Photoshop: Chapter 1: Graphics and Visual Communications Management

Graphics and Visual Communications Management, Chapter 1

Document design decisions:

List 10 questions you should consider when designing a document that affect readability and visual appeal of the document:

1. How should the document be laid out on the page?
2. One column or two?
3. How much white space should I leave on the page?
4. How long should the text lines be?
5. Should the text be fully justified, or should the right side margins be ragged?
6. Are there any appropriate occasions to center the text?
7. What font or fonts do I choose?
8. Once I choose a font, how much white space should there be between lines to make sure the font is easy to read?
9. How can I most effectively combine type styles for visual emphasis?
10. How do I use visual design to show the hierarchy of information?

Page layout considerations:

What is the size of the standard size/layout of most business reports, memos, and letters? 
6 ½” column on an 8 1/2” by 11” page.

What is the purpose of a grid in page layout design? 
A grid divides the page into units and allows consistent placement of text and graphics throughout a multipage document.

Why would a designer choose a multi-column layout instead of a single column layout? 
To precisely place elements in the document.

What is the importance of “white space” in page layout design?
White space is as important to readability as is the text itself.

What is the optimum line length of a line of text?
Between 35 and 70 characters (or between 8 and 12 words).

What happens to readability if the line is too short?
Readability becomes difficult because it breaks up units of words that the reader expects to read together, thus making the reader work harder to discern the message.

What happens to readability if the line is too long?
Readability becomes difficult because it requires the reader to move his or her head to read to the end of the line, thus causing fatigue when reading long documents.

Describe these text alignment terms:

• Fully justified: (Flush left, flush right), so that it forms a straight line at both margins.
• Left justified: (Flush left), so that the right margin is ragged.
• Right justified: (Flush right), so that the left margin is ragged.
• Centered: Text is centered horizontally, so that the left and right margins are ragged.

Font/file  considerations:

Describe the difference between serif fonts and sans serif fonts:
A serif typeface has small, horizontal strokes that extend from the end of the vertical strokes, allowing you more easily to process words instead of individual letters. A sans serif typeface lacks those small horizontal strokes.

List three serif fonts and change them into their actual font (for example: Times New Roman):

• Times
• Georgia
• Courier

List three sans serif fonts and change them into their actual font (for example: Verdana):

• Arial
• Helvetica
• Trebuchet

What is a PDF file and why are PDF files commonly used?
A Portable Document Format file that captures the exact look of a documents it would appear when printed. They are portable across computer platforms and will look identical on Windows and Macintosh operating systems. They will also print from any system as they would from your computer.

What happens if a font in the document is NOT installed in the computer?
The font will be substituted, significantly changing the look of the document. Occasionally, the document becomes unreadable.

With regard to font size: 1 point equals how many inches?
1/72 of an inch.

What is the optimum point size range for good readability?
Between 9 and 12 points.

Define these terms with regard to font size:

• x-height – The measure of a lowercase letter without any ascenders or descenders.
• ascender – The upper portion of a letter (such as the stem in h).
• descender – The lower portion of a letter (such as the stem in g).

Explain why some fonts may appear larger than others even if they are the same point size.
Fonts with a larger x-height and individual letter width take up more space than fonts with a smaller x-height and letter width.

What is leading? (NOTE: This pronounced “led-ding” NOT “leeding”)
Line spacing

Why is leading “set solid” not advised?
It requires readers to read more slowly to avoid taking in the next line of text before finishing reading the line down.

When is it most appropriate to use type styles such as bold and italics?
To call attention to the specific words you want to highlight.

WHY IS IT DIFFICULT TO READ BLOCKS OF TEXT THAT ARE ALL IN UPPER CASE?
Due to their consistent height and their lack of ascenders and descenders, capital letters are difficult to read when they are used for lengthy body copy. The consistency forces the reader to work hard to distinguish between letters and recognition words at a glance.

Explain the basics of using fonts, font sizes, and styles to create a hierarchy of information in a lengthy document:
Choose no more than two or three different typefaces in a single document, and use them as a consistent system.