Unit 30 M1

Unit 30 M1

Hardware Basics

Computer monitors are important for any computer system, they allow you to see everything on the computer. You can watch videos etc using the computer monitor. Everything visual is presented by the computer monitor. The monitors can come in HD therefore producing a great images. However a monitor of great quality comes at a large price. The computer monitor may also not be compatible with all computer systems.

A keyboard is a key piece of hardware to have with a computer, you can use it to type anything on word processor. You can use it for internet searches and anything to do with typing up words. The limitations of this is that they are usually wired and too many wires coming out of a computer can get very confusing. Also can come quite expensive.

A mouse allows the cursor to move around the screen to wherever you may want it to go, and allows you to click on any thing on the screen that is accessible. Mouses come with wires which take up space and make things tricky, the movement of the mouse may be restricted without a mouse mat, therefoe leading to extra costs.

Hardware input

A digital camera is a basic hardware input which can be used by a graphics designer. The reasons for getting a digital camera are that you can use them anywhere and they are small enough to fit in your bag or even in a pocket. They can produce a great quality picture however this is dependent upon the price of the camera. The main limitation is that the price of a high quality camera is very high. Another problem with a digital camera is that a hard disk failure can result in photos being lost because they were not backed up or printed. Also to get a better SD card for more memory, a better megapixel camera and better lenses to allow clearer pictures and so you can zoom in better will all cost extra money and may become quite expensive.

A scanner can be utilized when creating graphic images, they are easy to use and allow you to scan any image that is on a piece of paper and visualize them on your computer monitor. This means that you can edit them or use them for designs etc. The limitations of this is that they can be very expensive and some are only compatible with certain sizes of paper e.g A4. Scanner maintenance can be relatively expensive, when owning a scanner you will have to replace many parts of it on a regular basis.

A graphics tablet enable the person to hand draw a design and visualize it on the computer screen. A limitation is that they are also very expensive for a good quality and it also may be difficult to find a graphics tablet at at a large enough size for a reasonable price. Graphics tablets are much slower than drawing with pencil onto paper, however have their benefits. They can also be awkward to use properly e.g. accessing menus.

Hardware output

A printer is a great hardware output that you can have with a computer. I have included a printer because the advantages of having one is that it allows you to print out your work and have a hard copy that you can show people. You can print out basically anything on the computer that you want a hard copy of. The limitations of a printer is that some printers can only print out on a certain paper size for example A4. To have a printer that can print on numerous paper sizes and thicknesses, it will be very expensive. Ink can also be costly because it can be rapidly used up. Toner costs can also be quite expensive if you have this done on a regular basis to maintain quality.

A vinyl cutter is a great hardware output to have because you can control the machine from your computer making them easy to use, controlling the movement of the sharp blade as you want. This is a great thing to have as it allows you to cut out your designs when making signs banners etc. However like any hardware, a decent vinyl cutter is going to be very expensive.

Software

Adobe Photoshop is a great software to have installed in your computer system, as it allows you to change a photo, combine photos, crop etc. The only limitations are that Photoshop can be difficult to use and it is very expensive to purchase and install. I had included Adobe illustrator because it allows you to edit vector graphics. However just like most software, it is very expensive to buy and install, and will also require time to work out how to use it effectively. Also you must have a lot of patience to create a high quality design. Also this requires some training to be able to use some software which may take up some time.

Unit 30 P2

	Graphic Type	Description	File Type
Image for website	Bitmap	A bitmap graphic is made up of lots of tiny parts, called pixels. These are often many different colors. Any pixel can be modified. A bitmap has a lower resolution than as vector. Vector images cannot be seen by browsers therefore a bitmap image is used.	JPEG
Image for vehicle	Vector	Vector graphics are created in graphics packages and use objects. Vectors are made up of lines and dots mostly and this makes up an image of a higher resolution in comparison to bitmap images. The image would have to be enlarged a lot, and if the image was a bitmap then when enlarged it would become distorted, therefore a vector graphic is used because despite the image being enlarged it is still clearly visible.	PDF
Brochure	Bitmap & Vector	A brochure would have both graphic types because the heading or logo for example could be a vector and the writing would be used as a bitmap image. The image would not be very large considering it is on a brochure, therefore a bitmap image would be fine. The logo should be more clearer, therefore a vector image can be used.	JPEG/ PDF

Unit 30 P1

Unit 30 P1

Hardware

The most important piece of hardware for creating graphics images is a graphics card, which is the piece of equipment that renders out all images and sends them to a display. However these can be very expensive.

A monitor is a vital piece hardware, it provides an electronic visual display for computers. When creating graphic images the images you are creating can be seen on the monitor screen. If you did not have a monitor, the designs you create on a graphics tablet will not be displayed on a screen to visualize. Samsung U28D590DS - 28" TN LED-back lit LCD monitor

You will need a keyboard in order to type up words that you would like to create a graphics image with, and these words can be seen on the monitor screen. If your graphics designs include words, you will need a keyboard. Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 Wireless Keyboard - wireless - English - US

A mouse is a very important piece of hardware. It allows you to move around the monitor screen and provides you with the ability to open software programs with just a click of the mouse. Logitech Proteus Core G502 - 11-btn Mouse - Wired - USB

Hardware input

A digital camera would be ideal when creating graphic images, you can take photos with the camera and sync them to your computer and use the image to create a graphics image. You can edit the photos, use them in designs etc. Canon Power Shot G16 Digital Camera - Black

A graphics tablet enables a user to hand-draw images, animations and graphics on the tablet, this would be ideal for creating graphic images because it allows you to draw them as if putting pencil to paper, and the image that you draw is then displayed on the computer monitor screen. Wacom Cintiq 13HD - 4-btn Digitizer, stylus - Wired - USB

Scanners can be utilized when creating graphic images, you can place an image on a piece of paper onto the scanner, and the image will be scanned, read and copied. The image from the paper will them be displayed onto the monitor screen ready for you to use when creating a graphics image. Fujitsu Scan Snap iX500 - 600 dpi x 600 dpi - Document scanner

Hardware output

Printers allow you to have a hard copy of the graphics images you have designed on your computer, they will copy the exact image you see on the monitor screen onto an actual piece of paper. This is useful as it means you do not have to log onto a computer and load up the graphics image to show someone, you can hand them your hard copy that you have printed instead. HP LaserJet Pro M1132 MFP Monochrome Laser - Printer / copier / scanner

Projectors can allow you to produce a larger image that renders what you visualize on your computer screen, which can allow you to present to an audience to describe and explain the graphics image you have created. Optoma H180X WXGA (1280 x 800) DLP projector - 3000 ANSI lumens

Vinyl cutters allow you to control the machine via the computer; the computer dictates the movement of a sharp blade. which cuts out images from a piece of material. If you are making signs, banners etc a vinyl cutter is vital. Computer designed vector files with patterns and letters are directly cut on the roll of vinyl. Vinyl cutters are mainly used when making signs, banners and advertisements. Advertisements seen on the side of vans, Lorries etc. Summa SummaCut-R D60FX 24" Vinyl Cutter

File storage devices are the data storage devices that are used in the computers to store the data. Without them the digital data you have on your computer wouldn't be saved, unless you had a memory stick. This is essential when creating graphics images because the image you are creating cannot be saved to the computer without storage devices. "File Transporter by Connected Data Private ""Off-Cloud"" Storage Device"

Software

Photoshop is very useful when creating graphic images because it allows you to edit images exactly how you desire. You can also use images loaded from the internet and upload them to Photoshop and use the image to merge into your graphics image.  Adobe Photoshop CS6 - PC - DVD-ROM - EU English

Adobe illustrator is a vector graphics editor that can be installed onto a computer system to aid the creation of graphics images. It provides a more efficient way to design graphics images. Adobe Illustrator CS6 - PC - DVD-ROM - EU English

Serif is a great software available to download, it allows you to precisely draw graphic images, use painting techniques, and easy to use graphic tools for making logos, graphic images etc. Serif Draw Plus X6 Academic 20 User Pack (Boxed Product)

Photo manipulation is a downloadable piece of software for image editing, allowing you to enhance, correct or neaten up an image. These images you edit can be used in your graphic images.

The system that I recommend using is a Mac. Because most graphics designers use Macs above other computer systems as it is much more suited to creating graphic images. Apple Mac OS X computers are especially useful for designers and many creative professionals choose to regularly update to the latest Mac hardware.  Generally, “Macs” are mentioned in the same sentence as “graphic design,” and rightfully so for their excellent graphics and font capabilities, and ease of use.