PROFESSIONAL

CERTIFICATE IN GRAPHIC
DESIGN
SIMBAI ZINDOVE
[email protected]
 Students will learn;

1. Adobe Photoshop Environment

2. Layers Concept in Adobe Photoshop - Introduction

3. Basic image editing in PS

Lesson Learning 4. Introduction to poster design

Outcomes

PCGD OCTOBER 2024

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Adobe Photoshop
Introduction

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 Introduction
• Basic tools.
• The workspace.
• Image editing basics.

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Layers Concept

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 Photoshop Layers
• Layers are like stacked, transparent sheets of glass on which you can paint images.
• Allow you to stack different graphics, images, or adjustments.
• Defined as one image stacked on top of another to form a complete image.
• When we open an image or create a blank document in Photoshop, it by default comes with a background
layer.
• The background layer is locked and protected from any change.

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 Why layers ?
• Allow users to do non-destructive editing.
• Layers make Photoshop an excellent compositing tool.
• We can stack multiple images, text, and vector graphics to create a new image

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 Layer Concepts To Cover:
• Accessing the Layers panel.
• The five (5) sections of the Layers panel.
• Layer Basics (creating, editing, viewing, duplicating, renaming, rearranging, deleting, letting layers show
through, etc.)
• Categories of Layers
• The twelve (12) types of layers
• Layer customization types (4).

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 Types of Layers
• Pixel layer • Adjustment layer
• Background layer • Smart object layer
• Grouped layer • Cloud layer
• Linked layer • Vector layer
• Merged layer • Frame layer
• Fill layer
• Shape layer
• Text layer

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Poster Design

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 Poster Design
• Poster Design falls under the Marketing and Advertising Graphic Design category.
• Posters must connect with the target audience.
• Colors, images, font, and format must echo the client’s brand.
• Poster design is storytelling!
• Poster design is an art that requires both visual attraction and readability.
• Types include Education Posters, Motivational Posters, Art Posters, Concert Posters, Travel
Posters, Conference Posters, Campaign etc.

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 Poster Design…
• Advantages • Disadvantages

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Elements of a poster

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 The elements
Typography
• It is advisable to choose two or three fonts in total for your poster design.
• Fonts used for titles should be a display typeface (either creative or sans serif fonts)
• While fonts used for text should be serif fonts because they are designed for readability.
• Chosen fonts should be different enough to be easily distinguishable from one another.
• But also similar enough to convey a unified design

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 The elements…
Layout and Balance
• There are various options for the layout of a poster.
• Popular options include vertical columns, contrasting fields, and graphic-centered designs.
• Balance defines how unified and cohesive a design looks.
• Unbalanced designs are confusing and uncomfortable for your audience.
• You can create balance through symmetric and asymmetric layouts.

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 The elements…
Layout and Balance: Symmetric layouts
• In a symmetrically balanced layout, similar design elements are aligned in an equal way on
either side of the vertical axis.
• This often results in a mirror-image effect, making it a great layout for a formal or static look.
• If you’re designing graphic posters for formal events, art gallery viewings, or informative
gatherings, a symmetrical approach might be just right.

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 The elements…
Layout and Balance:
Symmetric layouts
Examples

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 The elements…
Layout and Balance: Asymmetric layouts
• In an asymmetric layout, balance is achieved with an unequal arrangement of elements.
• Often, there could be a large object on one side balanced by a small object on the opposite
side.
• Appear more casual, and create excellent posters for rock concerts, museums, and personal
services.

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 The elements…
Layout and Balance:
Asymmetric layouts
Examples

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 The elements…
Color
• Conveys meaning and helps you create a cohesive look and feel for your poster.
• Consider how the colors will look together.
• Harmonious color schemes are based on balance and help tie your poster together.
• Refer back to color theory.

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 The elements…
Contrast
• An essential element in creating a memorable, easy-to-look-at poster.
• To create contrast, place two elements in opposing ways.
• This helps draw the eye and create a focal point within your design.
• The elements you can use to create contrast include shapes, colors, lines, size and negative
space.

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 The elements…
Contrast - Examples

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 The elements…
Visual Hierarchy
• Helps create a focal point in your poster.
• Guides the eye to move from the most important information to the least important.
• Consider;
• Alignment
• Size and scale
• Color and contrast
• Negative space
• Repetition
• Proximity 23
 The elements…
Visual Hierarchy - Examples

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 The elements…
Shapes
• Shapes have the power to help create a path for your eyes to follow as they scan a poster.
• When used intentionally, shapes can also emphasize the most important information in the
poster.
• For example, designers often place text in front of squares or rectangles to draw attention.
• They can also alter the mood of your design.
• Softer shapes with curves, circles and organic lines can create a more fluid and relaxed mood.
• Triangles, squares and other geometric shapes with sharp edges, on the other hand, are often
associated with more serious, elevated, or masculine ideas.
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 The elements…
Shapes - Examples

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Features of a poster

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 Key features
Four key features:

A title
• A descriptive indicator of the contents of the poster, and it should not exceed two lines of text.
For your title, we recommend using 48-point font (or larger) and bold lettering.

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 Key features…
Four key features:
Text
• Posters typically employ around 800 words (and no more than 1000 words) of text.
• MUST be organized into sections and labeled with appropriate section headings.
• Clearly describe the objective of the poster.
• Use short sentences, simple words, and bullets for discrete points
• Avoid jargon, acronyms, and unusual abbreviations.
• Text should be visible from 3-6 feet away.

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 Key features…
Four key features:
Graphics
• Must appear in context with the main text.
• Always choose high-resolution graphics, and high-resolution images (300dpi or higher).
• Choose clear graphics that are visible 1.5 meters away.
• Lines in illustrations need to be bigger than usual and a contrasting color.
• Use 0.5 inch borders around figures, include captions and titles inside borders

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 Key features…
Four key features:
Whitespace
• Essential as it defines the borders of your work.
• It creates “breathing room” within the poster.
• Roughly 30% of your poster should consist of white space, 40% of your title and text, and 30%
should consist of graphic images.

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Poster design tips !

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 Some tips
• Use no more than two typefaces.
• Use sans serif fonts like Arial, Calibri, or Helvetica. These fonts work better for posters and PowerPoints, while serif
fonts are typically reserved for papers.
• Use 48-point font or larger for titles.
• Use 30 to 36-point font for the narrative text.
• Keep the margins of your poster and the space between columns at a minimum of 2.5 inches.
• Avoid mixing low-contrast colors (for example, yellow text against a white background), because it often makes text
and images hard to see.
• Use three, four, or five columns that flow from top left to bottom right.
• Headlines should provide information and draw an audience to the poster.
• “Old tools” work: Colored transparency overlays are useful in comparing/contrasting.
• Align left edges in columns. 33
 Programs for creating posters
• Illustrator
• Photoshop
• PowerPoint
• InDesign
• Inkscape
• PosterGenius
• Canva
• LaTeX

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Class Project

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 Question
• The Graphic Designers Association of Zimbabwe (GDAZ) is hosting a national conference for
graphic designers. The goal of the conference is for the designers to network, learn from each
other, and showcase their work. This conference will be held annually from this year onwards,
hence the name GDC 2024 (Graphic Design Conference).

• The logo concept was approved and the next phase is to design a POSTER to advertise this big
upcoming event.
• Maintain a design system.

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Thank you
Simbai Zindove

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