To start graphic design, you need to follow some steps:
1. Select the software: First of all, you will need to learn graphic design software. Some popular software are:
Adobe Photoshop (for image editing)
Adobe Illustrator (for vector graphics)
CorelDRAW (for vector designing)
Canva (for basic designing, online tool)
2. Learn design principles: There are some main principles of graphic design, such as:
Color Theory
Font styles and usage
Balance
Contrast
Proportion and spacing
3. Practice tools and techniques: Practice understanding and using various tools provided in the software. Such as:
Pen tool, shapes, layers etc.
4. Inspiration and research: Look at different designs and understand which trends are going on. You have the option to see the work of other designers on sites like Pinterest, Behance.
5. Work on mini projects: Make small projects in the beginning, such as logo designs, posters or flyers. These will give you a good learning experience.
6. Resources to learn graphic design:
Online courses: You can find basic to advanced courses of graphic design on sites like Udemy, Coursera, or LinkedIn Learning.
YouTube tutorials: There are many free tutorials based on software and design principles.
7. Take feedback and improve: Share your work with others and take feedback so that you can improve your designs further.
After all this, you can gradually move towards professional designing.
Safety in graphic design refers to some important things that you should keep in mind while designing. This not only keeps your designs safe but also ensures that your work is legally and ethically correct. Here are some key graphic design safety aspects:
1. Copyright and licensing
Follow copyright: Do not use images, icons, or fonts of another designer or photographer without permission.
Use licensed content: Use images and fonts for which you have the proper license. Sites like Freepik, Unsplash, and Pexels provide free and licensed content.
2. Follow branding guidelines
When designing for a company, follow their brand guidelines, such as correct use of their logo, correct choice of colors, etc. This keeps the brand identity correct.
3. Careful color selection
Select colors in the design in such a way that they are also useful for people suffering from color blindness or other visual disorders.
Also, choose the right colour profiles for both digital and print, so that the print design doesn’t look different from the digital version.
4. File security
Keep design files safe. Use backups and password-protected files to prevent your work from being stolen.
Handle sensitive information from clients (such as confidential projects) securely.
5. Avoid plagiarism
Don’t copy: Always try to create original designs. Don’t copy someone else’s work, it can lead to legal and ethical issues.
6. Secure online sharing
Use watermarks when sharing your designs online to prevent your work from being stolen.
When you send designs to a client or platform, make sure the files are in the right format and are being sent securely (such as PDFs or locked files).
7. Trademark and Patent Laws
If you are designing a company logo, make sure it does not resemble any other brand, as this may lead to trademark infringement.
8. Data Security and Privacy
Handle sensitive data received from clients in a secure manner and do not share it with any unauthorized person.
9. Accessibility
Your design should be usable by everyone, especially those with visual disabilities. The right choice of colors, font size, and layout should be kept in mind so that all users can experience the design properly.
Following these security measures can make you a professional and responsible graphic designer and your work remains of high quality.
Color blending is used in graphic design when you want to create smooth transitions or gradient effects by blending different colors together. It is especially used to add depth and appeal to backgrounds, images, and graphics. Here's how you can do color blending:
1. Selecting Software:
You can use software like Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, or CorelDRAW as they have easy-to-use tools for color blending.
2. Tools for Color Blending:
Gradient Tool: This is the simplest and most common way to do color blending. Using the Gradient Tool, you can create a smooth transition between two or more colors.
Choose the Gradient Tool in the software.
Select two or more colors.
Click and drag the cursor where you want to blend.
Blend Modes (in Photoshop or Illustrator): This tool controls the way you blend between your layers. You can change the blend mode in the Layers panel, such as:
Multiply: To darken colors.
Screen: To lighten colors.
Overlay: To brighten colors and increase contrast.
Opacity: Lowering the opacity of a layer can also achieve a blending effect. This will make your layer transparent and blend smoothly with the colors of the layer below.
3. Gradient Creation Process:
Linear Gradient: This is the most common gradient, in which colors change in one direction.
Radial Gradient: Colors transition from the center outward.
Angular Gradient: It blends colors in a circular form.
4. Using Custom Brushes:
You can also use custom brushes to improve your blending techniques. In Photoshop, soft round brushes can be used for smooth blending.
5. Manual way of blending:
You can use several intermediate shades between colors to blend manually. This is especially useful when designing by hand, such as in digital painting.
6. Gradient Mesh Tool (Illustrator):
In Adobe Illustrator, you can achieve complex and precise blending using the Gradient Mesh Tool. It gives a natural blending effect by creating a gradient between different color points.
7. Selecting the Color Palette:
Choosing the right color palette is important. You can blend with contrasting colors or select harmonious colors that go well with each other.
8. Keep in mind Color Theory and Harmonies:
Keep Color Theory in mind while blending colors. For example, complementary colors (opposite each other on the color wheel) or analogous colors (near each other on the color wheel) can give good blending effects.
9. Blending Examples:
A sunset scene, where the colors in the sky gradually change from blue to orange and then to red, is a good example of color blending.
Thus, you can use color blending in your design to make it more attractive and lively.
