There are two main types of computer graphics - raster (composed of pixels) and vector (composed of paths). Raster images are also called bitmap images and use a grid of pixels, while vector images use mathematical equations. Resolution refers to the number of pixels used to display an image, with higher resolutions resulting in clearer images. Aspect ratio compares the width and height of an image or video. Common file formats include JPEG, TIFF, EPS, PSD, and PDF. RGB and CMYK are two important color models. Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign are widely used graphic design programs.

1. HA1 - Technical File – Raster and Vector Images There are two kinds of computer graphics - raster (composed of pixels) and vector (composed of paths). Raster images are more commonly called bitmap images. http://www.sketchpad.net/basics1.htm Bitmap images use grids of individual pixels, each pixel can be a different colour shade. They are a collection of bits that form an image, the image consists of a matrix of individual pixels that all have their own colour. http://www.euhou.net/docupload/files/software/manuel/Bitmap_Format.html

2. HA1 - Technical File – Antialiasing Antialiasing is used to smooth jagged distortions in curves and diagonal lines so they appear smoother. It reduces the prominence of jaggies by surrounding the stairsteps with intermediate shades of gray, for gray-scaling devices, or colour, for colour devices. Although this reduces the jagged appearance of the lines, it also makes them fuzzier.

3. HA1 – Technical File - Resolution Resolution is the term used to describe the number of dots, or pixels, used to display an image. Higher resolutions mean that more pixels are used to create the image, resulting in a crisper, cleaner image. The display, or resolution on a monitor, is composed of thousands of pixels or dots. This display is indicated by a number combination, such as 800 x 600. This indicates that there are 800 dots horizontally across the monitor, by 600 lines of dots vertically, equaling 480,000 dots that make up the image you see on the screen. http://presentationsoft.about.com/od/r/g/resolution.htm

4. HA1 – Technical File - Aspect Ratio An aspect ratio is the ratio between the width and height of a film image. The number denoting width comes first, and the height portion of the aspect ratio is always written as 1. A motion picture's aspect ratio often appears on the back of the DVD or video box. An example would be 1.85:1 . This means that the size of the original theatrical presentation of that film is 1.85 times as wide as it is high.

5. HA1 – Technical File – File Formats GIF – A Graphical Interchange Format is a bitmap image format the usage of which is widespread throughout the World Wide Web. GIFs can be used to create animated banner images, which tend to achieve higher click-through rates than static banners. JPEG – JPEG is a commonly used method of lossy compression for photographic images. The degree of compression can be adjusted, allowing a selectable tradeoff between storage size and image quality. JPEG typically achieves 10:1 compression with little perceptible loss in image quality. TIFF – Tagged Image File Format is a file format for storing images, popular among Apple Macintosh owners, graphic artists, the publishing industry, and both amateur and professional photographers in general. EPS – Encapsulated PostScript, is a DSC-conforming PostScript document with additional restrictions which is intended to be usable as a graphics file format. In other words, EPS files are more or less self-contained, reasonably predictable PostScript documents that describe an image or drawing and can be placed within another PostScript document. PSD – The PhotoShop Data image format was developed by Adobe for use with its PhotoShop program and can be read by any machine that has it installed. PDF – A file format that provides an electronic image of text or text and graphics that looks like a printed document and can be viewed, printed, and electronically transmitted

6. HA1 – Technical File – Colour Models The RGB colour model is an additive colour model in which red, green, and blue light is added together in various ways to reproduce a broad array of colours. The name of the model comes from the initials of the three additive primary colours, red, green, and blue. The CMYK colour model is a subtractive colour model, used in colour printing, and is also used to describe the printing process itself. CMYK refers to the four inks used in some colour printing: cyan, magenta, yellow, and key (black). Though it varies by print house, press operator, press manufacturer and press run, ink is typically applied in the order of the abbreviation.

7. HA1 – Technical File – Adobe Photoshop Adobe Photoshop is the leading graphic application used in digital image editing, web graphics, prints and other multi media requirement. Photoshop is widely-used by millions of graphic artists, web developers, photographers, as well as ordinary people. Because of the popularity of the software, it has been accepted as a print industry standard. One of the great features of Photoshop is that it consists of a user-friendly interface that is very easy to navigate. Tools are organized into groups of palettes, which you can customize according to your working preference. It also comes with shortcut keys that you can use to quickly apply commands or switch on or off a group of tools.

8. HA1 – Technical File – Adobe Illustrator Adobe Illustrator is computer software that enables users to design, modify and edit vector graphics images from a computer and save them as files into a number of vector graphics formats. These formats are indicated by the file extension letters after the file name. The most popular formats are Encapsulated PostScript (EPS), Portable Document Format (PDF), Windows Metafile (WMF), Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) and Vector Markup Language (VML). The use of mathematical equations to generate points, lines, curves and other shapes is a difference between Adobe® Illustrator® and other graphics software programs on the market. This technique is known in the jargon of the industry as "geometrical primitives" and is the basis of vector graphics.

9. HA1 – Technical File – Adobe InDesign Adobe InDesign is a software application produced by Adobe Systems. It can be used to create works such as posters, flyers, brochures, magazines, newspapers and books. In conjunction with Adobe Digital Publishing Suite InDesign can publish content suitable for tablet devices. Graphic designers and production artists are the principal users, creating and laying out periodical publications, posters, and print media.