Evaluating Visuals
 Photograph and Graphic Elements: How to Choose
Composition guidelines are concerned with ways of achieving pictorial emphasis. Selections, emphasis, and subordination are among the methods by which a center of interest can be effectively communicated to others. Thus, photograph and graphic composition is to help the viewer see relationships.

The Principles of Good Composition Every picture should have at its center of interest your reason for selecting it in the first place. Two important things to remember are:
An uncomplicated background
Get close to the subject

 Imagine your picture area divided into thirds both horizontally and vertically. The intersections of two horizontal and two vertical lines suggest four options for placing the center of interest. Also, consider subject movement when placing the subject.

Diagonal lines, curved lines, and geometric shapes add interest to graphics and photographs. The four types of balance are:
Color balance
Light and dark balance
Formal and informal balance
Symmetrical and asymmetrical balance Framing the center of interest with suitable objects in the foreground adds depth to the scene. A merger is any object that interferes with the center of interest.
There are four kinds of mergers:
Object or near merger
Color merger
Border merger
Background merger
Effective Visuals Criteria The Four Basic Principles of Page Design

These four principles work together to create more appealing visuals. They work in unison, rarely are any of them used alone.


 Proximity is the idea that like items on a page should be grouped physically together. This gives the observer instant visual clues as to the organization of the piece. Alignment is the idea that while items are seperated by idea and space (the principle of proximity) they are still all part of the same page. Nothing should be placed on a page arbitrarily, each item should have a visual connection with something else on the page. Repetition is the idea that consistency can be gained by repeating elements throughout a page or series of pages. Repetitive items in a piece tie it together as a whole. The principle of contrast states that if two items are not exactly alike make them different. Contrast provides interest within a piece and keeps the observer entertained.
Creating Visually with Type
A concordant relationship occurs when only one type family is used, without much contrast in the size, style or weight on a page. this type of relationship keeps everything on a page fairly consistent, but can be boring.
A conflicting relationship occurs when typefaces that are too similar in style size and weight are used together. This is disturbing because the visual attractions are neither the same or different so they simply conflict with one another.
A contrasting relationship occurs when seperate typefaces and elements are clearly distinct from one another on a page. Most visually appealing layouts use the contrasting relationship.
Oldstyle
Oldstyle typefaces are based on the hand lettering of scribes. They always have serifs and the serifs of undercase letters are angled. Oldstyle type also has a moderate thin to thick or thick to thin transition in its strokes.
Palatino
Times
Garamond
Modern
Modern type came out of the introduction of the printing press and industrial revolution. It appears more mechanical and has straigh serifs. There is a radical transition between thick and thin. They have a cold, elegant appearance.
Times Bold
Ultra
Walbaum
Slab serif
Slab serif typefaces have little or no thick to thin transition in stroke. Their serifs tend to be horizontal and thick, hence the name Slab serif.
Memphis
Clarendon
New Century Schoolbook
Sans serif
Sans means "without". So Sans serif is type without a serif. There is also no thick to thin transition.
Franklin Gothic
Gill Sans
Syntax
Script
Script type appears as if it was handwritten with a calligraphy pen or brush.
Zapf Chancery
Cascade
Shelley Volante
Script types should be used sparingly. They can be very stunning if used quite large.
Decorative
Decorative fonts are easy to identify-they often include small images along with the type giving them a theme idea, such as party, or western, or informality.
Fajita
Extravaganza
Improv

 When two typefaces have been chosen to use in a contrasting relationship there are many ways to use them effectively to make beautiful combinations.
Size
Weight
Structure
Form
D i r e c t i o n
Color

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