Graphic Design Vocabulary

GRAPHIC DESIGN
VOCABULARY
Mock-up
A mock-up is a real or digital model used to test early design
ideas and see how they could look in the real world.
Resolution
The detail of an image based on the number of pixels is known as
resolution. An image looks clearer when it has a higher resolution.
Pixels
Pixels are square-shaped dots that make a digital raster image
(and a really bad movie starring Adam Sandler.) The more pixels
an image has, the higher its resolution.
Font types
Most fonts fall into one of four different font types.
Serif
Serifs are the small lines and hooks at the end of the strokes in
some letters.
Sans serif
Sans means “without.” A sans serif font has no serifs.
Script
Script typefaces use a flowing, cursive stroke.
Slab serif
Slab serif is distinguished by thick, block-like serifs.
Ascender
An ascender is the part of a lowercase letter that rises above the
main body of the letter. Think “b” or “h.”
Baseline
All font characters sit on the baseline, the lowest point of all
uppercase letters and most lowercase letters.
Descender
A descender is the part of a lowercase letter that descends below
the main body of the letter. Think “g” or “p.”
Font spacing
The vertical and horizontal spacing of a font is often altered to
change its appearance.
Kerning
Kerning is the adjustment of space between pairs of letters in the
same word. Certain pairs of letters create awkward spaces, and
kerning adds or subtracts space between them to create more
visually appealing and readable text.
Leading
Pronounced “ledding,” leading (also known as line-height) is
the space between two lines of text.
Tracking
Not to be confused with kerning, tracking is the adjustment of
space for groups of letters and entire blocks of text. Tracking
affects every character in the selected text and is used to change
its overall appearance.
Color
—
Color theory
The study of how colors make people feel and their effects on a
design is known as color theory. Color theory is used to explore
the best types of colors to work in different design instances—for
example, choosing a pastel scheme for a website that needs to
feel soft, or picking red and yellow for a magazine ad that needs
to evoke energy.
Hue, tint, tone and shade
Hue is pure color. Tint is a hue with white added. Tone is a hue
with gray added. Shade is a hue with black added.
Saturation
Saturation is defined by the intensity of color.
Palette
A palette is the range of colors used in a design. These are colors
that work well together and are often aesthetically pleasing.
Designers will defines a palette for a project to create consistency
and evoke a specific feeling.
Warm and cool colors
Warm colors can be found on one half of the color wheel (reds,
oranges, yellows and pinks). Cool colors occupy the other half
(blues, greens and purples).
Monochromatic
A monochromatic color palette uses one single color.
Grayscale
A monochromatic color palette based on gray is called grayscale.
Analogous
Colors that are adjacent to one another on the color wheel (i.e.
red violet, red and red orange) are analogous.
Complementary
Complementary colors are opposites on the color wheel. This
relationship will produce visual tension and “shock.”
Triadic
Triadic colors are three colors evenly spaced on the color wheel.
One colors dominates, the second supports, and the third
accents.
Gradient
Gradient is a gradual change from one color to another. (For
example, blue transitioning gradually to green).
Opacity
Opacity is synonymous with non-transparency. The more
transparent an image, the lower its opacity.
CMYK
CMYK is a 4-color printing process made up of cyan, magenta,
yellow and key (black). CMYK colors in print will never appear as
vibrant as RGB colors on screen because CMYK creates color by
adding color together (making images darker) while RGB colors
come from light.
RGB
RGB stands for red, green and blue, the three colors of light
typically used to display images on a digital screen.
Pantone
Developed by Pantone Corporation, a professional color
company, Pantone is the most widely used, proprietary color
system for blending colors. The system includes colors that
cannot be mixed in CMYK.
Image file formats
—
An image file format is a standardized way to encode art, graphics
and photos digitally.
Vector graphics
Vector graphics are small graphics that use math to display
images. They can be enlarged without losing quality and are
essential for cross-platform designs (i.e. billboards, business
cards, etc.).
AI
AI stands for Adobe Illustrator document. This is a file format
developed by Adobe Systems to represent single-page vector
designs.
EPS
EPS stands for Encapsulated Post Script. This is a resizable file
format that is commonly used for vector designs. Due to its high
quality, it’s commonly used with print elements such
as logos, business cards or brochures.
PDF
A PDF is a Portable Document Format developed by Adobe that
can be universally downloaded and viewed by any computer.
PDFs are most suitable for sharing previews of work and are
universally viewable.
Raster graphics
Raster graphics are composed of pixels on a grid, where each
pixel is assigned a color value. They are good for assigning
special effects, color correction and manipulating photos. They
are resolution-dependent, which means that images cannot be
enlarged without degrading their quality.
GIF
GIF or Graphics Interchange Format is a raster file format that
supports animation and transparency. GIFs can only display up to
256 colors, allowing for very small file sizes. (PS: It’s pronounced,
“JIF” as opposed to the widely-accepted pronunciation, “GIF,”
according to GIF creator, Steve Wilhite.)
JPEG
Joint Photographic Experts Group is also known as JPEG, the
most widely used raster file type for web-based designs. JPEGs
are compressed files that load quickly. You’ll typically see them
used for emails, banner ads, online photos, and pretty much
anything else online. Unlike GIFs, they cannot have a transparent
background (a white background will be added automatically).
PNG
PNG stands for Portable Network Graphics, a web-based format
that does not lose quality when compressed. PNG files were
created to improve on the quality of GIF files.
PSD
PSD or Photoshop Document is the uncompressed working raster
image file created by designers in Adobe Photoshop.
TIFF
TIFF stands for Tagged Image File Format, a common format for
exchanging raster images between applications. TIFF produces a
higher quality image than a JPEG or PNG, and is widely used
among publishing industries and photographers. Don’t confuse it
with a “tiff” or a “rift,” which happens when you send your designer
eight rounds of revisions.

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