Graphic Design
Comprehensive guide for creating professional visual designs across digital and print media.
Design Fundamentals
The 7 Principles of Design
| Principle | Definition | Application |
|---|
| Balance | Visual equilibrium | Symmetrical, asymmetrical, radial |
| Contrast | Difference between elements | Size, color, shape, texture |
| Emphasis | Focal point creation | Hierarchy guides the eye |
| Movement | Visual flow direction | Leading lines, repetition |
| Pattern | Repetition of elements | Creates rhythm and unity |
| Rhythm | Visual tempo | Regular, flowing, progressive |
| Unity | Cohesive whole | Consistent style throughout |
Color Theory
Color Models
| Model | Use Case | Components |
|---|
| RGB | Digital screens | Red, Green, Blue (0-255) |
| CMYK | Print media | Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key/Black |
| HSL | Design tools | Hue, Saturation, Lightness |
| Hex | Web/CSS | #RRGGBB format |
Color Harmonies
Complementary: Opposite on wheel (high contrast)
Analogous: Adjacent colors (harmonious)
Triadic: 3 equidistant colors (vibrant)
Split-Comp: Base + 2 adjacent to complement
Tetradic: 4 colors forming rectangle
Monochromatic: Single hue, varying saturation/lightness
Color Psychology
| Color | Associations | Use For |
|---|
| Red | Energy, urgency, passion | CTAs, sales, warnings |
| Blue | Trust, calm, professional | Corporate, tech, finance |
| Green | Growth, nature, health | Eco, wellness, money |
| Yellow | Optimism, attention, warmth | Highlights, caution |
| Purple | Luxury, creativity, wisdom | Premium, creative |
| Orange | Enthusiasm, confidence | CTAs, youth brands |
| Black | Sophistication, power | Luxury, editorial |
| White | Clean, minimal, pure | Modern, healthcare |
Accessible Color Contrast
WCAG AA Requirements:
- Normal text: 4.5:1 minimum contrast ratio
- Large text (18pt+): 3:1 minimum
- UI components: 3:1 minimum
WCAG AAA Requirements:
- Normal text: 7:1 minimum
- Large text: 4.5:1 minimum
Tools: WebAIM Contrast Checker, Stark, Color Safe
Typography
Type Classification
| Category | Characteristics | Use Cases |
|---|
| Serif | Decorative strokes | Print, editorial, formal |
| Sans-serif | Clean, no strokes | Digital, modern, UI |
| Slab Serif | Bold, blocky serifs | Headlines, branding |
| Script | Handwritten feel | Invitations, logos |
| Display | Decorative, unique | Headlines only |
| Monospace | Fixed-width | Code, technical |
Type Hierarchy
Display: 48-72px (Hero headlines)
H1: 32-48px (Page titles)
H2: 24-32px (Section headers)
H3: 20-24px (Subsections)
Body: 16-18px (Readable text)
Caption: 12-14px (Secondary info)
Micro: 10-12px (Legal, footnotes)
Typography Rules
- Limit fonts: 2-3 maximum per project
- Contrast pairing: Serif + Sans-serif works well
- Line height: 1.4-1.6 for body text
- Line length: 45-75 characters optimal
- Letter spacing: Increase for all-caps text
- Alignment: Left-align body text (easier to read)
Font Pairing Examples
Headlines + Body:
- Playfair Display + Source Sans Pro
- Montserrat + Merriweather
- Oswald + Lato
- Roboto Slab + Roboto
- DM Serif Display + DM Sans
Layout & Composition
Grid Systems
12-Column Grid (Most Common):
├─┬─┬─┬─┬─┬─┬─┬─┬─┬─┬─┬─┤
│1│2│3│4│5│6│7│8│9│10│11│12│
Common Column Spans:
- Full width: 12 columns
- Two-thirds: 8 columns
- Half: 6 columns
- One-third: 4 columns
- One-quarter: 3 columns
- Sidebar: 3-4 columns
Spacing System (8pt Grid)
/* Base unit: 8px */
--space-1: 4px; /* 0.5x - tight */
--space-2: 8px; /* 1x - base */
--space-3: 16px; /* 2x - comfortable */
--space-4: 24px; /* 3x - section gap */
--space-5: 32px; /* 4x - group separation */
--space-6: 48px; /* 6x - major sections */
--space-7: 64px; /* 8x - page sections */
--space-8: 96px; /* 12x - hero spacing */
Rule of Thirds
┌───────┬───────┬───────┐
│ │ │ │
│ ●───┼───● │ │ Place key elements
├───────┼───────┼───────┤ at intersection
│ │ │ │ points (●)
│ ●───┼───● │ │
├───────┼───────┼───────┤
│ │ │ │
└───────┴───────┴───────┘
Visual Hierarchy Techniques
- Size: Larger = more important
- Color: Bright/saturated draws attention
- Contrast: High contrast = focal point
- Whitespace: Isolation creates emphasis
- Position: Top-left (F-pattern) or center
- Typography: Bold, different font, caps
File Formats
Raster (Pixel-Based)
| Format | Best For | Notes |
|---|
| JPG/JPEG | Photos, gradients | Lossy, no transparency |
| PNG | Graphics, transparency | Lossless, larger files |
| GIF | Simple animations | 256 colors max |
| WebP | Web images | Best compression, modern |
| AVIF | Web images | Newest, best quality/size |
Vector (Math-Based)
| Format | Best For | Notes |
|---|
| SVG | Web graphics, icons | Scalable, animatable |
| AI | Adobe Illustrator | Native format |
| EPS | Print, legacy | Universal vector |
| PDF | Print, documents | Preserves vectors |
Export Guidelines
Web Graphics:
- Icons: SVG (or PNG fallback)
- Photos: WebP with JPG fallback
- Illustrations: SVG or WebP
- Resolution: 72 DPI minimum, 2x for retina
Print Graphics:
- Resolution: 300 DPI minimum
- Color: CMYK mode
- Format: PDF/X or TIFF
- Bleed: 0.125" (3mm) on all sides
Design Tools
Industry Standard
| Tool | Best For | Platform |
|---|
| Figma | UI/UX, collaboration | Web, Desktop |
| Adobe Photoshop | Photo editing, raster | Desktop |
| Adobe Illustrator | Vector graphics | Desktop |
| Sketch | UI design | macOS only |
| Affinity Designer | Vector (Illustrator alt) | Desktop |
| Canva | Quick designs | Web |
Free Alternatives
| Tool | Replaces | Platform |
|---|
| GIMP | Photoshop | Desktop |
| Inkscape | Illustrator | Desktop |
| Photopea | Photoshop | Web |
| Vectr | Illustrator | Web |
Design Systems
Component Structure
Atoms:
- Colors, typography, icons
- Buttons, inputs, labels
Molecules:
- Form fields (label + input + helper)
- Cards (image + title + description)
- Navigation items
Organisms:
- Header (logo + nav + actions)
- Forms (multiple fields + submit)
- Product cards grid
Templates:
- Page layouts
- Grid structures
Pages:
- Specific instances with real content
Naming Conventions
Colors:
- primary, secondary, accent
- success, warning, error, info
- gray-100 through gray-900
- background, surface, text
Components:
- btn-primary, btn-secondary, btn-ghost
- card-default, card-elevated, card-outlined
- input-default, input-error, input-disabled
Print Design Specifics
Standard Print Sizes
US Paper:
- Letter: 8.5" × 11"
- Legal: 8.5" × 14"
- Tabloid: 11" × 17"
International (ISO):
- A4: 210 × 297mm
- A3: 297 × 420mm
- A5: 148 × 210mm
Business Cards:
- US: 3.5" × 2"
- EU: 85 × 55mm
Print Checklist
Best Practices
DO:
- Start with sketches/wireframes
- Use consistent spacing system
- Test designs at actual size
- Get feedback early and often
- Design for accessibility first
- Use real content when possible
- Create style guides/design systems
DON'T:
- Use more than 3 fonts
- Rely on color alone for meaning
- Ignore whitespace
- Stretch or distort images
- Use low-resolution images
- Center-align long paragraphs
- Forget mobile/responsive design
Design Review Checklist
