Theory of Digital Graphics: Image Capture, Image Output and Storage of Image Assets

Image Capture

To 'capture' an image means to take a recording of it, so that you may view it later. You can do this by using a variety of different recording media:

Scanner

A scanner can be connected up to a computer or laptop, so that you can scan an image in. Usually, the image will be on a piece of A4 paper, as the maximum size most scanners can scan in is A4. After you have scanned the file, you will have a digital copy of the image or document, so that you can edit it digitally.

Digital camera

A digital camera allows you to take pictures of a current scene, such as a event or a group of people. After you have taken the picture, the image is stored on the SD card inside the camera, which can be removed and put into a computer, so that you can edit the files if you so wish.

Nikon D60 Digital SLR Camera 

Tablet

A tablet is a device which you can plug into either your computer or laptop, and then draw images on the tablet screen and they will appear on screen. Tablet's are mainly used by artists, as this is a easy way to 'draw into' a digital device. Tablet's are available with screens on them, so that you can see more easily what you are drawing, rather than looking at the screen whilst you are drawing on another surface. These type's of tablet's may be more commonly referred to as "Graphics tablet's", as tablets can also mean "Tablet computers".

Image Output

Image output means any device or object in which you can display an image that has, usually, been produced digitally, or traditionally. 

Print media Computer/Laptop

You will be able to view images, such as drawings and promotional material, on a laptop or

Most work that is viewed on these types of devices can be altered in programmes such as Photoshop, or Paint. Computers/Laptops are used to display media which is usually only going to be seen by a few people, so it would not be ideal to use to show a large number of people information on a screen.

Projection

You can also project images onto surfaces using projectors. This will allow you to show media to an audience easily, but you may be unable to edit the media on-screen if you are using an older projector. Projectors are usually used when showing presentations to a large audience, either educational or for entertainment.

Printed media

Printed media can apply to a range of physical media, such as advertisements in magazines, posters or billboard advertisements. You will typically see advertisements in gaming magazines for new games, as this is their target audience. You will only typically see games advertised on Billboards if they have a large following, such as the Batman video game franchise, as they will more likely profit from this advertisement when compared to a game with a smaller following, such as the Silent Hill video game series. However, this could be seen as a way of appealing to a target audience, or if the company can afford to have these placements.

Theory of Digital Graphics: Types of Graphics and File Types

Types of Graphics

HUD

HUD's or as they are also known Heads Up Displays are used in games to give the player information about what is happening in the game, these things tend to be a mini map of an area they are in, the vitals of the player such as health and stamina, in some games such as shooters it gives the player information about the weapons they are using and how much ammo they have left for each weapon. In some games they have unique features that are only in a specific game for example: The Legends of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has a feature that lets the player know when they are close to one of the shrine puzzles the game includes. Another game that has a unique feature is a game called Sunset Overdrive which has a feature called a style meter that tells the player what style level they are on depending on how the player moves around the game world. 

Logos

Logos are used for companies so that there brand are easily recognisable to the customers. Logos are not just used for companies they are also used in the music industry to distinguish the bands and make them unique from each other. for example one company that has an iconic logo is Nike as it uses the Nike tick which sets it apart from other brands. Games also use logos on the box covers and on the consoles themselves. one example of this is Destiny as it uses its own logo to make it stand out from other games.

Branding

Branding is how a company advertises and promotes their product to help it sell, they use branding strategies to put their brand logo and slogan on products and other marketing objects like billboards so people see them 

Website Images

website images are used to entice more people to the website by using images and gifs which makes the website more shareable and drives the business forward to make their brand more well known, one example of this is the website lad bible as it uses images to entice viewers to the website and increase their popularity.

File Types

File Extensions

When saving images, only certain file types will be able to be seen on digital devices. For example, Apple devices do not support Flash, so any .fla flies wont function on Apple devices, which may a problem if a site runs on flash. Another example is if you have to edit or open a .psd file on a computer which doesn't have Photoshop installed: you won't be able to open the file, which may cause some problems. The best way to avoid this would be to save the image as a more common file type, such as .jpg, .bmp or .png. 

.bmp

.bmp, or Bitmap, is a common image file format and is compatable with most computers. It is a raster type format, so that means that it retains it's sharpness when 'blown up'

.png

.png, or Portable Network Graphic, is a file type which is not as common as the other file types, as it is not as widely used. You may need to install a programme to open and edit these files, as the programmes pre-installed will not open these files. One common factor about .png files is that they have a transparent background (a grey and white blocked background), so they are more commonly used in the industry for media.

.gif

.gif, or Graphics Interchange Format, is a file format which lets you show a small animation from either a video clip or an animation. .gifs are mainly used for online purposes, but they have a limited colour palette so they may not be suitable for some professional companies.

.tiff

.tiff, or Tagged Image File Format, is a file extention mainly used by professionals, photographers and graphic artists, but can be opened on most computers.

.jpg

.jpg is probably the most common image file type, as you can open and edit these file types on any computer. .jpg's aren't widelt used in the media industry as such, as when you 'blow up' jpg's, you can see the pixels more clearly, so it looks blurred.

.psd

.psd, or Photoshop Document, is a file type which can only be opened in Adobe Photoshop. This is because the file will contain all the layers of the image, which can only be edited in Photoshop. this type of file format will be more commonly used in the industry due to its relation with Photoshop and its large pixel count.

Theory of Digital Graphics: Picture Element and Image Resolution

What Are They?

Picture Element

In digital imaging, a pixel, pel, or picture element is a physical point in a raster image, or the smallest addressable element in an all points addressable display device; so it is the smallest controllable element of a picture represented on the screen.

Image Resolution

The term resolution is often considered equivalent to pixel count in digital imaging, though international standards in the digital camera field specify it should instead be called "Number of Total Pixels" in relation to image sensors, and as "Number of Recorded Pixels" for what is fully captured.

What Are They Used For?

Picture Element

Picture elements are used in all raster type graphics as they are made up of pixels which is an abbreviation of picture element, "pix" being picture and "el", being element. Where as vector images use lines rather than pixels.

Image Resolution

Image Resolution is used for the detail that an image has. The resolution of an image is how clear the image is to see. it is also used in the clarity and sharpness in an image relating to printers and monitors which means the higher the resolution of an image the the sharper and clearer it will be, it will also help to see the details in the image a lot better.

Theory of Graphic Design: Applications of Digital Graphics in Games

What are Digital Graphics?

A graphic is an image or visual representation of an object. Therefore, computer graphics are simply images displayed on a computer screen. Graphics are often contrasted with text, which is comprised of characters, such as numbers and letters, rather than images.

Computer graphics can be either two or three-dimensional. "Early computers only supported 2D monochrome graphics, meaning they were black and white (or black and green, depending on the monitor)". Eventually, computers began to support colour images. While the first machines only supported 16 or 256 colours, most computers can now display graphics in millions of colours.

2D graphics come in two types. Raster and Vector. Raster graphics are the most common and are used for digital photos, Web graphics, icons, and other types of images. They are composed of a simple grid of pixels, which can each be a different colour. However, Vector Graphics are made up of paths, which may be lines, shapes, letters, or other scalable objects. They are often used for creating logos, signs, and other types of drawings. Unlike raster graphics, vector graphics can be scaled to a larger size without losing quality.

3D graphics however have only been used more since the 1990's. Along with 3D rendering software such as CAD (Computer Aided Design) and 3D Animation software. During the beginning of the 2000's 3D Graphics began to be used in video games more and more, since computers had more processing power. nowadays all computers have 3D graphics cards installed.

What are They Used For?

Digital Graphics have five main purposes. these purposes are to educate, inform, advertise, promote and to entertain.

Educate

Graphics can be used to educate people. The graphics included in school textbooks are one example of this and books and magazines can also be educational. Posters might be used to educate in schools or included in magazines for children to pull out. Graphics used on websites might also be aiming to educate users. Education isn’t just for school children. Adults can also be educated using graphics. This can range from graphics that help them learn new skills to the health and safety posters in workplaces which might educate them about how to behave.

Inform

Graphics combining text and images can be used to give a direct message. These graphics might include signs and posters which direct people around a building, or might be used to tell people what to do or not to do in certain situations (for example, hazard warnings or safety warning signs). Leaflets are sometimes used to pass on information, perhaps at an event or ones designed to tell you about a place. If these are designed well they can be more attractive and effective at informing readers.

Promote

Digital graphics can be used to promote a product or service. Film posters, for example, promote new movies. Two examples, one modern and one from the 1940's, are shown to the left. They both keep to certain sets of rules, there are things that movie posters always have in them. Graphics can be used to promote places or events as well. These could be posters, flyers, billboards or online graphics. Websites might use promotions to promote sales or special offers and to attract new clients.

Advertise

Businesses use adverts to promote their products or services. Adverts are often found in magazines or newspapers as well as online. An advert may be for a specific product or event or may be used to raise the profile of the business or organisation so that people think know about it. Adverts can also be used to promote particular events or deals - for example, a sale or a special offer. Sometimes adverts can be really simple, with only a small amount of information on them. These are about raising the profile of the brand rather than promoting a specific item for sale.

Entertain

Digital graphics can simply be produce to entertain people. Magazines or books are often designed to entertain and graphics such as magazine or book covers can fall into this purpose. Comic strips, which can be online or in books, are another good example of this. The graphics included in multimedia or game products are also obvious examples of graphics designed to entertain. Part of entertaining can be to grab the attention of potential readers so that they are more likely to think about buying the product.