What is Photoshop?

Photoshop is a Image editing software that allows users to enhance and retouch their photos.The software also features a variety of different tools. The cloning tool is one of the most unique. The cloning tool allows replication. The user can  take parts from a separate photo and place it in their photo. Photoshop is popular in the advertising and photography business. To sell their products, magazines usually Photoshop their models to attract customers. Also Photoshop filters can change the texture of a picture. The filters vary from colored pencil to painting. To be a successful graphic designer it will be best to learn Photoshop. 

Threadless

Who wouldn't love fresh new designs? Threadless.com is a unique website that allows people to shop for merchandise and Submit designs. Threadless has shirts,phone cases, and posters all made by submitters. Any room in your house can be spruced up with any poster from threadless. There is currently a astrology contest on threadless. Submitters must have a shirt dealing with astrology. So the shirt can have your zodiac symbol or all of the symbols present. You don't need to have a degree to submit a design. It's also important that designers follow the directions for the design to submit. If you decide to enter good luck!

99 designs

If you are looking to buy a design or sell one 99 designs is one of the best websites that offer both options. If you are a buyer then you can make a profile and post requirements for your design. Requirements such as what type of design you are looking for. If you would like a logo, invitation, flyer or other. After that designers will be able to send you their work for your approval. If you find a design you like then you will have to contact the designer to receive the files so that you can put your design to use. The next time that you are having a huge party or you are just curious  check out 99 designs. Also you do not need a degree in graphic design to submit a design all you need is creativity!

The design process

             The first step of the design process are thumbnails. After getting the requirements from the client it is necessary that the designer creates thumbnails. Thumbnails are quick drawings that do not require much detail. Thumbnails are used to visually express ideas for the product. Thumbnails could be compared to the prewriting process in English. Designers are encouraged to draw as many as possible.  The second step of the design process is sketching. Sketches are much more detailed drawings. They have exact layout ideas for the finished product. There are a maximum of three sketches for the client. This limits the clients options and keeps the designer from constant revisions. A sketch can be seen as a preview of the final product once it is chosen. The last step is the final product. This is where the product is being created or is already created for the client. Now the product officially belongs to the client. It is also recommended that the client gets their product copyrighted for their products protection.

Vectors

                   Vectors are images that can be created in Adobe Illustrator with the pen tool. Vectors are very useful because they can be resized to any scale and still be clear and legible. Photoshopped images can not be enlarged or resized. If the files are resized then it will be the opposite of the vector's properties. It will be blurry and hard to read. The ideal products to use vector images in would be books and logos. With books like magazines a vector can be placed and aligned with the text. This will create unity and flow within the magazine. The unity and flow will attract readers and make profit. Also vector images can also be text based and still be considered a image.  

communicating with the client

          Communication with the client is extremely important in every business, especially in the world of graphic design. A graphic designer must have communication skills when dealing with a client. If a designer does not have any sense of communication then the desired product will not be produced. The designer will also lose profit and maybe a good reputation. If the designer does have good skills then they could gain a client for life and a new relationship. In the beginning stages of the product creation it is important not to provide the client with to many sketches. To many sketches communicates the client that there are many possibilities and combinations to chose from.  The client could be confused on what to chose or change the design last minute. A good designer will provide a client with three sketches that will narrow down the clients decision but also include the client's requirements.

Downloading fonts

There are several websites that offer free fonts for downloading. The most popular website of my choice is Dafont.com. Dafont offers a large variety of different fonts from decorative to serif fonts. There is no need to register for Dafont it is open to the public. There is a important rule in graphic design when it comes to fonts. When choosing fonts they must be appropriate for your specific use. For example if you are writing a essay for college then it would be wise to use a Sanserif font. If the font you are choosing is for a ad or illustration a decorative font can be chosen. If these fonts switched purposes then the message would be completely different. A decorative font used for a essay would be hard to read and most likely the college wouldn't want to read it. Use a Sanserif font for for a ad or decorative purpose then it may be too boring. Also be sure to not use more than two different fonts if you are writing if not the paper will not be unified.

Serif vs Sanserif

             The terms Serif and Sanserif are used to describe two different types of fonts. Serif fonts can be described as having feet on its letters. Times New Roman is a Serif font. Every letter has a flat base similar to feet. Sans serif is the opposite of Serif. Sanserif fonts have no feet. Arial is a basic Sanserif font found in Microsoft word.  The letters have no base so it looks like it is simply written on a flat 2D surface. It does not have as much depth as serif does. These two fonts are not the only Serif and Sanserif fonts known. There are thousands of fonts that are either Serif or Sanserif. They can be downloaded to any computer  from certain websites.

       SERIF                                 SANSERIF

Why is it important?

                      Imagine a world where graphic design never existed.That means no signs, no advertisment, no typing and no direction! Our lives would be so hetic! Graphic design is all around us. It is a important part of our lives. With graphic design we can categorize products by labeling. Products are engraved with a company's particular name or logo to identify whats theirs and ready to sell. More importantly world wide signs help with everyday life especially on the road. Being able to know what is permitted and what is restricted in an area could cause fewer accidents. Road signs are yellow so that they are easier to see during the day and night. They also have simple designs to convey the message easily on what a driver or pedestrian must do. the simple designs are time saving to a driver. If a sign is too complex the driver would have to look at the sign for to long. When they finally get the message it would be too late.Graphic design makes our lives so much easier and organized. Life wouldn't be the same without it.

What is Graphic Design?

                    Graphic design is a form of art that collaborates digital text and illustrations to communicate to the public. Graphic design is also known as“the art or profession of visual communication." Logo's, advertisements, and magazines are all forms of graphic design. Logo's can be strictly image based or text based. A picture based logo is a success if it can be easily identified by the public. Certain company logo's like Nike, Starbucks, and Mcdonalds can by identified without the name included. In graphic design  prices can vary. There are several ways that a graphic designer can deliver a set cost. Many graphic designers charge by the hour. Depending on the designer's experience and location hourly charges could be between $8.00 to $500.00 per hour. Another way to deliver a price is through flat fee pricing. Graphic design firms usually give clients a set price for a logo. They also give different versions of the logo to choose from. For example, if a person chooses to get a logo from a freelancer the set price could be from $250-$2500. Lastly, there are logo package rates. Many firms have logo templates that are already made. The client can customize the logo for a fee. The price varies on how much customization will be done. It takes less time to create the desired product and because of this the price is lowered.

My experience at DCTS

            I’ve had two years studying graphic design at DCTS. I can say that my experience at DCTS was a fun one. My teachers and peers were humorous. Since I was already proficient in computers, Photoshop and Illustrator came naturally. I am still in the process to completely master Illustrator when it comes to visual effects. One of the best tools on Photoshop is the cloning tool. It allows people to make duplicates of any area on a photo. The filters are interesting as well. My first teacher was very supportive I couldn’t wait to get to her class everyday. I knew that I was going to be doing more than work. I was doing something that I was passionate about. When our projects were completed we would gather as a class for critiques. Critiques helped us improve our work by hearing what we did well. Also by hearing what we could have done to make it better was helpful as well. The critiques were a essential part of the class. Towards the end of my first year my teacher had departed permanently from our school and we had a new teacher. Not much has changed since my old teacher departed. The teacher I graduated from last year with was a Dj as well as a graphic designer. So he had experience in music and graphic design. The projects that were given in class presented multiple opportunities for money. There were contests ranging from one hundred to thousands of dollars. I made a hundred off of a logo for a company and fifty dollars off of a invitation. I recommend Delaware County Techincal School to any high school students interested in the graphic design field. The curriculum is set for creative artists to succeed.