Acrobat
Acrobat is part of a set of applications developed by Adobe to create and view PDF files. Acrobat is used to create the
PDF files, and the freeware Acrobat
Reader is used to read the PDF files.
Aliasing
In graphic design, aliasing occurs when a computer monitor, printer, or graphics
file does not have a high enough resolution to represent a graphic image or text.
An aliased image is often said to have the "jaggies."
Alignment
The positioning of a body of text. Text can be positioned to the left, right, or
"center" of a page. For the best, consistent alignment, web site designers use tables
and Cascading Style Sheets.
ALT-attribute
Part of the image source tag in HTML. A good web designer will always include text
in all of your image sources for two reasons: (1) if any of your visitors choose
not to view graphic images on your web pages, the alternative text will be shown;
and (2) if your visitors use Internet Explorer as their
browser and they leave the mouse over any graphic image, they will view
the text in your ALT-attribute.
Animated GIF
A GIF graphic file, which consists of two
or more images shown in a timed sequence to give the effect of motion.
Animation
Animation is the creating a timed sequence or series of graphic images or
frames together to give the appearance of continuous movement.
Anti-Aliasing
Smoothing or blending the transition of pixels in an image. Anti-aliasing the edges
on a graphic image makes the edges appear smooth, not jagged.
ASP (Active Server Page)
A dynamically generated web page, generally using ActiveX scripting. When a browser
or a search engine spider requests an ASP page from a server, the server generates
the web page with HTML code and gives it to the
browser or spider.
Bandwidth
Bandwidth is the amount of information your connection to the Internet can carry.
On average, typical telephone lines can carry 1K of information per second.
Banner
A banner is a graphic image (static, animated,
or rich media) that is placed on web
sites as an advertisement. Banners are commonly used for brand awareness and generating
sales.
Bevel
Adding a beveled effect to a graphic image gives the image a raised appearance by
applying highlight colors and shadow colors to the inside and outside edges.
Bitmap graphic
A graphic imange which is composed of a pattern of dots. The individual dots are
stored as data on a computer. An example of an animation that is a bitmap graphic
is a GIF animation.
Bitmap Image (bmp)
A graphic image stored as a specific arrangement of screen dots, or pixels. Web
graphics are bitmap images. A graphic which is defined by specifying the colors
of dots or pixels which make up the picture. Also known as raster graphics. Common
types of bitmap graphics are GIF,
JPEG, Photoshop, PCX, TIFF, Macintosh Paint, Microsoft Paint,
PNG, FAX formats, and TGA.
Bleed or Bleeding Edge
When a page or a cover design extends to and off the edge of the paper it is called
a "bleed". In print design, the artwork or block of color must extend
off the edge of the page. The artwork or block of color is then printed on larger-size
paper. Then the printed page is trimmed to the desired size. (add an illustration)
Bookmark
Just as a paper bookmark is used as a reminder of the page you are on in a book,
electronic bookmarks are used to bring you back to a web site or other site you
may want to return to. The Netscape browser lets you bookmark any site and save
the bookmarks in a file you can recall at any time. Microsoft Internet Explorer
uses the term "favorite" instead of bookmark for the same concept.
Browser
The software used to view, manage, and access web pages by interpreting hypertext
and hyperlinks. The two most common browsers are Netscape and Microsoft Internet
Explorer. Web pages often appear differently depending on the brand and version
of the browser intended to view them in.
Cast Shadow
A cast shadow is similar to a drop shadow
with added emphasis on perspective. Cast shadows can be rotated, stretched, and
skewed to create a realistic 3D effect.
Check Box
In an online form, check boxes look like the following:
If you click your mouse on the boxes, you will be able to select multiple services.
A check box is different from a radio button,
which can only accept one checked item at a time.
CMYK
Stands for the colors Cyan-Magenta-Yellow-Black. In
print design, colors are defined as a percentage of each of these 4 colors. For
example, the CMYK abbreviation for the color black would be 0-0-0-100. In contrast,
display devices (i.e. computer monitors) typically define colors using
RGB.
Color Cast
A color cast changes the hue (color) of a selected part of an image while keeping
the saturation and brightness intact. Viewing an image with a color cast can be
similar to viewing it through colored lenses on eyeglasses. A commonly known color
cast (in graphic design) is a duotone.
Compression
A method of packing data in order to save disk storage space or download time. JPEGs are generally compressed graphics
files. Compression is a technique to make a file or a data stream smaller for faster
transmission or to take up less storage space.
Cookie
A cookie is a message given to a web browser
(such as Netscape or Explorer) by a web server. The purpose of cookies is to identify
web site users/visitors and possibly prepare customized web pages for them.
Creative
Standard term for a banner advertisement;
can refer to the design or format of a banner. It can also refer to the process
of creating a design.
CSS
Abbreviation for Cascading Style Sheet, a feature of HTML developed
by the W3C. With Cascading Style sheets, both web designers and end users can create
style templates (sheet) that specifies how different text elements (paragraphs,
headings, hyperlinks, etc.) appear
on a web page. Currently, not all browsers
express CSS formatting in the same manner.
Dedicated Line
A dedicated line is a permanent connection to the Internet using an individual,
separate phone line.
DHTML
Stands Dynamic Hypertext Mark-up Language. DHTML is
an HTML extension that allows web pages to react to the end users' input, such as
displaying a web page based on the type of browser or computer end users are viewing
a page with.
Directory
A directory (such as Yahoo, commonly mistaken for a
search engine) depends on people for listings. The main difference between
a search engine and a directory is that a directory does not make use of a
spider or robot. One of the defining characteristics of a directory is that
it is usually divided into categories.
Dithered/Dithering
In order to display a full-color graphic image on a 256-color monitor, computers
must simulate the colors it cannot display. They do this by dithering which
is combining pixels from a 256-color palette into patterns that approximate other
colors. At a distance, the human eye merges the pixels into a single color. Up close,
the graphic image will appear pixelated and speckled.
DNS
Stands for Domain Name System. The DNS translates URL text
addresses (such as grantasticdesigns.com) into a numeric Internet address (such
as 201.214.12.6).
Doorway Page
Web pages created specifically for search engine positions. Also known as gateway
page or a bridge page.
DPI
Stands for dots per inch. DPI specifies the resolution of an
output device, such as a printer or printing press machine. Print resolution
usually runs from 300-1200 dots per inch on a Laser Printer and 125-225 dots per
inch for photographic images on a print brochure. (For information on input
device measurements see ppi.)
Drop-Down Menu
In an online form, a drop-down menu (also known as a pull-down menu) looks like
the following:
If you click your mouse on the arrows, you will be able to select a product or service.
Drop-down menus are commonly used for web site navigation.
Drop Shadow
A drop shadow gives an image depth by creating a shading offset behind a selected
image.
Duotone
The application of two colors to provide richer tones than a monotone (single-color
image, usually grayscale) can provide.
A good duotone image can simulate a wider range of the color spectrum than two colors
used separately. Duotones also use a hue
(color) to set the mood for a photo in a more stunning way than a full-color image
can.
Emboss
Embossing a graphic image adds dimension to it by making the image appear as if
it were carved as a projection from a flat background.
Error 404
This error message means Page Not Found (on a server).
Export
To save a file in a different format (that of another program). For example, many
Adobe Photoshop files are exported to become GIF
or JPEG files.
E-Zine or Ezine
Stands for electronic magazine and is a name for a web site which is either (a)
modeled after a print magazine or (b) a magazine that is only available online or
through email.
Feathering
Feathering the edge of a graphic image gradually dissipates the edge, making the
edge look blurry.
Findability
A term used in online marketing that describes a web site's ability to be found
easily via the search engines,
directories, and other online resources.
Flash
Vector graphic animation software from
Macromedia that allows Flash graphics to look the same across all browsers, as long
as the plug-in is installed. One of the advantages of Flash animations is their
relatively fast download time.
Font
A font is a complete set of characters in a particular size and style of type. This
includes the letter set, the number set, and all of the special character and diacritical
marks you get by pressing the shift, option, or command/control keys. For example,
Times NewRoman Bold Italic is one font, and Times NewRoman Bold is another font.
Times NewRoman is a single typeface.
Forms
HTML tags that define and label text-entry boxes,
check boxes,
radio buttons, and/or drop-down menus
to create simple on-screen forms for collecting information from the viewer.
Frame
In animation, a frame is a single graphic
image in a sequence of graphic images.
Frames
In HTML, providing the ability to break a web page into multiple, separately scrollable
areas. Because some search engines cannot follow links in a framed web site, a good
web designer will contain text in a NOFRAMES-tag and provide a link for search engines
to index your site.
Freeware
Software distributed for free on the web.
FTP
Stands for File Transfer Protocol. FTP allows you to copy or
send files (HTML-documents, graphic images, spreadsheets) from one computer to another
via the Internet.
GIF
Stands for Graphics Interchange Format. GIF images are the
most widely used graphic format on the web. GIF images display up to 256 colors.
Glow
A glow is the opposite of a shadow in that it
creates a surrounding highlight of an image. A high radiance creates a soft, subtle
glow and a low radiance creates a hard, bright glow, such as a
neon glow.
Gradient
A gradient is a gradual transition of colors. Many metallic images are gradients.
Web images that use gradient fills as a special effect should be saved in a JPEG
rather than a GIF format.
Graphic Backgrounds
The bottom-most layer on a web page, usually with either a design or color that
highlights the above copy. A small graphic can be tiled to create a background texture
for a web page.
Grayscale
An application of black ink (for print) or the color black (for the screen) that
simulates a range of tones. Grayscale images have no
hue (color). In print design, a grayscale graphic image appears to be black,
white, and shades of gray, but it only uses a single color ink.
Hexadecimal
A numbering system which uses a base of 16. The first ten digits are 0-9 and the
next six are A-F. Hexadecimal numbers are used to color web pages. For example,
the hexadecimal equivalent for the color white is #FFFFFF.
HTML
Abbreviation for Hypertext Markup Language; a cross-platform
text-formatting system for creating web pages, including copy, images, sounds, frames,
animation and more.
Hue
The actual color of an object. Hue is measured as a location on a color wheel, expressed
in degrees. Hue is also understood as the names of specific colors, like blue, red,
yellow, etc.
Hyperlink
A hyperlink, more commonly called a link, is an electronic connection between one
web page to either (1) other web pages on the same web site, or (2) web pages located
on another web site. More specifically, a hyperlink is a connection between one
page of a hypertext document to another.
Hypertext
Hypertext is any text that can be chosen by a reader and which causes another document
to be retrieved and displayed.
Image Map
An image map is a single graphic image containing multiple, clickable
hyperlinks.
Information Page
A static web page that is designed, coded, and written primarily for a target audience
but formatted for optimal search engine and directory positioning.
Interlace
Storing partial data from a single graphic image in multiple sequences. The purpose
of interlacing is to have a partial image initially appear on screen rather than
having to wait for the image to appear in its entirety. With interlacing, equally
spaced sets of lines from the original image are stored together, and these sets
appear one on top of the other in sequence.
Interstitial
An interstitial is a web advertisement that appears in a separate browser window,
other than the target web page.
Java
Java is a programming language, created by Sun Microsystems, which allows small
applications to be downloaded into your computer for playback. Java can be used
for such simple applications as animation to more complex applications such as a
calculator.
JavaScript
JavaScript is a scripting language developed by Netscape. JavaScript can make web
pages more animated and dynamic in terms of graphics and navigation. One of the
most common graphic JavaScript effects is called a
mouseover, and Javascript navigation is commonly created using
drop-down menus.
Abbreviation for Joint Photographic Experts Group. File
format for full-color and black-and-white graphic images. JPEG images allow for
more colors than GIF images and are usually smaller in size.
K
- In computer terms, stands for Kilobyte.
- In print design, with CMYK, the K
stands for the ink color black.
Kerning
The horizontal spacing between the letters in a word.
Kilobyte
A kilobyte is a storage unit capable of storing 1,024 bytes of information.
Leading
The vertical spacing between lines of text.
List
Text that is categorized, be it bulleted, numbered, or unnumbered. The default list
bullets and numbers are black with no special effects. To make a bulleted list using
graphic images as bullets, web graphic designers use a table format.
The following is an unordered, or bulleted, list:
- Logo design services
- Web graphics services
- Banner design services
The following is an ordered, or numbered, list:
- Logo design services
- Web graphics services
- Banner design services
Lossless Compression
In graphic design, lossless compression refers to a data compression technique where
the file quality is preserved and no data is lost. Lossless compression is commonly
used on GIF images, but can only reduce file
size to about half of its original size. Lossy compression, by contrast, eliminates
some data can further decrease file size.
Lossy Compression
A term coined by graphics programmers to refer to a technique of shrinking file
sizes by giving away some precision of detail. JPEG
is an example of a file that is compressed this way. By reducing the so-called quality
of a picture when you save it, you can make the file size smaller. Many photos can
take of loss of fine detail before it becomes noticeable on a web page.
LPI
Abbreviation for Lines Per Inch.
Masthead
A masthead is a graphic image placed on top of a web page that tells end users what
page they are on. Masthead images can contain photos, text, shapes, and/or
image maps.
Meta-tag
Meta-tags are HTML tags that can be used to identify
the creator of a web page, what HTML specifications a web page follows, the keywords
and description of the page, etc. The most common use of a meta-tag in online marketing
is the keyword and description tags, which tell the
search engines that index meta-tags what description to use in their search
query results.
Modem
A modem (modulator/demodulator) is the hardware required to connect telephone lines
and is essential for dial-up connections to the Internet.
Moderated Discussion List/Newsgroup
The person who categorizes the topics and selects
posts is the moderator. Thus, a moderation discussion list or newsgroup
is a service in which the moderator organizes participants' comments or suggestions
are organized into topics or categories.
Mouseover
A popular special effect for web graphics, generally programmed in
JavaScript, that changes switches color or a graphic image when you place
your cursor over it. Mouseovers can also be used to trigger navigation changes and
pop-up windows.
Multimedia
A form of communication combining text with graphics, page layout, video, audio,
animation, and so forth.
Neon Glow
Type of glow on a graphic image that gives
the appearance of neon lighting.
Netiquette
Accepted, proper behavior on the Internet. The term especially applies to email
and newsgroup posts.
Online
If you are connected to the Internet, you are online. Online advertising is done
exclusively on the web or through e-mail.
Online Marketing
Online advertising is done exclusively on the web or through e-mail. Various types
of online marketing include:
- affliliate programs
- search engine optimization
- banner advertising
- directory enhancement
- posts to moderated discussion lists, newsgroups, and forums
- email advertising
- online press releases
Opt-In
An email marketing term in which the email recipient specifically requests receiving
email related to a specific topic of interest
Outline
PDF
Stands for Portable Document Format. Created by Adobe Systems
in its software program Adobe Acrobat as a universal browser. Files can be downloaded
via the web and viewed page by page, provided the user is computer has installed
the necessary plug-in which can be downloaded from Adobe's own web site.
PHP
Abbreviation for Hypertext Pre-Processor.
Plug-In
A software extension that provides added capabilities to the browser, for purposes
such as viewing, hearing, or saving specially formatted files. Most plug-ins are
available via the creator's web page for downloading.
PNG
Stands for Portable Network Graphics format, and is generally
pronounced "ping." PNG is used for
lossless compression and displaying images on the web. The advantages of
PNG is that it supports images with millions of colors and produces background transparency
without jagged edges. The disadvantages are that PNG images will not show up on
older browsers, and still can be comparatively larger in file size than
GIFs.
PPI
Stands for pixels per inch. PPI specifies the resolution of
an input device, such as a scanner, digital camera, or monitor. Web page
resolution ranges from 72-96 pixels per inch. (For information on output
device measurements see dpi.)
Post
A post is a single message sent to a newsgroup or message board.
Query
A search request submitted to a database (such as the search engine and directory
databases) to find a particular piece of information or all records that meet the
search criteria. A search query box to the search engine Google generally looks
like the following:
Quick Time Video
Quick Time Video is the Apple technology that allows video, digitized sound and
music, 3D, and virtual reality to be viewed on your web site. It's available for
Macintosh and Windows-based computers.
Radio Button
In an online form, radio buttons looks like the following:
If you click your mouse on the radio buttons above, you will only be able to select
one answer. A radio button is different from a
check box, which can accept multiple checked items at a time.
RGB
Stands for the colors Red-Green-Blue. In web design and design
for computer monitors, colors are defined in terms of a combination of these three
colors. For example, the RGB abbreviation for the color blue shown below is 0-0-255.
In contrast, print designers typically define colors using
CMYK.
Rich Media
Typically, a web site or banner ads that use technology more advanced than standard
GIF animation. Rich media banners include: Flash, Shockwave, streaming video, Real
Audio/Video, pull-down menus, search boxes, applets that allow for interactivity,
and other types of special effects.
Royalty-Free Photos or Images
Photos, graphic images, or other intellectual property that are sold for a single
standard fee and may be used repeatedly by the purchaser. Typically with royalty-free
clauses, the company that sells you the images still owns all of the rights to the
images, and they are allowed for use only by the purchaser (i.e., the same images
cannot be used by another company or individual without repurchase).
Rules
Rules, or horizontal rules, are HTML tags enable you to insert horizontal lines
as separators or dividers. Web graphic designers will vary the length and color
of horizontal rules to add emphasis and flair. The following gray line is a horizontal
rule set at a width of 50 percent.
Sans Serif
A style of typeface that means "without feet." Common sans serif typefaces
include Arial, Helvetica, AvantGarde and Verdana. The following graphic image shows
sans serif typefaces:
Saturation
The color intensity of an image. An image high in saturation will appear to be very
bright. An image low in saturation will appear to be duller and more neutral. An
image without any saturation is also referred to as a
grayscale image.
Screen Font
A part of the font suitcase (of Adobe Type 1 fonts), describes the shape of each
character to the operating system so that the font can be seen on a computer screen.
Search Engine
A search engines is a program that searches documents (i.e. web pages, which are
HTML-documents) for specified keywords and returns the list of documents. A search
engine has two parts, a spider and an indexer. The spider is the program that fetches
the documents, and the indexer reads the documents and creates an index based on
the words or ideas contained in each document.
Serif
A style of typeface that has "little feet." Common serif typefaces include
Times Roman, Garamond, and Palatino. The following graphic image shows serif typefaces.
Spider/Robot
A software program that search engines use which visits every site on the web, follows
all of the links, and catalogs all of the text of every web page that (a) contains
text, and (b) it is able to visit or crawl.
Text-Entry Box
In an online form, text-entry boxes look like the following:
If you place your cursor inside the text boxes, you will be able to type information
into the online form.
Thread
A series of messages related to the same topic in a discussion group or newsgroup,
such as an original post and related follow-ups.
Thumbnail
A small version of a graphic image. For example,