graphic design Archives | Kaz Design Works

Tenth Anniversary Celebrations with 10% off till end January 2018

December 22, 2017December 21, 2017 by Kaz

Today, Kaz Design Works turns ten years old! On December 21st, 2007, I registered the business name, Kaz Design Works—and that’s the day, Kaz Design Works officially came into being. Today, I am happy to be celebrating Kaz Design Works’ tenth anniversary. Over the last 10 years, I am pleased to have helped numerous businesses … Read moreTenth Anniversary Celebrations with 10% off till end January 2018

Fall Colour Trends for 2016

February 23, 2018August 4, 2016 by Kaz

For a while now on Pinterest, I’ve been sharing the predicted colour trends for the upcoming seasons (you can see the ones I posted for 2016 here). Sometimes, I’m a little late sharing, so this year I thought I’d get a head start and share what I’ve found for 2016 Fall Colour Trends so far right here on Kaz Talk instead.

Graphic Design Terms 17-18: Tracking vs Kerning

February 28, 2016 by Kaz

Simply put, in typography, tracking is a consistent increase (or decrease) in the amount of space between letters so as to alter the density in a line or block of text, whereas kerning is the process used to adjust spacing between a pair of individual letters to achieve a more visually appealing effect.

In other words, with tracking adjustments, letter spacing is even whereas with kerning adjustments spacing may vary between individual characters. To make manual adjustments, tracking is done across 2 or more letters, whereas kerning is done between 2 letters.

Graphic Design Terms 15-16: Point Size vs Pixel Size

January 18, 2016 by Kaz

When I first started in the typesetting and desktop publishing business we talked in picas and points and all ads were created using these units of measurement to specify size and placement of individual elements. As I moved onto creating graphics and enhancing photos in Photoshop, I learned about pixels. But what is the difference … Read moreGraphic Design Terms 15-16: Point Size vs Pixel Size

Graphic Design Terms 13-14: x-height and cap height

January 14, 2016 by Kaz

In my previous post, I mentioned x-height. Were you wondering what it meant?

It sounds pretty obvious, right? And it is. So is cap height.

In typography, the x-height is the height of lowercase letters that do not have an ascender or descender, represented by the lower case letter x. It is the distance between the baseline and the mid line of a font. (Picture those middle lines in your cursive writing exercise book or see the first image).

Graphic Design Terms 11-12: Ascender vs Descender

January 12, 2016 by Kaz

Have you heard the terms ascender and descender? Do you know what they are?

An ascender is the part of a lowercase letter that extends above the mean line of a font, or x-height, whereas the descender is the part that appears below the base line of a font. (See the next post in 2 days time if you’re not sure what the x-height is.)

Letters with ascenders are usually: b, d, f, h, k, l, t.

Letters with descenders are usually: g, j, p, q, y. Lowercase f and z also have descenders in many typefaces.

Graphic Design Terms 9-10: Legibility vs Readability

January 10, 2016 by Kaz

When it comes to choosing typefaces and fonts in graphic design, it’s important to make sure they are both legible and readable. But what’s the difference?

Legibility is a measure of how easy it is to distinguish one letter or character from another in a particular typeface, i.e. it is a function of typeface design. The degree of legibility therefore depends on the style of the typeface being used.

Readability on the other hand, is a measure of how easily words, phrases and blocks of text can be read, i.e. it’s a function of typography. The degree of readability therefore depends on how blocks of text are arranged across a page, as well as what typefaces are being used.

If you can clearly define individual letters and characters in a particular typeface, then it is legible. If you can easily read a block or page of text, it is readable.

Graphic Design Terms 7-8: Script vs Decorative

January 8, 2016 by Kaz

Can you recognize a script typeface from a decorative typeface?

When trying to determine if a typeface is script or decorative, picture the cursive (joined up) writing you learned at school vs the elaborate words you artistically drew on the cover of your exercise books.

Script typefaces that look like joined up handwriting with curves, loops and swirls that flow between letters so they each appear joined, whereas decorative typefaces have embellishments or decorative elements added to them.

Script typefaces range from casual, looser styles to highly organized more formal styles that resemble cursive handwriting.

Decorative typefaces tend to have a more blocky or chunky style with space between individual letters. As well, decorative typefaces may only include fonts in capital letters. Script typefaces include both upper and lower case letters, but capitalized script is usually very hard to read.

Graphic Design Terms 5-6: Serif vs Sans Serif

January 6, 2016 by Kaz

Can you tell the difference between a serif and a sans serif typeface?

Don’t worry, if you answered, “No,” you are not alone. Before starting graphic design or website design projects for new clients, I often ask whether they prefer a serif or sans-serif typeface. Many do not know the difference between the two. If it’s the same for you, the following definition may help.

In typography, the line attached to the end of a stroke in a letter or a symbol, is called a serif. Therefore, a typeface with serifs is called a “serif” typeface. A typeface without serifs is called “sans serif” from the French word “sans” meaning “without.”

Graphic Design Terms 1-2: Typesetting vs Typography

January 2, 2016 by Kaz

In my previous post, My journey to becoming a graphic designer, I mentioned typesetting several times. I also mentioned typography. Have you ever wondered what the difference between them is?

Typesetting is the “process” of arranging or composing text ready for printing whereas typography is the “art and technique” of arranging text so that it is visually appealing and readable.