logos in a vector program – not Paint, PowerPoint or Publisher.

– Here are some examples:

Top 12 Graphic Design Don’ts

1.Use low resolution photos for print2.Use too many different fonts in one

design3.Use every color in the rainbow just

because you can4.Put a box around everything5.Center everything on the page6.Forget to check for widows and

orphans

LO-RES (web) = 72 dpi HI-RES (print) = 300 dpi

7.Forget white space is your friend – avoid “gray pages”

8.Use fonts that are too small – 5, 6, 7 point

9.Use double spaces after punctuation10.Underline or use all caps instead of

italicizing11.Justify type – creates too many

hyphens and “rivers”12.Rely on the computer for everything

– it is only a tool

Top 12 Graphic Design Don’ts

Right and wrong do not exist in graphic

design. There is only effective and non-

effective communication.