Type faces
Serif: Features small lines (serifs) at stroke ends; traditional, readable for body text (e.g.,
Garamond, Georgia).
Sans-Serif: "Without serifs," modern, clean, excellent for screens and headlines (e.g.,
Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Roboto).
Script: Mimics handwriting or calligraphy, used for elegance or emphasis (e.g., Brush Script,
Zapfino).
Monospace: Each character takes same width, great for code or tables (e.g., Courier,
Monaco).
Display/Decorative: Highly stylized for large sizes, ads, logos, but poor for body text (e.g.,
Impact, specialty fonts).
Types of Text
Plaintext: Basic, fixed-size characters.
Formatted Text: Appearance changed with fonts (size, style, color).
Hypertext/Hypermedia: Non-linear text that links to other documents or media.
Text formatting enhances readability by highlighting, color change, hyper text etc.
Key Text Design Concepts & Tools
Kerning: Adjusting space between specific letter pairs (e.g., 'AV').
Tracking (Character Spacing): Adjusting spacing across a block of text.
Leading (Line Spacing): Adjusting vertical space between lines of text.
Character Metrics: Adjusting individual character width (condensed/expanded).
Images in multimedia
An image consists of a rectangular array of dots called pixels. The size of the image is
specified in terms of width X height, in numbers of the pixels. The physical size of the image,
in inches or centimeters, depends on the resolution of the device on which the image is
displayed.
Popular Tools by User Type
Beginners/Casual Users: Google Photos, Apple Photos (built-in).
Enthusiasts/Prosumers: digiKam, Zoner Photo Studio, Milio (more control).
Professionals: Adobe Lightroom, Canto DAM, MediaValet (for extensive needs).
Key Functions
Centralization: Gathers images from various sources into one location.
Tagging & Metadata: Adds keywords, ratings, and descriptive info (like date, location) for
detailed searching.
AI & Search: Uses artificial intelligence to automatically tag content (e.g., "beach," "dog")
for quick searches.
Curation: Allows creation of virtual collections or albums without moving original files.
Editing: Offers basic to advanced image adjustments (often integrated).
Sharing & Export: Simplifies exporting or uploading to online platforms.
Making still images
Making still images for multimedia involves creating or capturing visuals, primarily
as bitmaps (pixel-based, like photos) or vectors (mathematical, like logos), using software
like Photoshop or Illustrator, and optimizing them with formats like JPEG, PNG, or GIF for
web/interactive use, often incorporating elements like text, drawings, or 3D renders.
Types of Still Images
Bitmap/Raster Images: Made of a grid of pixels (e.g., photos, detailed paintings). Good for
complex images but can lose quality when enlarged.
Vector Graphics: Defined by mathematical equations (lines, curves, shapes). Scalable
without quality loss, ideal for logos, icons, and illustrations.
3D Graphics: Created using 3D modeling software, often rendered into bitmaps.
Key Color Models & Modes
RGB (Red, Green, Blue): Additive model for digital displays (screens, web, video) where
combining lights creates colors; black is (0,0,0) and white is (1,1,1).
CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black): Subtractive model for printing, where inks absorb
light to produce colors.
HSV/HSL (Hue, Saturation, Value/Lightness): Models that describe color more intuitively
for editing, focusing on shade (hue), intensity (saturation), and brightness (value/lightness).
Grayscale: Uses shades from black to white, important for text and images where color isn't
needed or for reducing file size.
Indexed Color: Uses a limited palette of colors, common in older formats or for web
graphics (like GIFs) to save space.
Common Raster Formats (Pixel-Based)
JPEG/JPG (.jpg, .jpeg): Best for photos, uses lossy compression (smaller size, quality loss),
no transparency.
PNG (.png): Supports lossless compression and transparency, great for web graphics, logos.
GIF (.gif): Supports simple animations and transparency, limited colors, good for web.
TIFF (.tif, .tiff): High-quality, lossless, large files, ideal for professional printing and
archiving.
WebP (.webp): Modern format with efficient compression, supports
lossy/lossless/animation/transparency.
AVIF (.avif): Newer, efficient, supports advanced features like HDR.
BMP (.bmp): Uncompressed, large files, older format.
RAW: Unprocessed data from cameras, maximum editing flexibility, large files.