Firstly i am going to compare two software packages, these being photoshop and paint. Photoshop is an extremely in-depth graphics utility.
It is used professionally by graphics designers worldwide. The possibilities with photoshop are fairly endless and pretty much any image can be edited. Images can be edited in a number of different ways, these include colour correction, special effects, lighting, and background changes.
Lasso tools and magic wand tools can be used to cut out images so they can be placed elsewhere, these go on colour so certain bits of images that are the same colour can be cut out. Layers are also present in photoshop, this allows the user to place different parts of images on the same canvas.
One limitation of photoshop is that it is difficult to learn, some of the tools are complex.
Another limitation of photoshop is that images need to be rasterized to be altered and changed
Photoshop can also be used to export images to different adobe programs such as fireworks. For example, a graphics designer creates images on photoshop, he then exports the bmp files to fireworks so they can be animated. Resizing and compression can also all be done within photoshop.
Comparing photoshop with paint is extremely easy. Paint is a very simple program, the amount of features do not even compare to the vast quanitity of photoshop.
The idea of paint is for simple editing, such as cropping and resizing. No special effects can be used, and it isn't a professional program. Paint is a free utility that is free with any edition of windows. There are no complex tools within paint only simple drawing tools such as pen, paint, spray and a different array of colours.
In paint you can save files as BMP, JPEGS, PNG's and GIFS.
Another limitation of Paint is that it doesnt include layers, this means everything is drawn on the same canvas with and cannot be split into sections.
512RAM VS 1024 RAM
I am now going to compare having 512 ram in a system and then a system in 1024 ram. The difference between the two is quite profound. The computer with the 512 ram would run quite slow compared to the other, images would take longer to load and render and some of the tools would take longer to process.
One example of this is the magic wand tool, this would take longer to work than the computer with 1024 ram. 512 ram is not really suitable for a graphics design computer using a complex program. Aside from this though, it would be fine if the computer was running on paint instead of photoshop.
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo E8400 Dual Core Processor(3.0GHz,6MB Cache,1333MHz) VS
Intel® Core 2 Quad Q9450 Quad Core Processor(2.66GHz,12MB Cache,1333MHz)
The processor is the heart of the computer, it is the component that sorts out all the processes with all programs, thus, is key for graphics design. The duo core has more clock speed per core, but only two as opposed to four cores. There is also double the cache on the quad core. With the more powerful processor, more processes can be used at once. One example is photoshop, with the more powerful processor the tools load quicker and can manipulate the image quicker.
Monday 18 May 2009
M3 demonstrate the impact that file format, compression techniques, image resolution and colour depth have on file size and image quality
Various different things can impact on image quality. File format, compression techniques, resolution and colour depth can all affect it.
Changing file formats affects the image qualities greatly, changing an bitmap to a jpeg. This is because it sacrifices files size for quality. This is because they are greatly compressed, and easier to post onto certain websites.
Resolutions play a big part of the image quality. In general, the smaller the resolution the worse the actual image looks, for example 640x480 would look less defined and more pixelated than 1200x1086. A lower resolution is easier to save than a higher and is a common form of compression.
The only way of compressing a file size without loosing quality is by cropping and resizing. This generally doesn't doesnt affect what the image looks like, but when the image is blown up in size it will appear pixelated and rendered useless.
Changing colour depth can also be used to compress a file. When this is done, the actual look of the image is changed significantly and generally doesn't look as good.
Basically the bigger the file size the better the image quality will be, any form of compressing will affect the image quality in a negative way.
Changing file formats affects the image qualities greatly, changing an bitmap to a jpeg. This is because it sacrifices files size for quality. This is because they are greatly compressed, and easier to post onto certain websites.
Resolutions play a big part of the image quality. In general, the smaller the resolution the worse the actual image looks, for example 640x480 would look less defined and more pixelated than 1200x1086. A lower resolution is easier to save than a higher and is a common form of compression.
The only way of compressing a file size without loosing quality is by cropping and resizing. This generally doesn't doesnt affect what the image looks like, but when the image is blown up in size it will appear pixelated and rendered useless.
Changing colour depth can also be used to compress a file. When this is done, the actual look of the image is changed significantly and generally doesn't look as good.
Basically the bigger the file size the better the image quality will be, any form of compressing will affect the image quality in a negative way.
Friday 6 June 2008
Legal Implications of graphics design P6
Graphics design can be quite a delicate matter when it comes to the law. There are various laws restricting what can be done with other peoples work. The law though, may differ from country to country so over the internet it can be difficult to sort out properly.
Copyright means the right to copy. When someone produces something, it must be assumed that the person has the copyright of what has been made. When this is the case, anybody else wishing to use their work must seek approval off them or legal action could possibly be taken. Aside from this though, most of the time action is taken when money is being made from someone else's work.
Gaining permission to use someone elses work requires you do simply ask the creator. In some cases a fee would be requested especially if the work was going to be used commercially. The fee's can be from thousands to millions depending on what it actually is and who needs to use it. If the work is a photograph then the person that has been photographed must sign a model release form to allow the work to be used commercially.
There are some designs that may be copyright free. This is when the owner allows their work to be used freely to anyone. One popular example of copyright free material would be some user made fonts. Some of these can be used however people want, although some copyright free designs are restricted from being used commerically by the owner.
To indentify the owner of a design they usually have some sort of text near or around the work to indentify who the owner actually is. If they are not labeled then they could be copyright free or belong to a company/website.
Copyright means the right to copy. When someone produces something, it must be assumed that the person has the copyright of what has been made. When this is the case, anybody else wishing to use their work must seek approval off them or legal action could possibly be taken. Aside from this though, most of the time action is taken when money is being made from someone else's work.
Gaining permission to use someone elses work requires you do simply ask the creator. In some cases a fee would be requested especially if the work was going to be used commercially. The fee's can be from thousands to millions depending on what it actually is and who needs to use it. If the work is a photograph then the person that has been photographed must sign a model release form to allow the work to be used commercially.
There are some designs that may be copyright free. This is when the owner allows their work to be used freely to anyone. One popular example of copyright free material would be some user made fonts. Some of these can be used however people want, although some copyright free designs are restricted from being used commerically by the owner.
To indentify the owner of a design they usually have some sort of text near or around the work to indentify who the owner actually is. If they are not labeled then they could be copyright free or belong to a company/website.
Thursday 22 May 2008
P5: capture existing images using a scanner and a digital camera and edit them to meet a given user need
My first image uses a scanner to capture a hand drawn sketch.
Before..
To improve the image I first adjusted the contrast and brightness to ensure I had a more definite pencil line. I then removed the colour by converting the image to grey scale. This meant I lost all colours (for example some blue from the paper).
Returning to RGB mode I then used layers to colour in the picture. Using Photoshop layers meant that I could colour the image without ruining any edges or the overall eliteness of my drawing.
After
Before..
To improve the image I first adjusted the contrast and brightness to ensure I had a more definite pencil line. I then removed the colour by converting the image to grey scale. This meant I lost all colours (for example some blue from the paper).
Returning to RGB mode I then used layers to colour in the picture. Using Photoshop layers meant that I could colour the image without ruining any edges or the overall eliteness of my drawing.
After
Photo
Here, i got a picture from the internet off an actress. I decided to completely change the picture to represent a character on Command and Conquer Kanes Wrath
Below is the picture of her before, then after the change
Then after:
For this, i used a number of layers for the different bits. I used colour correction to make the eyes a different colour from the rest of the face. Brushes were used to create the wounds on her face and logo's for the CNC & NOD were gotten from the internet and merged into the rest of the picture
After doing this, Robin informed me that the photo had to be one taken by me, so he kindly allowed me to photograph him and edit it. To create the image i used masking to change the color of his face, i then used the brush tool to turn everything else back to a normal color. After doing this i got a horror background, cropped his body and used distort to make things look more realistic.
P3 define and document a client and user need for three related graphic images
The games company 2K, requires 3 promotional posters for their new game entitled R.A.G.E
They require 2 different posters, which comprise of a red VS blue idea, but with the games associated with the game which are red and white.
The first poster must a teaser poster designed specifically for a billboard, therefore big bold font must be used to maximum effect. The colour must strictly be black and red, with this being a key part of the game. The only text on the poster should be RAGE, then at the bottom, the formats that its on. I want a the post to look very minimal, to keep the customer guessing at what the game entales. I also want the same post done, with a black background and white writing. This must also have the formats on. The red and black must have line of text saying "COG must prevail" and the white and black must have "Locust must prevail" This text can be done in either red/white depending on which poster it is going on to.
The second piece of promotional material i want designing is a small flyer to be distibuted in gaming outlets. On these i want the same design as the teaser poster but a much smaller poster being no bigger than a DVD box. With this though, i would want the R A in white, then the G E in red with no seperate flyers being made. This would combine both together as a merging of the two.
Thirdly, i'd like a magazine page designed. Obviously, this would need to be the standard size for a back page of a magazine. Here, i'd like two screenshots of the game. They would have to be quite small but boldly done. The rage font would be the same as the flyer, with the RA in white and the GE in red. I'd like the font to be at the top of the advert and be the full width of the page. The background must be black with the screenshots having white borders around them.
At the bottom of the page the formats and the company name must be clearly displayed properly. Again, we need to keep the minimalistc approach, and keep things clear and brief.
They require 2 different posters, which comprise of a red VS blue idea, but with the games associated with the game which are red and white.
The first poster must a teaser poster designed specifically for a billboard, therefore big bold font must be used to maximum effect. The colour must strictly be black and red, with this being a key part of the game. The only text on the poster should be RAGE, then at the bottom, the formats that its on. I want a the post to look very minimal, to keep the customer guessing at what the game entales. I also want the same post done, with a black background and white writing. This must also have the formats on. The red and black must have line of text saying "COG must prevail" and the white and black must have "Locust must prevail" This text can be done in either red/white depending on which poster it is going on to.
The second piece of promotional material i want designing is a small flyer to be distibuted in gaming outlets. On these i want the same design as the teaser poster but a much smaller poster being no bigger than a DVD box. With this though, i would want the R A in white, then the G E in red with no seperate flyers being made. This would combine both together as a merging of the two.
Thirdly, i'd like a magazine page designed. Obviously, this would need to be the standard size for a back page of a magazine. Here, i'd like two screenshots of the game. They would have to be quite small but boldly done. The rage font would be the same as the flyer, with the RA in white and the GE in red. I'd like the font to be at the top of the advert and be the full width of the page. The background must be black with the screenshots having white borders around them.
At the bottom of the page the formats and the company name must be clearly displayed properly. Again, we need to keep the minimalistc approach, and keep things clear and brief.
Thursday 8 May 2008
Advanced Techniques M2
For this i have to: Demonstrate the use of two advanced techniques in graphics manipulationAdvice is available, but largely this will be individual work. Advanced techniques go beyond selection and cropping. Consider colour correction, masks. Following a complex tutorial online may sufficient evidence - provided it involves at least two advanced techniques
For my first image, i changed to the colour of a flowers petals using colour correction.
Below are the two images:
This process was fairly simple. Firstly, i opened the image up with Photoshop then created a masked layer for hue and saturation. This was done from the layer box on the right hand side.
When i had opened the hue box up and selected my colour i applied it. After applying i choose a soft brush and selected black as my background colour, then i used to brush around the outside of the flower and this caused the bit that i didnt want changed to go back to my normal colour.
For my first image, i changed to the colour of a flowers petals using colour correction.
Below are the two images:
This process was fairly simple. Firstly, i opened the image up with Photoshop then created a masked layer for hue and saturation. This was done from the layer box on the right hand side.
When i had opened the hue box up and selected my colour i applied it. After applying i choose a soft brush and selected black as my background colour, then i used to brush around the outside of the flower and this caused the bit that i didnt want changed to go back to my normal colour.
The second image is a design for a new game titled R.A.G.E. For this i used masking to change to cut out the colour of the blood, so it turns out the same colour as the background. This was fairly easy and only required me to make another masking layer over the top part of the blood, i then cropped certain sections and fitted them together so it looks entirely different from the bottom part.
The font, i downloaded and changed slightly with the magic wand tool to cut bits out, this left a distorted font, which in my opinion left a much better overall effect.
Below is the image
Thursday 1 May 2008
The three graphical designs
Encert
EnCert is a new company providing Energy Certificates to homeowners. (see explanation from last week). They require a logo for their website and letterheads. EnCert needs the logo to look professional and make the clients to associated it with energy (gas, electricity etc).
My logo for Encert is below
EnCert is a new company providing Energy Certificates to homeowners. (see explanation from last week). They require a logo for their website and letterheads. EnCert needs the logo to look professional and make the clients to associated it with energy (gas, electricity etc).
My logo for Encert is below
I've tried to keep my logo as simple as possible. Although simple, i think that my logo is modern and would appeal to a big audience. The idea of the moon shape represents the earth and energy, and the font represents a modern form of preserving it. The reasons above state why it meets the clients requests to their full potential.
I've used layers to allow the shape to go behind the font. There are also various forms in which i cut out a picture of the earth and used it to effectively colour in the shape. I didn't really like how it did this because of the way it made the logo look cheap so i decided to remove it. I added some effects to the font including sharpen. This helped to stop pixelation and made the logo look more defined.
Microsoft (Vizual Impact)
Microsoft has approached Vizual Impact to produce some displays for its stand at a show to be held in the Birmingham NEC publicising its newest operating system. Produce a graphic that could be printed onto a large piece of card to be used on the Microsoft stand
My stand for Microsoft is below
As you can see, my new operating system is called Aero. I've including the picture of Bill Gates as he is the front man of the company, and a friendly face. Reliability amoungst other things are what comes along with him.
I've included two microsoft logos so people know what they are getting, i also blurred the logo and bill to fit with the Aero theme. I chose the Vista theme as i feel that it stands out, and the colours represent the company quite well and make things seem familiar.
A number of effects have been done on all the layers and each logo is on a seperate. I went through a number of problems to achieve this, including overlapping and coloured font. I orginally wanted the Aero to put in the red/blue/green and yellow microsoft theme but because of the type of font and the size it didn't work correctly so i removed it. I decided to go for a white background to keep a neutral style.
The size of this would fit the needs, and could easily be resized without much pixelation at all.
Healthburger
An organics foods mobile fast-food service has requested a roadside sign. It will be used on a stand so when its van is parked in a lay-by offering quality burgers and all-day breakfasts, passing motoists will notice it. This sign is to be in full colour and must be eye-catching
Below is my road side sign
The client asked for a sign that would be highly visable from the roadside, that is why i included such a bright color. This will allow motorists travelling alone to road to easily see it. I decided to include the picture to show people that the food served is healthier than normal fast food.
I included the 100% organic logo on it to make sure that customers would know what kind of fast food it is.
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