# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Since the dawn of digital graphic design, there have been three main building blocks of images - pixels, vectors and polygons. We'll focus on pixels and vectors for now, since polygons are specifically for 3d.

Pixels are visual building blocks for photos and videos

Think of pixels (also called rasters or bitmaps) as very small square tiles that make up an image. Think of mosaic art, for example - or early video games like classic Nintendo where you could clearly see that everything was made up of squares. The advantage of pixels is that all these squares (in high amounts - or resolutions) put together make detailed and intricate blends, textures, glows and shadows. The disadvantage of pixels - edges of an image, being made up of squares, can look jagged, especially when there are fewer pixels.

Graphic designers typically create pixel art in a layered file. This means every visual element is separate from the others and can be changed (rotated, sized, moved) independently from the other. This makes editing possible - it can be extremely difficult if not impossible to make edits on a "flattened" file. Think of it this way. You can take a handful of spare change and arrange it in infinite ways on a table top. But once you take a picture of the scene, it's frozen in time. A layered file is like the spare change on the table. It's easy to move it around. But it's not so easy to change the picture you took!

It takes effort from a graphic designer to convert pixel-based art into a vector format- they'll usually have to hand-trace the pixels in a vector program.

Vectors are visual building blocks for fonts and illustrator files

Think of vectors as a series of points with smoothly connecting lines and arcs. When you see giant text or a logo on a billboard, you're seeing art that was (very likely) originally made with vectors. Vector images can be enlarged infinitely while keeping clean, sharp lines. The disadvantage with vectors - realism with shadows, blends and textures are much harder to achieve than with pixels. A graphic artist can go to great lengths to achieve realism, but it's not as practical as photography or pixel-based art.

Vector art is also made in layers.

It's easy to convert vector art into a pixel-based format (jpg/gif/tif).

What looks good on your screen may not look good in print

"But it looks good on my screen!" Often times I've heard clients say this. It's important to know that, while screens are more detailed than ever, what looks good on a screen won't always look good on printed materials...

In order for an image to look good in print, it should have three to five times the pixels (300 pixels per inch) of what looks good on screen (72 pixels per inch). The key is to get high-resolution photos and have high-res or vector-based art wherever possible. Simply adding pixels or increasing the size of a small image does not improve the image quality.

In 2012, I was working on a brochure for a client and it took a lot of explaining to get them to understand that what looks good on a notebook screen will not always look good on paper. The sad part is they could not (or were not willing to) locate the original photos. I'm happy to work with clients in any situation, but this was a fund-raising brochure. They were asking for thousands of dollars in sponsorships. Blurry photos made the piece look sub-standard to potential donors.

Asking for source files

When you ask as designer for a layered photoshop file - or a native illustrator file - you're asking them for the files they used to build your design or art. This is good for you because it's insurance against file loss or the designer not being available in the future. It can be uncomfortable for the designer because once you have the source files, you can send them to another designer. Often times, it's understood that giving up source files warrants an extra charge from your designer.

It's important that you have the source files for your logo. You've spent good money on it and it's at the spear tip of your brand. Also, if you just rely on the pixel-based logo on your site, you'll find it looks very poor when it's used on a large banner or t-shirt. Ask for the vector-based logo art from your designer in a few different formats (.ai, .svg, .eps). It's good to get your logo art as a transparent (pixel-based) .png as well.

Recently I had to tell a client that what they thought were source files were actually pretty useless because they weren't layered. I was frustrated on their behalf - they had paid an exorbitant amount to a design studio for a file that can't be edited.

Vector vs. pixel .eps file confusion

Every now and then a client will send me an .eps file, thinking that it's a vector file. They've been told by an amateur designer or printer that an .eps file IS a vector file. This is a very sloppy statement and causes a lot of confusion.

If you start out with a vector-based file, and save it as an .eps, then you do have a vector-based .eps. HOWEVER - saving a pixel-based file as an .eps does NOT make it vector-based! It's simply a pixel-based .eps...

Think of an .eps as an envelope. You get out of it what's been put into it.

Got questions or looking to take your graphics to a whole new level?

We can help! Call 865.850.9460 or email us today!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Pixels vs Vectors - What's the difference?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Since the dawn of digital graphic design, there have been three main building blocks of images - pixels, vectors and polygons. We'll focus on pixels and vectors for now, since polygons are specifically for 3d. Think of pixels (also called rasters or bitmaps) as very small square tiles that make up an image.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Raster, or bitmap, images are made of pixels; little tiny squares of color or shades of black. Vector images are mathematical calculations from one point to another that form objects or lines. See the major differences and uses.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
An Introduction to the History of Graphic Design

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
An introduction to the History of Graphic Design from the dawn of writing until today, including the development of handwriting, history of type faces, history of books, Arts & Crafts and the Private Press, Posters, Printing History, History of Advertising, The Bauhaus, Digital Design and Digital Typography.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Adobe Illustrator CS6 Type Text Tool Basics Tutorial

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Adobe Illustrator Basics: Pen Tool Tutorial

# data[].attributes.body
Official abobe resources

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Illustrator tutorials | Learn how to use Illustrator

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Browse the latest Adobe Illustrator tutorials, video tutorials, hands-on projects, and more. Ranging from beginner to advanced, these tutorials provide basics, new features, plus tips and techniques.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Netherlands, Groningen, 1928linked with Paul Rand, Max Huber

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Christopher Wool is a contemporary American painter. View Christopher Wool's 913 artworks on artnet. Find an in-depth biography, exhibitions, original artworks for sale, the latest news, and sold auction prices. See available prints and multiples, paintings, and works on paper for sale and learn about the artist.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
TypeTalk: The Typographic Expressions of Stefan Sagmeister | CreativePro Network

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Stefan Sagmeister is an award-winning designer known for his bold, innovative work, especially his type and handwriting-inspired solutions.

# data[].attributes.body
VCAA

# data[].attributes.body
Folio examples from 2017 top design d

# data[].attributes.body
CMYK - RGB - HSB

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn all about applying color to artwork in Adobe Illustrator.

# data[].attributes.body
Lesson plan and process explained

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
VCD Unit 2 Area of study 2 Type and imagery in context

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The second task in Unit 2 Year 11 VCD is to learn how type is combined with imagery to communicate ideas and information. We learn about type history, anatomy and typesetting adjustments. We also learn how to manage and combine images for communication design.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Graphic Design Thinking: Beyond Brainstorming

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Issuu is a digital publishing platform that makes it simple to publish magazines, catalogs, newspapers, books, and more online. Easily share your publications and get them in front of Issuu's millions of monthly readers.

# data[].attributes.body
The book introduces many innovative design thinking activities

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Sample pages from the book "Graphic Design Thinking," published by Princeton Architectural Press and Maryland Institute College of Art, 2011. Written and designed by students and faculty in the Graphic Design MFA program, MICA.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Visual Brainstorming Isn't about Drawing -- It's about Brain Dumping!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
by Glen Downey, Comics in Education, www.comicsineducation.com

# data[].attributes.body
The differences between illustrator and photoshop

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Adobe Photoshop CC, Illustrator CC, and InDesign CC are all powerful graphic design programs. Learn what each application does best for your workflow.

# data[].attributes.body
Contemporary type design

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Typerobics is a (almost) daily digital journal of type design sketches, by Fábio Duarte Martins.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Welcome back to Instagram. Sign in to check out what your friends, family & interests have been capturing & sharing around the world.

# data[].attributes.body
Introduction video for graphic design

# data[].attributes.headline
A Brief History of Typography & Typefaces

# data[].attributes.subject
A Brief History of Typography & Typefaces

# data[].attributes.body
Animated film can also be used for junior level classes

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The History of Typography - Animated Short

# data[].attributes.body
A visual guide to type anatomy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Although you probably know the difference between serif and sans-serif fonts, typography is actually so much more interesting than that. Did you know that letters can be dissected into parts as if they were a puzzle? Like people, fonts have personalities, moods, styles-and even anatomical features!

In this article, we will look at the different parts that make up letters and their real-life counterparts, visualized in the guide below with some fun analogies.

And last but not least, we will look at how type is manipulated to better fit in a space so that it looks balanced and easy on the eye.

Next time you download a set of fonts with "extra swashes," you will know exactly what that means.
You can view the visual summary of this post below or skip ahead to read a detailed explanation of the different parts that make up letters.
Create engaging visual summaries like this in minutes with this drag-and-drop tool. Try It for Free

Type Anatomy

Leg

A portion of a letter that extends downwards, attached at one end and free at the other.

Arm

A straight or curved portion of a letter that extends upwards or outwards, attached at one end and free at the other

Ear

The small stroke that extends outwards from a lowercase g in some typeface styles.

Shoulder

The stroke that curves downwards and to the right of the lowercase h, m and n.

Spine

The spine is the main curved stroke inside the upper and lower case S.

Tail

The decorative curved descender of a capital Q, R and K. The descenders of the lower case g, j, p, q, and y are also sometimes called tails.

RELATED: 15 Fresh Font Combinations for Your Presentations and Infographics

Other Kinds of Internal Letter Parts

X-height

The x-height isn't exactly a part but rather a measurement. It measures the height of all lowercase letters that are part of the same typeface. It's called x-height because the letter x of each typeface is what determines the measurement.

Cap Height

The cap height is a measurement of all capital letters in the same typeface. The most accurate measurement is found in flat bottomed characters like the letter E.

Ascenders

An ascender is a vertical stroke that extends upwards over the x-height.

Descenders

A descender is a vertical stroke that extends downwards below the x-height.

Stem

The stem is the main vertical stroke in upright characters. When a letter has no verticals like a capital A or V, the first diagonal stroke is considered the stem.

Stroke

A stroke is the main vertical diagonal line in a letter.

Bar

A bar is a horizontal stroke in letters like A, H, e and f.

Serif

A serif is a short line at the beginning and the end of strokes. Serifs are what make a typeface a serif or a sans serif. Serifs can have different shapes: hairline, square/slab, wedge. They can all be bracketed or unbracketed, meaning that their connection to the stroke is rounded or perpendicular.

Terminal

When a letter doesn't have a serif, the end of the stroke is called a terminal.

Bowl

A bowl is a stroke that creates an enclosed curved space, as in the letters d, b, o, D and B.

Counter

The counter is the enclosed space in letters like o, b, d, and a. Counters are also created by bowls.

Link

A link is a stroke connecting the bowl and loop of a two-story lowercase g.

Swash

A swash is a fancy or decorative replacement to a terminal or serif in any capital letter used at the beginning of a sentence. Swashes are also used at the end of letters to decorate the composition. Calligraphy is full of swashes of all kinds; at the beginning, at the end and even in the middle, extending from ascenders.

Spur

A spur is a small projection that veers off the main stroke on many capital G's

How Type is Styled to Better Suit a Purpose

Bold and Italic

There are ways to style typography to more effectively get your message across. The most common typography styles are italic and bold. Regular typefaces can be turned into bold or italic in any graphic design editor. Bold styles are great for headlines and highlighting important parts of text. Using bold styles for links makes them more prominent and easy to see. Italics are used mainly for words in a different language or reference links.
RELATED: A Non-Designer's Guide to Pairing Fonts
Typeface Families

Some typefaces have more options. A typeface family can have as many as 20 styles or more. Futura, a very versatile typeface family, has 22 styles. Some of the most memorable Futura styles are light, condensed, semi-bold, extra bold, bold condensed and book italic.

Novelty Styles

Apart from the styles covered above that work for all sorts of text and designs, there are also hundreds of other styles! Novelty fonts have all sorts of different styles, from whimsical and hand drawn, to culturally inspired. These novelty fonts cannot be turned into bold or italics because they only exist in the style they were designed in.

For example, inline is a style in which there is a white line inside each letter:

Ink is a style that resembles letters written with an Asian brush and black ink:

Script (or cursive) is a style of font that resembles letters written by hand; script fonts vary from classic calligraphy to freestyle handwriting.

Novelty styles are great for designs that need a special je ne sais quois, but should still be used with caution since they can become overwhelming quite easily.

Cultural Styles

There are other fonts that are purely cultural in fashion. For example, the fonts that look like Japanese characters but aren't. The ones that look Chinese but are not Chinese characters. Other cultural styles are ones like the Disney font or the Coca-Cola font. Cultural styles are even more limited than novelty styles. They carry so many messages that using them will instantly give your design a preconceived meaning, so be mindful when using these types of fonts.

How Type is Manipulated to Fit in a Space

Sometimes letters need to be adjusted to fit in a certain space. There are three different ways in which type can be moved around in a space so that it looks better. These three measurements are called kerning, tracking and leading.

Kerning

Kerning is the space between two individual letters. It's used when you need to move only one letter because it is too far or too close to its companions. Some typefaces have a strange spacing between the capital letter and the rest of the word. Kerning helps create a better balance between letters.

When designers create wordmark logos, they usually control the kerning from letter to letter, making sure the the entire word is perfectly balanced and polished.

Tracking

Tracking is the proportional space between all the letters in a body of text. Being able to change the tracking helps fit more letters in a small space or spread out letters if they are too tight. Script fonts cannot undergo too much tracking due to how the ligatures separate and create unbalanced spaces.

Designers manipulate the tracking when they want to accomplish a look that has even edges for all the words. By spreading out the tracking or making it tighter, they can make all the text look unified and justified.

Leading

Leading is the space between baselines. This means that when we manipulate the leading, we are changing the way a paragraph looks.

Leading and x-height have a direct effect on how text will look in a paragraph. There is another measurement we should mention called the baseline which is the line on which letters sit horizontally. The bottom of the x-height of each letter sits on a baseline.

The lower the x-height compared to the cap height, the more white space there will be between lines. When letters have a higher x-height in comparison to the cap height, the leading looks more balanced and ordered.

Your Turn

Visme has recently launched a brand kit and now you can upload fonts to use in your designs. Not all fonts are the same and not all fonts work well in the body of a document. Knowing the anatomy of a typeface and its possible styles can help you understand why some fonts work and others don't.

Designer lingo might not be something you need to know in order to create infographics and presentations. In spite of that, we believe that knowing these terms will help you make better decisions when choosing a font for your graphics or even your entire brand.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A Visual Guide to the Anatomy of Typography [Infographic]

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Although you probably know the difference between serif and sans-serif fonts, typography is actually so much more interesting than that. Did you know that letters can be dissected into parts as if they were a puzzle? Like people, fonts have ...