Graphic Design – Creation and Production of Digital Images

Graphic design refers to the many disciplines which focus on the visual aspect of communication and presentation. A variety of methods are used collectively or separately to create visual presentations that enables ideas or messages to be given. Typography, visual arts and page layout are some fields that allow a graphic designer to do his job. Graphic design is used to denote both the process and the final result.Advertising, magazines, product packaging and web designing are all fields which rely on graphic designers for their visual images. Logos, artwork, organized text and other variations such as colors and shapes are all areas that come under graphic designing.The basics of graphic design are not new to us and have been part of us since the days of cave paintings. This has become a more advanced and highly technical form of art since the advent of the computer aided graphic designing came into being. What is achieved by graphic design is the arranging of ideas, information and language into an orderly design that communicates a certain expression. It attempts to convey or transfer knowledge while being highly attractive visually and extremely readable.Creation and production of digital images has enabled graphic designers to be quick in producing the work needed on a daily basis. The computer is the easiest way to explore multiple disciplines that are used in the creative process. The fact that there are limitless choices to aid graphic design does not mean that the end product will be good. The best designs often originate from the designer himself who uses all the choices available to him intelligently in order to get his message across.The use of computers in the mid 1980s and the advent of desktop publishing along with software applications brought out a whole new generation of artists who primarily based their designs on digital images. The effects that were added to a project could be seen instantly and changed accordingly. However, traditional methods like pencil drawings and markers are still used for sketching and developing ideas before going on to the computer. This is part and parcel of the creative process that enables graphic designers to use digital images in creating the final product from the initial sketches done.Typography, page layout and interface designing are all done by digital imaging which gives immense freedom to the designer within the parameters set by software. Even with these limits there is enough scope for creativity in these fields for graphic designers and this is what will ultimately define them as artists in this field. Today, computers and digital imaging have become indispensable to graphic designers.