Here’s a list of common graphic design terms along with their definitions to help you understand the language of design more clearly:
Balance - The distribution of visual weight in a design, either symmetrical, asymmetrical, or radial.
Contrast - The difference between elements (e.g., light vs. dark, rough vs. smooth) to create visual interest.
Hierarchy - The organization of elements to show their order of importance, guiding the viewer’s eye.
Alignment - Arranging elements so they line up along common edges or centers for visual connection.
Repetition - Reusing design elements to create consistency and unity.
Proximity - Placing related items close together to visually group them.
White Space - Empty space between elements that gives a design breathing room and focus. Also called negative space.
Vector - Graphics made from paths, scalable without losing quality (e.g., AI, SVG files).
Raster - Images made of pixels, lose quality when scaled (e.g., JPG, PNG, PSD files).
DPI (Dots Per Inch) - Resolution of an image; higher DPI = higher print quality (300 DPI is standard for print).
RGB - Color mode used for digital screens (Red, Green, Blue).
CMYK - Color mode used for printing (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black).
Typography - The art and technique of arranging type (fonts, spacing, line height, etc.).
Serif - Fonts with small lines at the end of characters (e.g., Times New Roman).
Sans Serif - Fonts without those lines (e.g., Helvetica, Arial).
Kerning - The space between individual letters.
Leading - The vertical spacing between lines of text.
Tracking - The overall spacing across a group of letters.
Font - A specific style and weight of a typeface.
Typeface - The design of a set of characters (e.g., Helvetica is a typeface; Helvetica Bold is a font).
Grid - A system of horizontal and vertical lines used to align design elements.
Margin - The space between the edge of the page and the content.
Bleed - Area outside the trim edge of a printed piece, allowing printing to go to the edge.
Crop Marks - Lines printed in the corners to show where the paper should be trimmed.
Mockup - A realistic representation of a design applied to a real-world setting (e.g., a logo on a T-shirt).
Wireframe - A basic layout of a design or webpage, showing structure without design details.
Artboard
A defined canvas area in design software where content is created.
Layer - An element in design software that can be stacked and edited separately.