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What is a Graphic Designer?

A graphic designer is a professional who combines a variety of different media to create projects such as the following: logos, banners, web pages, greeting cards, stationary, gift items, newsletters, posters, and signs.

Graphic designers may also be involved in created 2D and 3D animation. For instance, some graphic artists will draw cartoon figures or create sets for video games. Website creation is yet another work of graphic art.

Whether you desire to work for an employer in this field or when you own your own freelance business, the most important aspect of design is the finished product (the publication). Often graphic design projects are completed with various desktop publishing programs.

The desktop publishing programs used with graphic design are what help artists create finished products using a computer. The times of documents created with these programs include flyers, letters, brochures, book covers, and other types of multimedia (i.e. video productions).

Often items produced with desktop publishing programs require high-quality image and text art. The process of creating these exceptional images is typically the job of graphic artists (designers). The types of graphics used in publications include work art, images, text, animation, video, and more.

Graphic design and desktop publishing processes are often used simultaneously. However, in order to further define the job of a graphic artist, knowing the difference between graphic design and desktop publishing is helpful. The main difference between the two can be broken down as follows:

The Graphic Design Process:

This is a type of art, so it uses a variety of different creative techniques. For instance, some types of graphics use a variety of different types of drawing and painting and/or computerized effects.

In many cases it can also be the process of creating special effects for movies, television shows, or commercials. These usually involve the act of putting together a variety of text or images to create a work of art.

A graphic designer may also be a desktop publisher. However, larger companies will often employ one or more persons to design while the other is responsible for what is called desktop publishing.

Desktop Publishing Process:

This is the use of computer software programs to create a finished product. It is the act of combining already-designed text and graphics and arranging them in an attractive display.

The best example of a desktop publisher is those who organize layouts for newspapers, newsletters, or magazines. In this case, they usually are not the ones who have created the images or designs that would be added to the published pages.

However, they are responsible for making sure those designs are coordinated properly. They are the ones who will determine which completed designs will look the most appealing on pages of a publication.

If you are still confused about the difference between the two the rule of thumb is this: Usually graphic designers also will perform desktop publishing duties, which is usually a task that cannot be avoided.

Designers do not have time to publish, then they may ask someone else to work on created the laid out finished product. The reverse may be true as well.

A publisher may be in search of people who are qualified designers. These designers are usually experienced graphic artists who will create works of art to be used for a publication.

Now that you know what a graphic designer is, you can design if it is what you really want to do for a living. If it is, then you may want to start researching information on quality graphic design software as well as desktop publishing programs.

If you would like further professional training in this area plenty of educational opportunities are available. These include both accredited school online or at a physical campus. You can also receive certifications in specific areas of design.

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SolveYourProblem.com : 2008

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