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Graphic Creations With Software
by Sintilia Miecevole
A basic understanding of computers is all a person needs to create their own
graphics with today's design software. Even with just small amount of design
understanding, people can still use simple design programs to build their own
cartoons strips, holiday cards, flyers and invitations. Your business and
yourself can save money on special occasions by using one of the several user
friendly affordable programs that are out there.
The number one choice for design software by both professionals and amateurs is
Adobe PhotoShop. By cropping, re-coloring and adding special effects, PhotoShop
allows users to change photos anyway they wish. Entirely new pictures can also
be created by using special drawing tools, or existing pictures can be modified
anyway the user desires. PhotoShop uses a system of "layers." By using layers,
separate pieces of a picture can be changed while keeping the changes separate.
For example, you can change the color on the bottom layer without affecting the
color on the top layer. If you wish to draw more than creating full pictures,
Adobe Illustrator may be the choice for you.
PhotoShop is a pixel-based program while Adobe Illustrator is vector based. What
does this mean your probably asking yourself? When you make a picture in
PhotoShop, you must use a certain resolution. A computer screen displays 72
pixels per inch for a clear picture, but when you print a 72 dpi picture, it
appears blocky and blurred. If you are making a picture for printing in
PhotoShop, you need to use 300 pixels per inch to get a nice, sharp image.
Because Illustrator is vector-based, it uses a system of paths rather than
pixels. In simple terms, it uses lines rather than colors. This means that
everything you create in Illustrator can be enlarged up to any size you wish
without ever becoming blurry or grainy. Designers often use Illustrator software
to build logos for a variety of advertisements. The same picture or logo drawing
can be used on a small business card or enlarged to fill an entire billboard.
For those wishing to create simple greeting cards or party invitations, there is
a variety of user friendly software programs made specifically for these
purposes. Many offer templates for several print sizes and folding options. For
the more experienced user, the software program Quark is an excellent print
layout tool. Adobe InDesign also offers professional quality layout options
along with many of the same tools used in Adobe PhotoShop and Illustrator. If
you are to use these two programs, you will easily be able to create
professional quality materials with InDesign.
There is a wide variety of file types used in graphic software programs. Most
have their own native formats that can only be read by the parent programs.
PhotoShop files have a .PSD extension, and Illustrator files are AI, making them
only accessible by PhotoShop. When you are working with a work in progress, it
is a good idea to save files in these formats, as they offer you the greatest
flexibility in altering your creation. However, once you have completed your
work and are ready to print your materials, you can save them in a variety of
ways. Web pictures should saved as JPEGs, GIF or TIFF files. Pictures ready for
printing are best saved as EPS files, to preserve color accuracy. If you plan to
send graphics via e-mail, PDF offers the greatest flexibility, as most computers
have Acrobat Reader, the program needed to read the PDF file type.
No matter what software fits your needs, making digital graphics can be a
enjoyable and simple hobby, or even a professional career. It can take some time
to get used to the terminology, but once you learn the tools of digital art, you
will be on your way to building functional and decorative graphic masterpieces
to share with the electronic world.
About the Author
Sintilia Miecevole has a great deal of experience in computers and technology.
Click on http://www.fmlasoftware.com
to see the huge selection of software and the latest downloads available. Be
sure to visit http://www.fmlasoftware.com
for your favorite software tools.
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