In a recent article here on GraphicDesign.com, Understanding File Formats in Photoshop author James George explained some of the most common file formats used for graphic design in Photoshop. For photographic imaging, some different file formats are best used for specific purposes. Following are the most common formats along with basic descriptions of their use. Camera Raw A raw capture records all the image data from a camera’s sensor with only a very minimal amount of processing in the... CONTINUE READING

In this tutorial, David Hong of Pneuma Design (pneumadesign.tv) provides a comprehensive overview of 3D tracking in After Effects using The Foundry’s new CameraTracker plug-in. Matchmoving has always required the After Effects artist to solve shots in an external application and import the solution into After Effects. This new tool eliminates the need for this extra step by providing powerful matchmove capabilities within the familiar AE interface. Follow along and take your compositing skills to the next level. if... CONTINUE READING

Wondering what would motivate students to sit inside SVA’s Fine Arts Department on a balmy 71° degree Saturday in New York City? Simple, an opportunity to network and learn from speakers at companies like BBDO, Behance, Google, FourSquare, LinkedIn, NBC Universal, Skillshare and Tumblr at NY Creative Interns’ “Find and Follow Your Passion” conference. The brainchild of former Hofstra students Emily Miethner and Reb Carlson, now run by Miethner and Community Manager Marny Smith, NY Creative Interns mission is... CONTINUE READING

In honor of the new redesign of GraphicDesign.com, which we hope you are enjoying, I wanted to start discussing important principles of Graphic Design applied to web design. Visual literacy is the ability to interpret, negotiate, and make meaning from information presented in the form of an image. Designers develop a creative tool belt of basic shortcuts and methods by studying other great design methods. The first step to becoming a great graphic designer for the web is the... CONTINUE READING

Design and creative industries software giant Adobe have released their latest version of Creative Suite – CS6. Launched in San Francisco on the 23rd of April, the latest version of Creative Suite now moves from Beta to fully functioning applications available either as full priced downloads or as the eagerly awaited Creative Cloud package. Adobe Creative Suite 6 consists of 14 applications available in combinations of four different packages – Adobe Creative Suite 6 Design & Web Premium, Adobe... CONTINUE READING

We all want our images to look the best. For most of us, it is our job to make everything, including our images, look good. Good color, contrast, and balance are important, but none of that matters if your image is blurry or out of focus. For some photos it can make the image that much more powerful to sharpen the image. For example, if you have a geological image, and it looks good, you can make it look... CONTINUE READING

The short answer is both. While the front-end graphic designer is busy with design, layout, typography, image research and such, the back-end web designer (let’s call them a coder) is busy setting up the server, databases, installing software, writing various custom code and the likes. The trick is to keep the communications open so the left hand knows what the right is doing and vice versa. When the communication fails, problems rear their ugly heads and they do it... CONTINUE READING

Money Matters Are you searching for a new design job or preparing to ask your boss for a raise? If so, it’s in your best interest to know current compensation trends within the creative field. One place to start your research is The Creative Group 2012 Salary Guide. It includes average starting salary ranges for more than 100 creative and marketing positions, which can be customized for more than 130 U.S. cities. The information is based on a range... CONTINUE READING