NR Evolution

In 2011, Humboldt State University's Department of Natural Resources Planning and Interpretation changed its name to the Department of Environmental Protection and Management, and NRPI253 changed to EMP253. Find our new course website at emp253.blogspot.com

More Illustration, A Little Inspiration

Thanks, everyone, for a fabulous semester! I hope you learned much (actually, I know you did) and take every opportunity to use your new superpowers in the fight against ignorance and bad graphic design.

Enjoy the inspiration at this website: AgencyRush.com.

This blog will stay up in its current state until Aug. 2011 when the next class comes in. Feel free to contact me for assistance if you need it.

-- HH

Important stuff to know for the final exam

In general

Layout = Words + Pictures
Vector, Bitmap
Typography
Color
Elements and Principles of Design

For each application

What each application best used for
Tools and toolboxes
Character Palette
Paragraph Palette

InDesign

File / Place
Links
File / Step and Repeat
Object Menu / Arrange / Send to Front/Back
Text on path
Text Wrap
Spelling checker
Fill/Stroke

Illustrator

Paths, open/closed
Anchor points, end points
Text on path
Selection/Direct Selection tools
Fill/Stroke

Photoshop

File formats
Color modes
Foreground/Background
Color Picker
Layers, Layer Effects (Fx)

Links to important lecture notes

• Resolution, Resizing and Resampling
• Color me happy
• Photoshop
• Making a Layout: The Elements and Principles of Design
• Examples of Layout and Color
• Type on a path
• Spellchecking and Proofreading
• Managing links and embedded graphics
• Pictures
• Wrapping text around graphics
• Making a Layout: Words and Pictures
• Typography

Delightful Garden

Finished illustrations from the Make and Use Symbols Tutorial.

Illustrator + Photoshop = Wow

This is candy that won't rot your teeth. These commercial illustrations demonstrate a delicious combination of vector graphics and photography. Enjoy.

Jason Jaroslav Cook illustrator

http://www.jasoncook.co.uk

Photoshop File Formats

Photoshop's file format menu is lengthy, but don't let it intimidate you. Each option has it purpose and knowing what what they are will keep you from becoming overwhelmed.

First, "file format" refers to how an image file is saved, and is determined by how the image is to be used. In Photoshop, when you choose "File / Save" (or "Save As" or "Save a Copy") you will see the menu above.

The end use of a file will determine the best file format choice. If you don't know what your end product will be, stick with the native Photoshop (.psd) format, then "Save As" when you figure it out (so you'll have your original file as a backup, just in case). The annotated charts below discuss the most commonly used Photoshop file formats.

Common File Formats for Graphic Applications

File Format	File Extension	Notes
Photoshop	.psd	Native Photoshop format -- supports Photoshop's layers and transparency. Good option for the CS workflow.
Photoshop EPS	.eps	Encapsulated Postscript File -- supported by Adobe CS but not necessarily by all other graphics applications. Supports Paths, but not transparency.
PDF	.pdf	Portable Document Format -- a versatile cross-platform format.
TIFF	.tif	Tagged-Image File Format -- a cross-platform format that supports lossless compression (no image data is discarded as it is saved; see JPG below). Supports transparency, but not Paths.
Note: Photoshop, EPS, TIFF and PDF formats are supported by all Adobe Creative Suite applications.

Common File Formats Used on the Web

File Format	File Extension	Notes
GIF	.gif	Prounounced "jif" or "gif," it stands for Graphics Interchange Format. Good choice for line art or art with limited palettes, animation; supports transparent backgrounds.
JPG or JPEG	.jpg	JPG stands for Joint Photographic Group Experts File -- a good option for displaying or sharing images on the web or via email, but degrades image through "lossy" compression. Image data is discarded in order to compress file size, that is, to make the file size smaller. Each time a file is saved in jpg format it continually degrades the image.
PNG	.png	An alternative to GIF and JPG format. Supports transparent backgrounds.
Note: Choose "File / Save for Web" when saving images for use on the Web. For more details, see Photoshop's Help menu.

Other File Formats

File Format	File Extension	Notes
Bitmap	.bmp	Windows-compatible format; lossless (loses no data when saving, unlike lossy formats such as JPG).
PCX	.pcx	A Windows file format.
PICT	.pct	A Macintosh format.
Pixar	.pxr	For use with high-end 3-D imaging programs.
PNG	.png	An alternative to GIF format.
Raw	.raw	Saves files as a stream of bytes, good fonly for moving between applications and platforms. Better to decide on end use, and use TIF or JPG.
Scitex	.sci	For high-end graphics, such as super-high resolution drum scans.
Targa	.tga	For systems using Truevision® video board.

Adapted and updated from: Teach Yourself Photohop 4 in 14 Days. D. Bront Davis, Steven Mulder, Carla Rose, Hayden Books, 1997.

Further reading

http://livedocs.adobe.com/en_US/Photoshop/10.0/help.html?content=WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-7784.html

http://www.creativepro.com/article/graphics-fundamentals-understanding-photoshop-file-formats-

http://ezinearticles.com/?Photoshop-Files-and-Formats&id=36741

Fauxtography

How much of retouching a photograph is ethical? How do you know you've gone too far?

It is not acceptable to lie. Touching up photos is considered unacceptable when publishing an image that is intended to represent facts or truth, such as in newspaper reporting. An example of this might be to edit a person's facial features, such as retouching wrinkles or straightening a crooked nose. Those wrinkles and that nose are a factual part of that person.

Yet some retouching of photos is generally acceptable. If some hair is out of place on an otherwise good photograph, one might argue that it is acceptable to edit that hair as long as it doesn't alter the representation of the person.

It is generally understood, however, that advertisements are doctored in order to present absolute perfection – such as in the Dove Evolution ad. Take a close look at the models in ads for beauty products or lingerie. Could anyone possibly have skin that flawless? (Well, maybe I shouldn't tell you to look at lingerie models, but they are a good example.)

In August of 2006, Reuters news agency released the fraudulent photo above (known in the blogosphere as a fauxtograph) which had been altered to appear more sensational than the original. The photographer, Adnan Hajj, had used the clone stamp tool to make a column of smoke appear darker and larger than in the original, unretouched photo. It created an outrage — not only in the media community but also by news consumers around the globe — which resulted in the pulling of all Hajj's photographs from Reuters' services, and the firing of Hajj and his editor. See the images and read about more photo fraud at the links below.

http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=21956_Reuters_Doctoring_Photos_from_Beirut&only

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1681155/posts