Digital printing has revolutionized the sign industry. Current printers can reproduce an image at 1440 dpi (dots per inch) at virtually any size. But they are worthless if the original image is of low resolution. We define resolution using pixels. A pixel is commonly thought of as the smallest individual unit of an image (tiny dots if you will). If the pixel content is low, the image will look fuzzy. Anyone that has blown up a picture in a popular program like Adobe Photoshop has experienced the pixilation of an image. The most common way to express the resolution of an image is via two integers: the first is the number of pixel columns or width and the second is the number of pixel rows or height. Another common way to express resolution is by giving the total number of pixels in the image (usually expressed as megapixels). It is determined by simply multiplying the pixel columns by the pixel rows.

Most typical file formats such as bmp, jpeg, png, etc. will give the physical image size. This is done through DPI. For raster images (those images in rectangular pixel format), DPI means the number of pixels printed within one inch horizontally and vertically. For example, if you have an image expressed at 600 by 300 (or 1.8 megapixels) and you want to print at 300 dpi, the image would need to be printed within two inches by 1 inch (you divide 600 x 300 by 300 dpi) – a very small image to get the needed resolution. The bigger you print the same image, obviously, the lower the amount of dots per inch. A 20 by 10 inch print of the same image would be only 30 dpi. Try to imagine how bad the quality would be if you had only 30 dots for every inch.

We commonly have customers uploading 600 x 300 jpeg images of the family dog, say, and ask us to put it on a vinyl banner 4 by 2 feet, for example. We refuse to print a sign with less than 300 dpi, because we know our customers will not be happy wth the quality. If we enlarged this image to fit the sign, we would get a sign with 12.5 dpi (only about 12 dots per inch).

We need to help educate so you will know that we are not trying to aggravate or, worse yet, price gauge when we ask for a better quality image. Believe me, we only do this so the customer will be happy with the final product. I always feel bad when I have to disturb a customer. I understand the buyer’s position. They want quick results with minimal effort. But customers have to take a proactive role, because once and a while, a sign company will go ahead and print a borderline or low quality image. We won’t do that – we insist on quality – which sometimes makes the customer think we lack some mysterious technology that our competition has. There have been those frustrating times when a customer will tell me they know of a local sign company that will print their sign with the image as is. And then they hang up miffed.

If we cannot get a higher quality image we need to convert the file to vector format. This format allows us to enlarge the image without loss in resolution. In fact, we have a full time graphic person that can do this rather quickly in some cases. We usually try to do it gratis for our customers, but sometimes we have to charge them. It is awkward because the customer does not always understand. Some even suspect we are attempting to add on frivolous charges. We want them to understand why!

But I also have to caution customers. Some sign companies will charge high prices for art work. Converting a diagram or clip art to vector format can be very cheap – about $10. But poor quality photographs require the artist to reproduce the file as a graphic drawing in detail. It takes time and most companies will understandably try to recoup their costs. But you should not be charged more than about $30 an hour and photographs rarely take more than 2 or 3 hours to convert.

A graphic design course is ideal for anyone who wishes to enter a world that combines visual and creative skills. These courses cover a whole spectrum of design related topics, which give you a solid foundation so you can break into and progress to a higher lever in your chosen visual and graphic design career.

Online Degrees

These days with the increasing popularity of online courses, online degrees are available for a wide variety of subjects. Students who would like to pursue a career in graphic designing now have the option of doing a graphic design course online. Getting an online degree is very convenient for students who cannot attend formal classes for a variety of reasons including travel or ill health.

Online Graphic Design Degrees

An online graphic design course is perfect for students who would like to turn their interest in art into a creative career but either they do not have any conventional graphic designing course available in their area or are unable to attend one. For individuals who have already started off in their graphic designing careers an online graphic design course is of immense help in getting ahead in their career without having to take a break.

A graphic design course teaches students how to apply their artistic techniques to different concepts using technical drawing, computer-aided design, imaging, studio techniques, printmaking, color theories and concepts.

Graphic Design Course Objectives

Along with learning graphic design fundamentals, a graphic design course also teaches student’s useful marketing strategies as well as new concepts of art in age, which is turning increasingly electronic.

Students who do graphic design courses would learn the
Basics of successful design
Language of visual design
Creative solutions for design problems
Basic applications of design concepts to commercial design

How to manage design projects.

Pre-requisites for Online Graphics Designing Degrees

There are no Pre-requisites for enrolling in any online graphics-designing course. Students can enroll in different levels of graphic design courses such as Bachelors graphic design degrees or Associate graphic design degrees, depending on their previous qualifications, experience and requirements.

Though not absolutely necessary, it would be an advantage for students to have some kind of software that is graphics-related such as Photoshop or Paintshop Pro that will help them create project assignments more easily.

Upon completion of their project students have to send their work in for assessments from various successful designers.

Enrolling for Online Graphics Designing Degrees

One of the major advantages of opting to do a graphic design course online is the fact students can enroll from any part of the world.

Most courses are open enrollment and self-paced, which means students can enroll at almost any time of the year and can complete the course at their own pace. This flexibility allows students to complete the course within a short span of time if they are looking for immediate employment or they can extend the course for a longer duration if they have other time constraints. All the material is delivered online and assessments as well as research are all online, so they is absolutely no need for a physical attendance.

Graphic design basically is visual problem solving using text or graphical elements. Your aim is to create something that is catchy to the eye, and gets the attention of the viewer. But things can't just look great. They have to work as well. Web-based applications have brought graphic designers closer to software development projects than ever before. Because the buttons, menus, and other screen elements of a web page are not standardized, there is vast opportunity for a graphic designer to influence how a site will look. This is often tied in to the branding efforts of a web site. As such, the graphic designer is tasked with deciding how best to portray the values of a company through the use of color and layout. Today, Graphic design is practiced in various fields of media, distributing its effective message through logos, graphics, signs, brochures, posters, and other type of visual elements. Main industries include this creative work of art in media are websites, print, advertisement, publication, digital media, motion pictures, animation, product design, packaging, information signs, etc. In 1980 the advent of desktop publishing and of design software such as Adobe Illustrator and Macromedia Fireworks put the power and flexibility of the computer at graphic designer’s fingertips. Designers for the first time were easily able to control images and create 3D images using the computer. Computers are now considered to be an essential tool in the graphic design industry. The use of graphics has become suitable and feasible since 90’s, as the internet speed increased noticeably and internet browsers being capable of viewing large images. Graphics used by websites are logos, banners, advertisements, navigation buttons, etc. in gif format and in addition modern browsers today supports jpeg, and swf formats as well. This makes websites much more attractive and outstanding, rather then plain text content. The basic requirements to become a computer graphic designer include good creative abilities, good computers skills, and good communication skills. Computer graphic design helps graphic designers complete their tasks faster and easier. They can smoothly translate ideas into visual imagery, save it onto their computers and edit it whenever changes are needed. The graphic design is in high demand these days because it can be applied anywhere like print, films, animations, and computers. To be a graphic designer, one needs to get particular training. The key to a graphic design is that it communicates the message well while being aesthetically appreciated. A good graphic design can attract viewers and do wonders.