17/12/2014
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Choose an area of
graphic design. Before
you can call yourself a graphic
designer, you have to make
some decisions. For example,
are you interested in
advertising, web development,
multimedia (ex. the TV
industry), print design, or
animation? These can all be
considered different forms of
graphic design. Narrow your
focus on an area that appeals
to you.
While graphic design is
fundamentally the same
whether in print or online,
there are also key
differences in
resolutions, color space,
and other variables that
are specific to the
medium you want to
focus on. Though you
can certainly do both, it's
best to focus on one to
begin with.
Acquire the tools. The
industry standard
applications for graphic design
are Adobe Photoshop and
Adobe Illustrator. (If you plan
to go all-out, the full Adobe
Creative Suite includes
Acrobat, Dreamweaver,
Illustrator, Premiere,
Photoshop, InDesign and After
Effects.) While both
applications are designed to
be easy to use from the start,
they are very feature rich and
will require a great deal of
focused effort to master them.
These programs aren’t
cheap. To get started,
play around with free
alternatives like Gimp,
Scribus, Inkscape, and
Pixlr, all of which will
help you learn the ropes
until you’re willing and
able to drop big bucks on
the real thing.
Purchase textbooks.
Focus on books that teach
design fundamentals, then
study as though you were
taking a college course.
Instead of working for a grade,
however, your reward will be a
career that you love.
Take a course in graphic
design. It's not just to
become an expert in programs
like Photoshop and Illustrator,
but to learn how to use these
valuable tools in conjunction
with developing a marketable
design sense.
Get involved with the
design community.
Practicing at home is a great,
safe way to learn the ropes,
but eventually, you need to put
yourself out there so you can
get feedback. Though it may
be painful at first, keep your
ego in check and take the tips
seriously; the payoff will be
enormous. Additionally, it’s
important to see what other
people are doing so that you’re
exposed to more than just one
or two styles.
As with any business,
networking is important
in graphic design,
especially if you intend
to freelance. Make
friends, keep in touch, be
willing to learn, and you
might just get work out of
it.