Best starter program?
- Thread starter Cyndi
- Start date
What sort of graphic design? What programmes are you going to be using in school?
Basics? Learn the different font types. Learn how to use the Pen tool - http://www.vectordiary.com/illustrator/drawing-with-pen-tool/
Basics? Learn the different font types. Learn how to use the Pen tool - http://www.vectordiary.com/illustrator/drawing-with-pen-tool/
Paul Murray
Ultimate Member
Learning the software alone won't make you a designer. Pick up some books on design theory and learn about typography, layout, hierarchy, etc. This is all stuff you'll be taught on your course though.
With regards to actual software, you'll need to learn the Adobe suite eventually as it's the industry standard, primarily Illustrator (for logos, icons, and vector graphics) and InDesign (for layouts and anything that requires typography). A bit of Photoshop and maybe even some After Effects skills will come in handy too. Expect to be working with pen and paper for the first few months though.
With regards to actual software, you'll need to learn the Adobe suite eventually as it's the industry standard, primarily Illustrator (for logos, icons, and vector graphics) and InDesign (for layouts and anything that requires typography). A bit of Photoshop and maybe even some After Effects skills will come in handy too. Expect to be working with pen and paper for the first few months though.
Yeh the first 6 months for me was all designing with pencil and paper. Even down to handdrawing fonts from printed samples.
One of the first exercises we ever did was to create a poster and to design the layout pencil and paper and account for every single pt.
One of the first exercises we ever did was to create a poster and to design the layout pencil and paper and account for every single pt.
scotty
Ultimate Member
As above.
People underestimate the importance of using paper and pencil and skip right to the computer because computers can do it all...right?
Even a few thumbnail, layout sketches can save loads of time early on.
You don't need to be a great artist to rough out a layout.
One of my first tasks at college was to design the cover (typographically) of "Catch 22" by hand.
People underestimate the importance of using paper and pencil and skip right to the computer because computers can do it all...right?
Even a few thumbnail, layout sketches can save loads of time early on.
You don't need to be a great artist to rough out a layout.
One of my first tasks at college was to design the cover (typographically) of "Catch 22" by hand.
Claire20
New Member
For graphics designing Photoshop and Coal draw are very famous. if you want to start designing then the first thing you need to do is to learn to use the tools. Photoshop is used for creating raster graphics and Coal draw is used for creating vector based graphics. After learning the tools you will be able to easily create designs. But for improving your designing skills you need to do a lot of practice. You can create posters, banners and business card for practice.