Graphic Design
Custom Design for all your Content and Campaign Needs
Old School visual artist and retired sign maker. I know a thing or two about effective graphic design. I design logos, content, layout, prototypes, you name it. Take your brand to the next level with in-depth graphic production across your entire business spectrum. Let a real visual artist match your website, business cards, brochures, and T-shirts to project a harmonious image.
Started With Camera-Ready Art
“Camera-ready art” is a term that originated in the era of traditional printing methods, particularly in the graphic design and publishing industries. It refers to artwork or graphics that are prepared and finalized to be ready for reproduction through the printing process.
In the past, when offset printing and similar techniques were prevalent, creating camera-ready art was a critical step in producing printed materials such as newspapers, magazines, posters, and advertisements. The term “camera-ready” stems from the fact that the artwork was prepared to be photographed in a large darkroom to make a negative for shooting onto metal plates. For smaller projects, we would scan directly onto paper plates. These plates would then be used with offset printers for print runs.
Characteristics of camera-ready art typically include:
High Resolution: Artwork must be created at a resolution suitable for reproduction in print media, usually at a resolution of 300 dots per inch (DPI) or higher, to ensure sharpness and clarity.
Correct Color Mode: For full-color printing, artwork should be prepared in CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black) color mode to ensure accurate color reproduction. For black-and-white printing, grayscale mode may be used. Proper Bleed and Margins: If the artwork extends to the edge of the page (bleed), it should have additional space beyond the trim area to accommodate trimming during printing. Margins should also be set to ensure critical content is not too close to the edges.
1980s: Rise of Desktop Publishing
The introduction of the Apple Macintosh in 1984, along with software like Adobe Illustrator and Aldus PageMaker, revolutionized graphic design with the concept of desktop publishing.
Adobe Illustrator, launched in 1987, was one of the first vector graphics editors, allowing designers to create scalable artwork. Adobe Photoshop, released in 1988, quickly became the industry standard for image editing, offering powerful tools for retouching and manipulating raster graphics. Vector Graphics or High-Quality Raster Images: Graphics should be either vector-based or high-quality raster images to ensure smooth lines and details.
Correct File Format: Artwork should be saved in a format suitable for printing, such as PDF, TIFF, EPS, or PSD (for layered files), with all fonts embedded or outlined to prevent font substitution issues. Preparing camera-ready art required meticulous attention to detail and a thorough understanding of printing processes and requirements. With the advent of digital printing and desktop publishing software, the concept of camera-ready art has evolved. Still, preparing artwork for print remains essential for ensuring high-quality printed materials.
The 1990’s saw the continued growth of graphic design software, with Adobe expanding its product line to include tools like Adobe InDesign for page layout and QuarkXPress emerging as a competitor in the desktop publishing space. CorelDRAW launched in 1989, gaining popularity as an alternative to Adobe Illustrator, particularly among Windows users. Macromedia (later acquired by Adobe) introduced Macromedia FreeHand in 1988, another vector graphics editor. The internet boom in the late 1990’s led to the development of web design software like Macromedia Dreamweaver and Adobe GoLive, aimed at creating and managing websites. 2000’s: Maturation and Integration
The 2000’s saw further integration and consolidation in the graphic design software industry, with Adobe acquiring Macromedia in 2005 and incorporating products like Flash and Dreamweaver into its Creative Suite. Adobe Creative Suite (later rebranded as Adobe Creative Cloud) became the de facto standard for graphic design software, offering a comprehensive suite of tools, including Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and more. Open-source alternatives like GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) gained traction, providing free alternatives to proprietary software like Photoshop.
2010’s-Present: Cloud-Based Collaboration and Specialization
The rise of cloud computing in the 2010’s led to the development of cloud-based graphic design tools like Adobe Creative Cloud, allowing for easier collaboration and access to software across devices. Specialized software and tools catering to specific niches within graphic design emerged, such as Sketch for interface design, Blender for 3D modeling and animation, and Canva for easy-to-use graphic design templates. Overall, the history of graphic design software reflects the continual evolution of technology and the growing demands of graphic designers for more powerful, intuitive, and collaborative tools. I have worked with all the above software and have mastered Adobe Photoshop for raster projects requiring mainly RGB. Adobe Illustrator and Inkscape for vector graphics when setting graphics for the printer.
