About the Course
This course will introduce students to the use of the computer as a tool for design process and production. Course work will focus on guided demonstrations and independent project work, with an emphasis on building students’ technical and conceptual fluency with digital media.
To successfully complete this course, students will be expected to demonstrate mastery of the Macintosh OS operating system and comprehensive understanding of Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign applications, to print and manipulate photographs, set typography, create complex vector-based artwork and publish print-based projects.
1. Establish comprehensive understanding of the Macintosh OS operating system, through successful completion of individual project exercises and longer-term project work.
2. Demonstrate functional fluency with the Adobe Photoshop application, with an emphasis on image exposure, color adjustment, image manipulation and image file standards, through successful completion of individual project exercises and longer-term project work.
3. Demonstrate functional fluency with the Adobe InDesign application, with an emphasis on typesetting (including style sheets), publication construction (including master pages), and print production, through successful completion of individual project exercises and longer-term project work.
4. Demonstrate functional fluency with the Adobe Illustrator application, with an emphasis on the construction of complex, vector-based drawings, through successful completion of individual project exercises and longer-term project work.
Course Syllabus
[download pdf]
Projects
[download pdf]
project briefs + grading criteria + readings
Course Schedule
[download pdf]
Students are encouraged to move among various modes of form and content utilizing research and experimentation.
Principles of time-based media [sound and time as design elements] will be introduced as an interpretation of the students understanding of design methodologies and established 2D design skills.
Design Media Lab 1 / Skill Requirements
Basic Computing Skills for Mac OS
File set up on XARTS computers
File formats (psd, ai, indd, pdf, jpg, tiff, gif, eps)
File management (folders, saving, naming, backing up)
System preferences: dock, spotlight, sound, keyboard, mouse
Display preferences: ratios, resolutions, calibration
Keyboard view
File ownerships and permissions
How to burn disks
Using Font Book – how to find and install fonts
Resolution sizes for web and for print
Vectors vs. pixels (how and when you would use each)
RBG vs. CMYK, Color vs. Grey scale
Building and using color swatches (spot colors, CMYK values)
Capturing Images
scanning (including resolution and how to save files)
importing digital photos (including good camera settings)
Outputting work
How to print on the lab printers & their settings (b&w, color, 8.5”x11” and 11”x17”)
Printing pixel based work vs. vector based work (scaling)
Difference between glossy & matte, photo & regular paper
How to trim print outs with an X-acto knife, straight edge, and cutting mat
The Adobe Suite Basics
reading and interpreting menus
Menu structure, menu groups, keyboard shortcuts
basic differences between PhotoShop, Illustrator, InDesign
how to move an image from one program to another
how to find answers to things you don’t know how to do (help menu & online resources)
layers
exporting files
transparency and opacity
grids and guides
Photoshop Skills
How to set up a document (page size, resolution, bleeds/ crops)
layers
canvas size vs. image size
how to insert an image into your PSD file
drawing tools: pencil, paintbrush, custom shapes
selection tools: marquee, lasso, magic wand, quick mask
text: inserting, modifying, rasterizing (emphasis on raster-based)
transform: free transform, scale, skew, perspective
clone stamp tool
dodge & burn tools
image adjustments: color, contrast, hue, etc.
levels (understanding black, 50% grey, and white values)
understanding channels
filters (when and why to use them)
layer styles (stroke, fill, drop shadow, bevel emboss, etc.)
pattern tool
how to make your own pattern and paint brush
gradient, paint bucket, fill
Creating masks and saving masks for export
History window
Actions (using actions to edit multiples)
Illustrator Skills
Vectors (what they are and why you use them)
Understanding the Art Board
File set up
Creating complex drawings using mathematical coordinates
How to use the pen tool
Understanding paths and path structure
Typing on a path and in an object
Aligning objects
Drawing tools: brush, pencil, spray can
How to save images (for web, for print)
In Design Skills
Document set up (for single page and booklet)
Master pages
Typographic settings (leading, kerning, point size, etc.)
How to import and scale images
How to insert and manipulate text
Fill and stroke
Making text flow across multiple pages
Paragraph and paragraph styles
Character styles
Print Booklet
Wrapping text around objects
Color issues / options / RGB and CMYK
Linking images
Correct DPI of images for print, web and interactive
Aligning objects
How to export a PDF
Presentations
Week 01 / August 23
Week 02 / August 30
Week 03 / September 06
Week 04 / September 13
Week 05 / September 20
Week 07 / October 04
Week 08 / October 11
Week 09 / October 18
Week 10 / October 25
Week 11 / November 01
Week 12 / November 08
Week 14 / November 22
Week 15 / November 29
Week 16 / December 06
stacy asher, instructor, email: sjasher@usfca.edu telephone 415 312 7810
background image by Carson Day. created with Max MSP Jitter