{"id":1550,"date":"2019-08-15T12:38:34","date_gmt":"2019-08-15T12:38:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.revolutionsincommunication.com\/viscomm\/?page_id=1550"},"modified":"2026-03-10T18:00:28","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T18:00:28","slug":"graphics","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/revolutionsincommunication.com\/viscomm\/graphics\/","title":{"rendered":"Graphics"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

Charles Apple uses InDesign to create information graphics like this one about Gutenberg and the printing press.<\/p><\/div>\n

This unit is about using graphics software and creating pdfs and other kinds of web and print products. Here is an outline of what you need to know.
\n<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Software for graphics \/ desktop publishing ( DTP )\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>\n
      \n
    1. Adobe Indesign, expensive but arguably the best\u00a0 professional option<\/li>\n
    2. Supportive & related software –\n
        \n
      1. Adobe Photoshop interfaces with InDesign<\/li>\n
      2. Adobe Illustrator and other vector graphics applications<\/li>\n
      3. Microsoft Excel for charts<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n
      4. \u00a0Final document formats\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>\n
          \n
        1. Static small pdfs for web (illustrations in RGB mode, png or jpg format)<\/li>\n
        2. Static large pdfs for print (RGB mode, png or jpg format)<\/li>\n
        3. Interactive pdf web books\u00a0 (RGB mode, png or jpg format)<\/li>\n
        4. Epub (fixed and reflowable) (RGB mode, png or jpg format)<\/li>\n
        5. Ipad and cell phone formats (RGB mode, png or jpg format)<\/li>\n
        6. Print\u00a0 (with illustrations in CMYK mode, TIFF format, linking photos, Photoshop color profiles)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n
        7. Design principles\u00a0<\/strong>\n
            \n
          1. How to approach a design problem\n
              \n
            1. Consider your goals and audience<\/li>\n
            2. Assemble your components<\/li>\n
            3. Go to a creative space with a pad and pencil. Get away from the computer.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n
            4. Consider the elements:\n
                \n
              1. Illustration, typography,\u00a0 color & white space, lines and shapes;<\/li>\n
              2. modularity, similarity, and relationships<\/li>\n
              3. Consider the balance, proportion, sequence, unity and emphasis of a composition\n
                  \n
                1. Observe & enhance relationships between objects<\/li>\n
                2. Put similar things together<\/li>\n
                3. Use white space to separate<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n
                4. Approaches to design <\/span>\n
                    \n
                  1. Several graphic designers who approach this from different perspectives are
                    \na) Beatrice Warde,<\/a> who wrote\u00a0<\/span><\/i>The Crystal Goblet\u00a0<\/a>and\u00a0 This is a Printing Office\u00a0<\/a>
                    \n<\/span><\/i>b) <\/span><\/i>                    Edward Tufte<\/a> ( \u201cmacro-micro\u201d approach inhabits overall design with accordion \/ fractal detail);
                    \nc) <\/span><\/i>                    Nigel Holmes<\/a> (simplification of important messages to basic elements);
                    \n<\/span><\/i>d)                     Charles Apple<\/a>, ( news graphics presenting historical and contextual information within an easy to grasp visual framework )
                    \n<\/span><\/i>e) Tim Harrower, author of Newspaper Designer’s Handbook (See the                     Design guide<\/a> at Student Press).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                      \n
                    1. Ethical communication considerations<\/strong>\n
                        \n
                      1. “Equality versus equity<\/a>“<\/li>\n
                      2. Lying with statistics and graphics. \u00a0<\/span>\n
                          \n
                        1. Read <\/span>“How to Lie with Statistics,” Chapters 5 and 6<\/a>.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n
                        2. Copyright, creative commons and public domain<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n