graphic-design
Professional graphic design principles for digital and print media. Use when creating visual designs, choosing color palettes, typography, layouts, or providing design feedback.
What this skill does
# Graphic Design Comprehensive guide for creating professional visual designs across digital and print media. ## Design Fundamentals ### The 7 Principles of Design | Principle | Definition | Application | | ------------ | --------------------------- | --------------------------------- | | **Balance** | Visual equilibrium | Symmetrical, asymmetrical, radial | | **Contrast** | Difference between elements | Size, color, shape, texture | | **Emphasis** | Focal point creation | Hierarchy guides the eye | | **Movement** | Visual flow direction | Leading lines, repetition | | **Pattern** | Repetition of elements | Creates rhythm and unity | | **Rhythm** | Visual tempo | Regular, flowing, progressive | | **Unity** | Cohesive whole | Consistent style throughout | --- ## Color Theory ### Color Models | Model | Use Case | Components | | -------- | --------------- | -------------------------------- | | **RGB** | Digital screens | Red, Green, Blue (0-255) | | **CMYK** | Print media | Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key/Black | | **HSL** | Design tools | Hue, Saturation, Lightness | | **Hex** | Web/CSS | #RRGGBB format | ### Color Harmonies ``` Complementary: Opposite on wheel (high contrast) Analogous: Adjacent colors (harmonious) Triadic: 3 equidistant colors (vibrant) Split-Comp: Base + 2 adjacent to complement Tetradic: 4 colors forming rectangle Monochromatic: Single hue, varying saturation/lightness ``` ### Color Psychology | Color | Associations | Use For | | ---------- | --------------------------- | ------------------------ | | **Red** | Energy, urgency, passion | CTAs, sales, warnings | | **Blue** | Trust, calm, professional | Corporate, tech, finance | | **Green** | Growth, nature, health | Eco, wellness, money | | **Yellow** | Optimism, attention, warmth | Highlights, caution | | **Purple** | Luxury, creativity, wisdom | Premium, creative | | **Orange** | Enthusiasm, confidence | CTAs, youth brands | | **Black** | Sophistication, power | Luxury, editorial | | **White** | Clean, minimal, pure | Modern, healthcare | ### Accessible Color Contrast ``` WCAG AA Requirements: - Normal text: 4.5:1 minimum contrast ratio - Large text (18pt+): 3:1 minimum - UI components: 3:1 minimum WCAG AAA Requirements: - Normal text: 7:1 minimum - Large text: 4.5:1 minimum Tools: WebAIM Contrast Checker, Stark, Color Safe ``` --- ## Typography ### Type Classification | Category | Characteristics | Use Cases | | -------------- | ------------------- | ------------------------ | | **Serif** | Decorative strokes | Print, editorial, formal | | **Sans-serif** | Clean, no strokes | Digital, modern, UI | | **Slab Serif** | Bold, blocky serifs | Headlines, branding | | **Script** | Handwritten feel | Invitations, logos | | **Display** | Decorative, unique | Headlines only | | **Monospace** | Fixed-width | Code, technical | ### Type Hierarchy ``` Display: 48-72px (Hero headlines) H1: 32-48px (Page titles) H2: 24-32px (Section headers) H3: 20-24px (Subsections) Body: 16-18px (Readable text) Caption: 12-14px (Secondary info) Micro: 10-12px (Legal, footnotes) ``` ### Typography Rules 1. **Limit fonts**: 2-3 maximum per project 2. **Contrast pairing**: Serif + Sans-serif works well 3. **Line height**: 1.4-1.6 for body text 4. **Line length**: 45-75 characters optimal 5. **Letter spacing**: Increase for all-caps text 6. **Alignment**: Left-align body text (easier to read) ### Font Pairing Examples ``` Headlines + Body: - Playfair Display + Source Sans Pro - Montserrat + Merriweather - Oswald + Lato - Roboto Slab + Roboto - DM Serif Display + DM Sans ``` --- ## Layout & Composition ### Grid Systems ``` 12-Column Grid (Most Common): ├─┬─┬─┬─┬─┬─┬─┬─┬─┬─┬─┬─┤ │1│2│3│4│5│6│7│8│9│10│11│12│ Common Column Spans: - Full width: 12 columns - Two-thirds: 8 columns - Half: 6 columns - One-third: 4 columns - One-quarter: 3 columns - Sidebar: 3-4 columns ``` ### Spacing System (8pt Grid) ```css /* Base unit: 8px */ --space-1: 4px; /* 0.5x - tight */ --space-2: 8px; /* 1x - base */ --space-3: 16px; /* 2x - comfortable */ --space-4: 24px; /* 3x - section gap */ --space-5: 32px; /* 4x - group separation */ --space-6: 48px; /* 6x - major sections */ --space-7: 64px; /* 8x - page sections */ --space-8: 96px; /* 12x - hero spacing */ ``` ### Rule of Thirds ``` ┌───────┬───────┬───────┐ │ │ │ │ │ ●───┼───● │ │ Place key elements ├───────┼───────┼───────┤ at intersection │ │ │ │ points (●) │ ●───┼───● │ │ ├───────┼───────┼───────┤ │ │ │ │ └───────┴───────┴───────┘ ``` ### Visual Hierarchy Techniques 1. **Size**: Larger = more important 2. **Color**: Bright/saturated draws attention 3. **Contrast**: High contrast = focal point 4. **Whitespace**: Isolation creates emphasis 5. **Position**: Top-left (F-pattern) or center 6. **Typography**: Bold, different font, caps --- ## File Formats ### Raster (Pixel-Based) | Format | Best For | Notes | | ------------ | ---------------------- | ------------------------- | | **JPG/JPEG** | Photos, gradients | Lossy, no transparency | | **PNG** | Graphics, transparency | Lossless, larger files | | **GIF** | Simple animations | 256 colors max | | **WebP** | Web images | Best compression, modern | | **AVIF** | Web images | Newest, best quality/size | ### Vector (Math-Based) | Format | Best For | Notes | | ------- | ------------------- | -------------------- | | **SVG** | Web graphics, icons | Scalable, animatable | | **AI** | Adobe Illustrator | Native format | | **EPS** | Print, legacy | Universal vector | | **PDF** | Print, documents | Preserves vectors | ### Export Guidelines ``` Web Graphics: - Icons: SVG (or PNG fallback) - Photos: WebP with JPG fallback - Illustrations: SVG or WebP - Resolution: 72 DPI minimum, 2x for retina Print Graphics: - Resolution: 300 DPI minimum - Color: CMYK mode - Format: PDF/X or TIFF - Bleed: 0.125" (3mm) on all sides ``` --- ## Design Tools ### Industry Standard | Tool | Best For | Platform | | --------------------- | ------------------------ | ------------ | | **Figma** | UI/UX, collaboration | Web, Desktop | | **Adobe Photoshop** | Photo editing, raster | Desktop | | **Adobe Illustrator** | Vector graphics | Desktop | | **Sketch** | UI design | macOS only | | **Affinity Designer** | Vector (Illustrator alt) | Desktop | | **Canva** | Quick designs | Web | ### Free Alternatives | Tool | Replaces | Platform | | ------------ | ----------- | -------- | | **GIMP** | Photoshop | Desktop | | **Inkscape** | Illustrator | Desktop | | **Photopea** | Photoshop | Web | | **Vectr** | Illustrator | Web | --- ## Design Systems ### Component Structure ``` Atoms: - Colors, typography, icons - Buttons, inputs, labels Molecules: - Form fields (label + input + helper) - Cards (image + title + description) - Navigation items Organisms: - Header (logo + nav + actions) - Forms (multiple fields + submit) - Product cards grid Templates: - Page layouts - Grid structures Pages: - Specific instances with real content ``` ### Naming Conventions ``` Colors: - primary, secondary, accent - success, warnin
Related in Design
contribute
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react-native-skia
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plaid
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