Graphic design vocabulary – Flashcards
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animation
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filmmaking technique that creates the illusion of movement by the rapid projections of a series of sequential still images produced by drawings photomontage or 3 dimensional models
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archival paper
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Paper that is acid-free and has a quality lifetime of about 100 years or longer.
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art director
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the person responsible for managing the creative and production process for a given project.
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artwork
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term applied to illustrative, diagrammatic, and photographic material prepared for reproduction by a designer or artwork technician.
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ascenders
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the part of certain lowercase letters (b,d,f,h,k,l,t) that extends above the x height.
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bandwidth
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the amount of information your connection to the internet can carry
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bar chart/graph
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graphic representation of different values using horizontal or vertical bars
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baseline
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an imaginary horizontal line upon which the base of each capital letter rests.
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bezier curves
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curved line segments that can be reshaped by changing the anchor points and/or direction lines
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bit
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contraction of binary digit, which is the smallest unit of information that a computer can hold.
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bitmap image
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a graphic image stored as a specific arrangement of screen dots or pixels
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bleed
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that part of a printed image, which extends beyond the normal illustration
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blind embossed
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raised surface impression, which is not inked or foiled, created by die stamp being pressed into the surface of paper or card.
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body matter/text
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text matter or reading matter in any publication, distinct from the headings or display settings.
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browser
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the software used to view, manage, and access Web pages by interpreting hypertext and hyperlinks
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camera ready
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generic term for artwork that is ready for reproduction by the process camera prior to printing.
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capline
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imaginary horizontal line defined by the height of the capital letters
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caption
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title, explanation, or description accompanying an illustration or photograph
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CMYK
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standard for the colors used in printing. Cyan-magenta-yellow-black
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collaboration
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the practice of working with others to create visual artwork
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color separation
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the process of creating separate negatives and plates for each color of ink (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) that used for publication.
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communication
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the exchange of thoughts or messages with other people through speech, signals, writing, or visual images
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comp (comprehensives)
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comps are made to see what a prospective design project will look like.
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compression
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a method of packing data in order to save disk storage space or download time
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computer-aided design (CAD)
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process of using the computer to assist in the design of physical objects
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computer graphics
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representation of information in graphic form using a computer
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computer languages
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artificial languages designed to allow human beings to communicate with a programmable machine
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computer terminal
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computer input/output device used to communicate with a remote computer
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concepts
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those ideas or notions that guide or explain meaning, philosophical or intellectual context, emotional perception, and qualitative relationships within an artwork
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content
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the meaning or significance contained within an visual image as distinguished form its form
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context
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the situation surrounding an element, form, activity, or an event that influences and dictates its function and activity.
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craftsmanship
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a skill, proficiency, expertness, or technical excellence in the utilization of material.
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crop marks
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horizontal and vertical lines that indicate the edge of the printed piece.
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cropping
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the cutting of or elimination of portions of a visual form.
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CSS
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Cascading Style Sheet. A feature of HTML used by Web designers to create templates for specific type elements
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Data processing
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the storing of handling of information by the computer.
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design
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a planned combination of visual elements whose organization has been structured into a unified whole.
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design manual
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document that specifies the operational guidelines for the application of corporate identity
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diagram
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graphic device in which complex statistical concepts of time, space, performance, location are presented in a condensed visual form.
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display matter/setting
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typesetting that used the full range of type sizes and weights to ensure that information conveyed stands apart from continuous text setting
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DPI
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Dots per inch. Specifies the resolution of the output device such as a printer or printing press machine.
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Em
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Typographical measurement derived form the square of each type size.
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En
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Typographical measurement half the width of an em.
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flow chart/flow diagram
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graphic representation illustrating the sequential flow of a process or activity
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font
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traditional term in hot metal composition for a complete set of alphabets relating to one size of typeface.
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format
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an integral part of a design, the format defines the shape of the two-dimensional surface on which a design is created and the outer edges of the picture plane.
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four-color process
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means of producing color printing using four separates plates to print cyan, magenta, yellow, and black
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GIF
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images that display up to 256 colors, have small file size, and are the most widely used graphic format on the Web
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gradient
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a smooth transition of color withing an object.
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graphic design
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generic term for the activity of combing typography, illustration, photography, and printing for purpose of persuasion, information, or instruction.
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graphics tablet
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interactive computer device consisting of flat, electronically sensitive board and electronic pen
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grid
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layout device used by graphic designers and typographers to achieve a visual order and consistency on the printed page.
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halftone process
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photochemical process that converts a continuous tone image into a series of minute, graduating dots.
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hierarchy
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the graded arrangement of elements or forms according to importance or quality
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HTML
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Hypertext Markup Language. A cross-platform, text formatting system for creating Web pages
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idea
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a thought or knowledge that exists in the mind as a product of mental activity
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ideogram
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character or graphic symbol designed to represent an idea or concept
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imposition
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arrangement of individual pages of a book or brochure on a large sheet prior to printing to ensure that the final printed pages appear in the correct sequence when folded, bound, and trimmed.
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imprint
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legal obligation that requires the name of the publisher, printer, date, and place of printing to appear in any published work.
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JPEG
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Joint photographic Experts Group. A file format for full color and black and white graphic images
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kerning
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term used when the spacing between certain type characters is adjusted to achieve an even and consistent letter spacing
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lamination
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process of covering paper or card with a strong transparent plastic film
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layers
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a function within graphic software that allows the user to assemble, organize, and re-edit their artwork
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layout
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design draft of book, advertisement, title page, etc., produced for a designer to establish the overall appearance and relationship between such elements as illustrations, photographs, and typography
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leading
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the vertical spacing between lines of text
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line weight
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the thickness of a printed line
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literals
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minor typesetting mistakes requiring correction before printing
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logotype
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letters or words formed into a distinctive and unified form
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meanline
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an imaginary line marking the tops of lowercase letters, not including the ascenders
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measure
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width to which a piece of typesetting is set, traditionally measured in 12 pt (PICA) ems
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multimedia
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a form of communication combining text with graphics, page layout, video, audio, animation
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neutrality
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a condition of being in the middle without activity, emphasis, or direction toward any one activity, forms, or side
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operating system
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a computer program that controls a computer's operation, directing information to and from different components
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optical spacing
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the arrangement of letters to avoid the appearance of uneven gaps and to give the impression of consistent, even spacing between each letter
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Pantone system
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color system that enables designers to specify consistent color matching across printing inks, pens, and paper
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pardigm
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a model or belief system that can reference the organization and creation of information approaches to process or various ways of working
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PDF
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Portable Document Format. Created by Adobe Systems in its software program Adobe Acrobat as a universal browser
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photomontage
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technique of combining or superimposing photographic images from different sources to produce a new and surprising relationship between the individual components
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pica/pica em
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traditional unit of typographic measurement based on 12 point
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pictogram
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pictorial sign that depicts a simplified representation of a particular object or activity
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pixel
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stands for picture element: the smallest dot that can be displayed on a screen
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point
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standard unit of typographic measurement
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proof
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traditionally, an impression from metal type for examination and correction before final output
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Quicktime Video
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Apple technology that allows video, digitized sound and music, 3D, and virtual reality to be viewed on your Web site.
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RAM
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Random Access Memory. Used to store data temorarily while the computer is turned on.
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raster
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a digital image that is compressed of pixels structured in a grid and assigned a specific location and color value.
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ream
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traditional term for a quantity of paper, normally 500 sheets
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rebus
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graphic device that uses pictures or symbols in place of words to represent a statement or idea
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resolution
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the degree of detail and clarity of a display; usually specified in dots per inch (dpi)
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RGB
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Red-Green-Blue. Colors on computer monitors are defined in terms of a combination of these three color.
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roman
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generic term to describe a wide range of typeface
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screen printing
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versatile printing process in which the image is created by forcing the printing ink through a fine screen of fabric or metal.
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semiotics
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the study of relationships between signs and symbols and what they represent in terms of both content and meanings
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serif
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charactersictic terminal stroke normally at the bottom of the main strokes of letters in Roman tyeface
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signage
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coordinated directional, instructional, and information sign requirements associated with the urban environment, buildings, and major events such as exhibitions
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simplification
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the paring down to essential elements
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symbol
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letter or sign designed to represent an activity, idea, or object
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thumbnail
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a small version of a graphic image
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TIFF
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Tagged image FIle format. A common graphic file format used for saving bitmapped images such as scans, photographs, illustrations, and logos
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time
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a nonspatial continuum in which events progress in an irreversible succession from past through the present and into the future.
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tracking
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adjustment of space between characters throughout a range of text
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trademark
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identification device in the form of a symbol or logotype used to identify and/or unify the products or services provided by a particular manufacturer or supplier
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typeface
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alphabet created for the purpose of reproduction
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type specimen
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a typeset sample produced to show the visual properties of typeface.
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URL
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Uniform Resource Locator. An address referring to a document on the Internet
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USP
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Unique Selling Proposition
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vector
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a digital image that is composed of line and curves that are defined by mathematics objects called vectors
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video
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a series of framed images put together, one after another, to simulate motion and interactivity
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visual communication
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a way of representing ideas visually
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visual narrative
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the telling of a story through visual images
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WYSIWYG
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What You See Is What You Get. A desirable technical connection between what the designer/operator sees on the screen and what emerge as the final output on film or print
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x height
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body of any lower-case character that has neither an ascender nor descender.
