GRAPHIC DESIGN TERMINOLOGIES 17.

Descender The part of a lowercase letter that

Learning Objectives: stretches below the body.

After reading this INFORMATION SHEET, trainee must be 18. Die Cut A die that cut shapes or holes in different
able to determine the terminologies used by Graphic materials to make the design stand out.
Designers.
19. Double Page Spread A double page spread is a
1. Anchor Point Anchor points allow the user to layout that extends across two pages.
manipulate a path’s shape or direction by clicking the point
and moving it in a direction. They appear along the 20. Drop Shadow Is a visual effect added to an image to
beginning of a path, at every curve, and at the end of a give the impression the image is raised above the
path. You can also add or subtract anchor points on a background by duplicating the shadow.
path.
21. Dummy A prototype or mock-up of a book, page, or
2. Art Director The individual responsible for the selection, any project designed to resemble and serve as a substitute
execution, production, so on, of graphic art. for the real thing.

3. Asymmetrical This is when graphics and/or text are not 22. Duotone A method of printing an image using two
identical on both sides of a central line. colors, usually black and a spot color.

4. Bevel A tool in design software for drawing angles or 23. Emboss To give a three-dimensional effect to a text or
modifying the surface of your work to a certain inclination. an image by using highlights and shadows on the sides of
the illustration.
5. Bezier Curve A parametric curve that represents a
vector path in computer graphics. They are frequently 24. Engraving To print designs by cutting the surface of a
drawn using a pen tool and by placing anchor points which metal plate.
can be controlled to form shapes or lines.
25. EPS Stands for Encapsulated Post Script. This is a
6. Bleed When a graphic object extends through another graphics file format used to transfer PostScript documents
in an unwanted manner. It is then trimmed so there is no that contain an image, within another PostScript document.
chance for a white line on the edges.
Etch To imprint a design onto the surface of a plate by
7. Body Type The typeface used in the main text of a using a chemical such as acid.
printed matter.
Export To save a file in a format supported by other
8. Border The decorative design or edge of a surface, line, programs.
or area that forms it’s outer boundary.
Extenders The part of a letter which extends above the
9. Branding The process involved in creating a unique mid line, such as ‘b’ or ‘d’.
name and image for a product in the consumers‘ mind,
mainly through advertising campaigns with a consistent E-Zine Stands for electronic magazine. Refers to the name
theme.
of a website that is represented by a print magazine; an
web-based magazine that you can subscribe to.
10. Canvas Size Allows you to change the complete size
of the document without adjusting the contents of the
document
F
11. Clipping Path A tool or shape that’s used to cut out an
image.
Feathering A tool used in graphic design software that
makes the edges of an image appear softer.
12. Cloning Pixels A function that allows you to replicate
pixels from one place to another.
Fill A tool used to fill selected parts of an image with a
selected color.
13. Complementary Colors The colors that are opposite
of each other when viewed on the color wheel.
Filter A filter is a pre-created effect that can be applied to
images to acquire a certain look.
14. Contrast The difference in color found between the
light and dark parts of an image.
Flexography A printing technique where printing plates
are made of rubber or soft plastic material and then
15. Copy Copy refers to editorial text supplied for
stretched around a drum on the press that rotates.
incorporation into a design or website.
Flyer A single sheet of paper handed out or posted on a
16. Crop A tool that removes portions of an image. It is
wall to advertise or announce something.
usually used in digital photography.
Focal Point In graphic design terms, the focal point is halftoned and that is displayed on film, paper, printing
where you want to draw the reader’s or viewer’s eye. plate, or the final printed product.

Font A complete combination of characters created in a Halo Effect A vague shadow sometimes surrounding
specific type, style, and size. The set of characters in a halftone dots printed. Also called halation. The halo itself is
font entails the letter set, the number set, and all of the called a fringe.
special characters and marks you get when pressing the
shift key or other command keys on your keyboard. Hard Copy The permanent reproduction of the output of a
computer or printer. For example: teleprinter pages,
Four-Color Process A printing technique that creates continuous printed tapes, computer printouts, etc.
colors by combining, cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.
Header The text which appears at the top of a printed
Frames Refers to animation. A frame is a single graphic in page
a distribution of graphic images. The speed of an
animation is judged by frames per second. Headline A large text illustrating the opening statement
used in a layout.
G
Highlights Lightest part of a photograph or halftone, as
Gang To combine multiple jobs on one print plate in order opposed to mid-tones and shadows.
to reduce costs and setup charges.
High-Resolution Image An image with an extreme level
Gamut The range of colors available to a particular output of sharpness/clarity.
device or a given color space, such as a laser printer or an
image setter. If the color range is too wide for that specific HLS A color space that stands for hue, lightness, and
device, it is indicated as ‘out of gamut’. saturation.

Gatefold A type of fold in which the paper is folded inward HSB A color space stands for hue, saturation, and
to form four or more panels. brightness.

GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) GIF images display Hue One of the three primary attributes of color. A hue is a
up to 256 colors. It supports animation and allows an variety of color such as red, blue, green, or yellow.
individual palette of 256 color for each frame. The color
limitation makes the GIF format inappropriate for I
reproducing color photographs and other images with
consistent color. GIF images are compressed using the
LZW lossless data compression method to decrease the I-beam The form the pointer assumes when the text tool is
size of the file without corrupting the visual quality. chosen.

Gradient A function in graphic software that permits the Ideograph (also ideogram) A character or symbol
user to fill an object or image with a smooth transition of representing an idea without expressing the punctuation of
colors. a specific word or words for it.

Graphic Design Visual communication using text or Image Map An image map is an HTML document
images to represent an idea or concept. It is also a term containing multiple clickable hyperlinks.
used for all activities relating to visual design, including
web design, logo design, etc. Imagesetter Laser output device for producing
professional-quality text with extremely high resolution.
Graphics Visual presentations that feature printed
messages that are clear and appealing. Imposition A layout of pages on mechanicals or flats so
they will appear in proper order after press sheets are
Grayscale Grayscale images consist of black, white, no folded and bound.
color, and up to 256 shades of gray.
Indents A set in or back from the margin.
Grid Is a two-dimensional format made up of a set of
horizontal and vertical axes used to structure content. Initial Cap Big, capital letters which are found at the
beginning of paragraphs or chapters.
Gutter In book production, the white space formed by the
inner margins of a spread near the books spine. Inkjet Printer A printer that electrostatically sprays tiny ink
droplets onto paper.

Invert Inversion of the tonal values or colors of an image.

H On an inverted image, black becomes white, blue
becomes orange, etc.
Halftone (1) A photograph or scan of a consistent tone
image to alter the image into halftone dots. (2) A Italic The style of letters that usually slope to the right.
photograph or continuous-tone illustration that has been Used for emphasis within text.
J indicate the dimensions. Margins are not supposed to be
printed.
Jog To arrange sheets of paper into a compact pile.
Mask See clipping path.
JPEG (Joint Photographic Electronic Group) A
common process for compressing digital images. Master Page A property found in a page layout software
that allows the user to create a constant page layout.
Justify To make a line of type a certain length by spacing Repeating elements—like page numbers—are created
out the words and numbers. once on a master. This permits the user to stay clear of
adding the numbers for each page manually.
K
Matte Finish Non-glossy finish on photographic paper or
Kerning Modifying the horizontal space between letters. coated printing paper.

Mean Line Also called x-height. The imaginary point of all

Keyframe Any frame in which a specific aspect of an item
(its size, location, color, etc.) is specifically defined. lowercase characters without ascenders.

Keyline A keyline is another name for a rule, line, or even Midtones In a photograph or illustration, tones composed
by dots between 30 percent and 70 percent of coverage,
a frame border. Keyline options can be set through design
as opposed to highlights and shadows.
software applications to adjust the width, to be solid or
dotted, or to show different patterns.
Mock Up A recreation of the original printed material;
L could possibly contain instructions or directions.

Modern An altered version of Old Style. these high-

Layers A tool within graphic software that permits the user
to gather, organize, and re-edit their artwork. contrast letters have heavy, untapered stems and light
serifs. Originally established by Firmin Didot and
Giambattista Bodoni during the late 18th to early 19th
Leading Refers to the amount of added vertical spacing centuries.
between lines of text.
Multimedia Offering the use of various communications
Leaf One piece of paper in a publication. such as text, sound, and still or moving images.

Legend A table inside a project that lists vital illustrations N

or instructions; footnote that helps users better understand
information.
Negative Space Also known as white space. The area of
a page that doesn’t contain images or words.
Letterpress A technique of printing where movable type is
inked and then pressed against paper to create an
Neon Glow A type of glow on a graphic image that gives
impression. Also called block printing.
the appearance of neon lighting.
Lossless Refers to a form of data compression where the
News Print Paper used in printing newspapers; not
detail is maintained and no data is lost after file
downsizing. The lossless compression method is often considered a high-quality paper.
used in TIFF and GIF formats.
Noise Noise is a term used to describe the development of
Lossy A form of data compression where detail is deleted pixels that contain random colors.
as the file size is decreased. JPEG is an example of a
lossy compression method. O

Lower Case The smaller form of letter used in type. Oblique A Roman typeface which slants to the right. Often
confused with italics.
Low-Resolution Image A low-quality scan made from a
photograph or the like. Offset Printing A printing method that transfers ink from a
plate to a blanket to paper as opposed to directly inking
Luminosity The brightness of an area arranged by the from plate to paper.
amount of light it reflects or diffuses.
Old Style A style of type characterized by slight contrast
M between light and heavy strokes and slanting serif.

Opacity The degree of a color or tonal value. The opacity

Magic Wand Tool A tool in graphic software that permits
the user to select fractions of an image such as areas with of an image or object that can range from transparent (0%
opacity) to opaque (100% opacity). The ability to edit the
the same color.
opacity of specific objects allows the designer to create
images that seem to flow into and through one another.
Margins Guidelines in a page layout software that shows a
user the body copy areas. It also allows the user to
OpenType A font format created by Adobe and Microsoft. color model is red, green, and blue. The primary colors for
Open Type font can include a set of glyphs defined as the subtractive color model is cyan, magenta, and yellow.
True Type or Type 1 curves.

Orphan Line The first line of a paragraph appearing on its

own at the bottom on a page with the remaining part of the Q
paragraph appearing on the next page.
Quark Express Quark Express is page layout application
Outline This can refer to the outside edge of a font or the usually used for magazines and brochures.
outer edge of a vector graphic image drawn in a package
such as Illustrator or Freehand.
Quick Mask A filter in Photoshop in which a translucent
colored mask covers selective areas of an image.
Overlay Layer of material taped to a mechanical photo or
proof. Acetate overlays are used to divide colors by having
Quick Time QuickTime was developed by Apple
some type or art on them instead of on the mounting
Computer. It’s built into the Macintosh operating system
board. Tissue overlays are used to carry instructions about
computers and is used for displaying and editing
the underlying copy and to protect the base art.
animation.

Overprint To print additional material or another color over

R
a previously printed image.
Ragged The imbalanced alignment of text lines. Ragged is
Over Run Additional printed material beyond order. Over
the opposite of flush. A text block may be formatted to be
run policy differs in the printing industry, usually within 10%
evenly flush (align) right and unevenly aligned (ragged) on
of the original quantity run.
the left.

P
Rasterize An image is said to be rasterized when
transformed from vector image to a bitmapped image.
Page Layout Deals with the setup and style of content on When opening a vector image in a bitmap-based editing
a page. An example of a page layout is the pages in program, you are generally presented with a dialog box of
magazines or brochures. options for rasterizing the image.

Page Size A setting that allows the user to define the size Resample A function accessible in image editing that
of the page they are creating their artwork on. permits the user to change the resolution of the image
while keeping its pixel count intact.
Pantone Matching System The Pantone matching
system is used for defining and blending match colors. It Resolution The resolution of an image is an important
accommodates designers with swatches of over 700 colors factor in deciding the attainable output quality. The higher
and gives printers the formulas for making those colors. the resolution of an image, the less pixelated it will be and
the curves of the image will appear smoother.
PDF Stands for Portable Document Format. Developed by
Adobe Systems in its software program, Adobe Acrobat, to RGB (Red, Green, Blue) RGB is the color model used to
serve as a universal browser. Files can be downloaded project color on a computer monitor. By combining these
over the web and viewed page by page, provided the three colors, a large percentage of the visible color
user’s computer has installed the application. spectrum can be represented.

Pica A unit of measurement for type. Commonly used for Rich Media Rich media are banner ads that use
typewriters. technology more developed than standard GIF animation.
For example: Flash, Shockwave, streaming video, etc.
Pixel The smallest picture content that can be individually
assigned a color. Right Justified Type aligned with its right margin. Also
known as “flush right.”
Plate A piece of paper, metal, plastic, or rubber carrying
an image to be duplicated using a printing press. RIP (Raster Image Processor) Transfers fonts and
graphics into raster images, which are used by the printer
PNG Portable Network Graphics format. PNG (usually to draw onto the page.
pronounced “ping”), is used for lossless compression. The
PNG format displays images without jagged edges while Rivers A river is a typographic term for the ugly white gaps
keeping file sizes rather small, making them popular on the that can appear in justified columns of type when there is
web. PNG files are generally larger than GIF files. too much space between words on concurrent lines of text.
Rivers are particularly common in narrow columns of text,
PPI Pixels Per Inch. A measurement of the resolution of a where the type size is relatively large.
computer display.
Royalty-Free Photos Intellectual property like photos and
Primary Colors The primary colors are put together to graphic images that are sold for a single standard fee.
produce the full range of other colors (non-primary colors), These can be used repeatedly by the purchaser only, but
within a color model. The primary colors for the additive
the company that sold the images usually still owns all the Tolerance Tolerance is the range of pixels a tool in
rights to it. graphic software functions in. Or the range of shade or
color pixels a Magic Wand selects, etc.
S
Tonal Distribution Tones can be redistributed during the
Sans Serif A style of typeface that means “without feet.” scanning or image editing process. To lighten dark images
Usual sans serif typefaces include Arial, Helvetica, or to darken light images.
AvantGarde, and Verdana.
Trim Size The size of the printed material in its finished
Saturation The intensity of hue. The quality of difference stage.
from a gray of the same lightness or brightness.
True Color System A true color system is a 24-plane
Scale A design or program is said to scale if it is relevantly graphics sub-system which composes the entire range of
efficient and reasonable when applied to larger situations. 16.7 million colors.

Screen Printing Technique of printing by using a Typeface A typeface consists of a series of fonts and a full
squeegee to force ink through an assembly of mesh fabric range of characters such as, numbers, letters, marks, and
and a stencil. punctuation.

Selection Selection refers to an area of an image that is Typography The art of arranging type—which includes
isolated so it can be edited while the rest of the image is letters, numbers, and symbols—so that it is pleasing to the
protected. eye. This includes not only the font that is used but how it
is arranged on the page: letter by letter, size, line spacing,
Shadow Detail Shadow detail refers to the amount of etc.
detail held in the dark areas of an image. If the shadow is
lightened too much in an attempt to expose more detail, U
you run the risk of reducing the overall contrast of the
image. Uncoated Paper This is paper that doesn’t have a coating
applied to it for smoothness.
Sharpen To reduce in color strength, as when halftone
dots become smaller; opposite of “thicken” or “dot Unsharp Mask A method used to heighten the sharpness
spread.” or focus of images by selecting and increasing the contrast
of pixels alongside the edges of images.
Small Caps Capital letters that are about the same height
as the tvpeface’s x-height. Some software programs Uppercase Also known as capital letters, they are the
automatically create their own small caps, but true small larger characters in a typeface.
caps are often only found in expert typefaces.
UV Coating A glossy coating applied to the paper surface
Spread (1) Two pages that face each other and are and dried using ultraviolet light. It is glossy and adds a
created as one visual or production unit. (2) Method of certain level of protection to the printed material.
slightly enlarging the size of an image to make a hairline
trap with another image. Also called fatty. V

Subtractive Color A term defining the three subtractive Value This refers to the degree of lightness or darkness of
primary colors: cyan, magenta, and yellow. As opposed to a color.
the three additive colors: red, blue, and green.
Varnish This is a liquid coating applied to a surface for
T protection and for a glossy effect.

Template Refers to a printing project’s basic details with Vector Graphic Vector graphics allow the designer to
regard to its dimensions. A general layout. expand or reduce the vector graphic in size without any
loss in quality using curves, points, lines, and polygons.
Text Wrap A term used in page layout software,
specifically to the way text can be shaped around the Verso The left-hand page of a book or a manuscript.
edges of images.
W
Thumbnail A thumbnail is a reduced-size version of the
original image. Watermark Translucent design impressed on paper
created during manufacture, it is visible when held to light.
TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) A graphic file format
used for storing images . TIFF is a commonly used file Web-Safe Colors A color table containing only 216 out of
format for high color depth images. a possible 256 colors, used to accurately match the colors
of graphics and pictures in cross-platform web browsers.
Tint A color is made lighter by adding white, this is called a
tint.
Weight The range of a stroke’s width. Also knows as semi-
bold, light, and bold. Some typeface families have many
weights like ultra-bold and extra-light. Associated to the
heaviness of the stroke for a specific font, such as Light,
Regular, Book, Demi, Heavy, Black, and Extra Bold.

White Point One of a handful of reference illuminants

used to define the color “white”. Based on the application,
different definitions of white are needed to give sufficient
results.

White Point Adjustment A white point adjustment

establishes the amount of highlighted detail in an image.

Widow Line A single line of a paragraph at the bottom of a

page or column.

Width Refers to whether the basic typeface has been

lengthened or compressed horizontally. The typical
variations are Condensed, Normal, or Extended.

Word Processing Program A software application

package that assists in creating, editing, and printing

Work and Turn This is when you print on one side of a

sheet of paper, then you turn the sheet over from left to
right and print the other side. The same gripper and plate
are used for this process.