The document discusses the author's experience learning and using Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign software over an academic year. The author summarizes learning key skills in each program like layers, shapes, and retouching in Illustrator; patching and adjusting images in Photoshop; and placing images and linking text boxes in InDesign. While initially intimidated, the author feels more confident in their abilities and sees value in the software for advertising and design work. Areas for further improvement include alpha channels in Photoshop and continuing to practice skills in each program.

1. Digital skill report.
over the past academic year, as a class we have been studying computer software such as Adobe
Photoshop, Illustrator and very briefly InDesign. All of which are commonly used within the
Advertising industry. During this period we have partaken in a number task’s and exercises that
have allowed us to acquire many new skills related to the chosen programs. These skills will in turn
allow us to broaden or knowledge of such programs and how they could be used within the
industry and also allow us to bring or ideas to life.
The creative software system Illustrator is an object-orientated drawing application. It allows you to
create documents that are composed of strokes and fills, apposed to individual pixels as with an
image editing application. ‘The Illustrator work area is arranged to help you focus on creating and
editing artwork.’ It can also be used to create digital artwork, lay outs and fabric designs. Being
completely new to the program I had no knowledge of how it worked or even what it is used for. I
found this extremely daunting at first, as many other people do so when they begin something
new, however we were helped with guidance to allow us to complete the tasks in hand. We were
given five tasks to complete that allowed us to use and get used to the different components the
program has to offer. Within this section we mainly focused on layering, pen tools, shapes,
pathfinders and 3D images.
The creative software system Illustrator is an object-orientated drawing application. It allows you to
create documents that are composed of strokes and fills, apposed to individual pixels as with an
image editing application. ‘The Illustrator work area is arranged to help the user focus on creating
and editing artwork.’ Being completely new to the program I had no knowledge of how it worked or
even what it is used for. It is extremely daunting at first, as many other people do so when they
begin something new, however we were helped with guidance to allow us to complete the tasks in
hand. We were given five tasks to complete that allowed us to use and get used to the different
components the program has to offer. This section mainly focused on layering, pen tools, shapes,
pathfinders and 3D images. It could not be stressed enough that when working with these
programs, no matter what project it is your working on, you must always use layers to structor your
work. Using layers on both photoshop and illustrator is extremely useful as they allow you to edit
sections of work without having to edit whole images. The shape tool allows the user to reconstruct
patterns and objects, a good tool to begin with by giving you a basis to work. The shape tool,
pathfinder and layers all work simultaneously together in a step by step format. step one create a
layer, step two place shapes together in the style of image or pattern the user wants to recreate
step three after selecting all the user can use pathfinder to ‘merge’ all together as one or isolate
shapes to create ridges and straight lines. The pen tool allows use to create images to accurate
standard. It is often used in many cases to create copy based images. The 3D revolve tool allows
the user to create 3D images helping the image really come to life. We were set a number of tasks
related to Illustrator to help us broaden our knowledge on the program, after completion I realized
that it was not as hard as I had first assumed. I found that I had strengths in all aspects of what we
have learnt on illustrator, however I found weaknesses in wrapping text around image and
remembering to keep my work layered effectively. I feel that being a copywriter myself I feel that
this particular program would be more suited in helping me with my work then that of photoshop,
one of the exercises we had to complete was that of creating a typography advertisement using
the new skills we had obtained, I found this task both simple and fun as I now have more
knowledge about the software and how to use it. In the future I will make it my goal to grow further
in confidence and practice on a regular basis on various images and projects to help me gain a
greater understanding of Illustrator.
‘Photoshop is primarily geared toward digital photo manipulation and photorealistic styles of
computer illustration, while Illustrator provides results in the typesetting and logo graphic areas of
design.’ (wikipedia. 2007) I had some, but little knowledge on the Photoshop program. Over the

2. may be damaged, for example an old photograph with rips and creases in. The patch tool again
works in a very similar way, being able to adjust the colour and contrast of an image can change
the whole feeling surrounding it all together, this tool gives you to bring an old dull photograph back
to life by giving it life again through colour. I found my strengths in photoshop were adjusting and
retouching images, I thoroughly enjoyed the retouching tasks as you get a taste of what an image
once was. I feel my weaknesses lye in alfa channels although I now understand that the whole
purpose of a channel is to brake down an image so that if any mistakes are made it can easily be
corrected without having to edit the whole image, when i was trying to complete the task in hand i
found myself so much so that even after guidance I was still struggling. I will make it my main aim
to understand alfa channels as I feel that they are one of my major downfalls. Photoshop would
help in the advertising industry because it can be used as a way of bringing the most unrealistic
and surreal ideas to life through careful editing.
InDesign appears to be used for producing more informative forms of work such as posters, flyers,
brochures, magazines, newspapers and books. Out of all three programs that we looked at this is
the one that I was most intimidated by. I had not even heard of InDesign before I started the
current course. We only briefly looked at the program and I must add that I already feel as though
my confidence in it is growing. During a brief time we studied placing images, the linking together
of text boxes, kerning, tracking, leading, windows and orphans. Placing images within InDesign
instead of importing them allows them to be edited outside the software on programs such as
Photoshop but to be automatically updated within it. The chose of linking text boxes together
allows you to spread text across a page in different sections. kerning increases and decreases the
space between letters within words. Tracking allows letters to be spaced out equally. Leading
adjusts the spacing between lines. A window is the term used to decide the line of a paragraph that
falls at the top of a column that has been cut off from the rest of its paragraph, where as the term
orphan is used to describe the first line of a paragraph that falls at the bottom of a column which
get s separated from the rest of its paragraph. as we had only touched on InDesign we were given
to task to complete, the first was a one page advertorial in which we had to demonstrate placing
and linking text boxes. I found this task straight forward and easy to follow. The second task was to
complete a two page advertorial using the skills we have learnt. I also found this task simple and
fun to do because it allowed us to experiment more with the software. In the future I would like to
gain more knowledge on InDesign as I feel that we have not fully studied all the aspects of the
program yet and would like to see what else it has to offer. I feel that this program would be useful
within the industry, however more so in marketing, fliers and magazine editorials ect.
Over all I have truly enjoyed working with new software and tasking part in the chosen tasks. I feel
that I have gained knowledge in them and now feel that I have to confidence to use such programs
to help me progress my work next year. I also feel that I have learnt more about me learning style.
I have recently been diagnosed with the dyslexia and one of the things I found during this module
is that I have difficultly keeping up with the class, however I have learnt that I learn more in one
and one tutorials and through written and illustrated instructions such as the worksheet hand outs.
I have decided that I will see if there is a way for me to get print outs of what we go over within the
lessons to see if that would further my learning as I would like to do so.