Graphic Design Basics

In graphic design work, there are elements that are used, and most often combined, in order to create the graphics that you see. This is not the same as the principles of design, such as white space and balance, but parts of the whole, such as type, color and images. Professional design companies and graphic design services are very adept at using the elements to create great graphics. Contrast is also a core element that is used to get attention or distinguish between other elements. Type is, of course, all around us but when dealing with graphic designs the goal is to not just randomly place text, but to use it effectively as another form of communication with consumers. The choice of font, size, color, spacing and alignment all come into play. Also remember that a powerful image can make or break a design. Illustrations, artwork and photographs are used to tell stories, grab your attention and support ideas, so of course the selection is important. As a graphic designer you should be skilled at creating unique, distinctive designs.

From today's modern designs logos back to the days of using a pictograph, shapes have always been at the heart of graphic design. The newer graphic software programs are great for creating and moving the shapes that are used to build the page elements, create patterns and establish layouts. Soft, curved and rounded shapes are of course seen differently than sharp angled shapes, so using shapes properly is an important part of the design.

Lines are also a very important part of graphic designs, as they are used to direct your eyes to a particular area. A very basic explanation is that straight lines, which are found in print design layouts, normally are used to separate content, such as in newspapers and magazines. However, it is not necessary to stick with straight lines, as you can get creative by using curved, dotted or even zigzag lines as the main element on a page, and as a basis for everything from graphics to illustrations. Texture is another one of the elements used with everything from products designs to brochure design graphics. It can refer to the actual surface of a design or just to the visual appearance of a design. The visual appearance of texture is implied through the style of the design by using rich, layered graphics.

Color is perhaps the most interesting and fascinating element of graphic design because it can be used with any one of the other elements, causing a drastic change to the graphic image to fit any design. Graphic design services use color to make an illustration or image stand out; in web graphic design it can be used to indicate interactive links as well as to evoke emotion.