Graphics basics

Here’s a list of what I go through in this blog post:

paper size 4A and others

vector graphics and pixel graphics differents (Ps and Ai)

release ready and print-ready

CMYK colors and RGB colors have different usage. what for?

Hex colors

Resolution

Basic facts about paper size:

A1=594×841

A2=420×594

A3=197×420

A4=210×297

A5=148×210

vector graphics and pixel(raster) graphics

This is the main difference between using photoshop and illustrator. Illustrator (Ai)has vector graphics which makes it easy to change the size of things without the lines becoming pixelated. Photoshop makes it have a more drawn and panted look and illustrator makes it look cleaner.

Rastel graphics are made of pixels and use more storage space while it does cost less.

Vector graphics are made of paths and use less storage space.

Print ready and release ready

To make stuff for printing purposes (t-shirt logos or bags etc)ready you have to use the bleed(trimming allowance) and use the colors CMYK.

While making stuff release ready (something posted on the internet) you don’t need a bleed and you use the RGB colors

RGB color and CMYK color

RGB color mode is best for digital, while CMYK is used for print products. RGB number is created by finding the values of red (the first number), green (the second number), or blue (the third number). The number 0 signifies no representation of the color and 255 signifies the highest possible concentration of the color. 

The reason why CMYK is used for printing is that CMY will cover most lighter colour ranges quite easily, compared to using RGB. And because CMY can’t make very dark colours or proper black so black(“K” key colour”) is added. CMYK percentage is a number from 0- 100 and for example 0 on C, M, Y and a 100 on k will make pitch black.

photo: https://web.printingcenterusa.com/blog/how-to-convert-rgb-to-cmyk

But what is best used to tell a color to someone? Well, you can tell the with CMYK percentage or RGB stats. But you can also use Hex.

Hex color

Hex color codes are one type of HTML color code that you’ll often hear referred to as hexadecimal color or hex. It’s also easy for humans to understand since it uses binary numbers. Hex color codes start with a hashtag #and are followed by six numbers and/or letters.

First, two numbers/letters refer to red. The next two are green and the last two to blue. The color values are defined in values between 00 and FF (instead of from 0 to 255 in RGB). Numbers are used when the value is 1-9. Letters are used for higher than 9.

A= 10

B=11

C=12

D=13

E=14

F=15

and FF=225 = Bright read if rest numbers are 0

To get a hexadecimal color, follow these three steps:

1. Multiply the first number by 16.
2. Multiply the second number by 1.
3. Add the two totals together.

Knowing how RGB numbers work helps you to understand hex numbers.

Resolution

Resolution is usually measured in pixels per inch (PPI) or dot per inch (DPI). This determines how much information is displayed within a certain area.