Digital Graphics

James Mansfield

Darren Morgan, H105

BTEC Diploma – L3 ITAssignment BriefName: James MansfieldUnit Title: Digital GraphicsUnit Number: Assessment activity 30.1Assignment Title: Exploring Digital GraphicsAssignment Number: 1Issue Date: 08/10/13Due Date: 05/11/13Performance criteria covered in this assignment (A)Describe the hardware and software used to create and edit graphic images.(B) Compare the limitations of different hardware and software packages used in graphics work. M1(c) Evaluate the impact of evolving output mediums on the design and creation of graphic images. D1I certify that the material submitted for this assignment is all my own work.Student signature _James William Alexander Swift

Mansfield________________________________ Date 05/11/2013______________

Introduction:This assignment will contain different pieces of information on graphics programs and graphics software, from monitors and graphics cards, to programs used on the computer e.g. Adobe Photo shop.

By James Mansfield Page 1

Assignment 30.1 Author: James Mansfield

Type of Report: Digital Graphics

Digital Graphics

Assignment Grading Criteria:

P1I will be writing about the hardware and software components and the impacts they have with graphical work.

P2I will be explaining the different types of graphic images and the file formats they relate too.

M1I will be comparing the limitations of vector and raster software applications.

D1I will be looking online the current developments in hardware and software graphical work.

In this section I am going to talk about the Components that are required for a graphics computer. I am going to talk about the following things within the components:

Cache RAM Hard drive Processors Graphics card Monitors

Cache:

Cache is fast memory used in between CPU and RAM.

Cache memory is needed because it’s the communication of the computer between the CPU and RAM. These two components will work together at different speeds.

Cache it is needed because graphic files are quite big, so the bigger the memory the more will help the system run more efficient. The more the cache in the system the better the system will be.

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http://computer.howstuffworks.com/computer-memory4.htm

RAM:

Random access memory is a type of memory within the computer system. RAM creates a constant flow of data between the hard drive and the processor.

E.g. when you run a software program such as Microsoft Word it is copied from the hard drive to the RAM. As soon as it has been copied onto the RAM, the program can travel at high speeds into processor were the program can then be run. Without it using any graphics software, it won’t be able to keep up with the program.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/ict/hardware/1datastoragerev1.shtml

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Digital Graphics

Hard-Drive:

Hard drives are types of file storage as they are portable and high in memory. The hard drive is where you to save all your graphics files because the graphics program will look in there first to open or save work because of the computers default settings. It’s good to have a large amount of memory because if you’re using graphics a lot then it will take up lots of memory.

http://daniellemalcolm-college.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/p1.html

Processors:

The processor is an essential piece of hardware, without it, it wouldn’t run at all. It lets the operating system and other programs to run. Every program will have instructions and the processor will decode those instructions. With today’s technology processors are able to run other instructions alongside each other rather than one at a time. That’s why graphics designers get the top end processors because the graphics software use lots of instructions and most systems can keep up with it. Such programs are Adobe Photoshop.

This is an example of a processor:

http://daniellemalcolm-college.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/p1.html

Graphics card:

A graphics card is a component inside your computer that generates signals that are sent to the monitor. It will generate texts and picture that are displayed in your screen, so when using graphics you will want the display too look good to get the

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Digital Graphics

best quality image. So getting the best up to date graphics card will assure you that you will have the graphics needed when using graphics software. But you will also need a good RAM, Large Hard-Drive and Up to date processor to keep up with the system.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_a_graphics_card_and_what_does_it_do

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/graphics/2010/07/15/asus-matrix-hd-5870-graphics-card-review/1

Monitor:

If you want to see what’s happening on your computer, you will need a monitor. It is the screen that shows you what you are doing on your computer. There have been many changes and screens now are much more advanced. Monitors are useful because you will need a good monitor to show the up your graphics pictures and gives you good quality images.

Now I’m going to write about some of the software needed and why, such software will include:

Vector Based

Bitmap

Photo Manipulation – Photoshop comparing with adobe illustrator

Photo Galleries

File Conversion Programs

Vector based graphics:

If you want to use looks of graphics and need it not to take up much memory and still keep the same good quality image then you will want a vector based program

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like Corel draw. This will allow you to create images and edit pictures. If you make diagrams and other design based projects, vector is great; it’s very different to bitmap. A lot of graphic designers will be creating lots of projects and won’t want it to fill up there storage, this makes vector based programs more liable to be used.

But if you prefer more photo upload and illustrators then you may consider bitmap.

Bitmap:

Bitmap is used on more basic programs like paint. Even though paint can create some good images if you know how to, it’s used designs that have already been created, it takes up more memory and the print quality can usually get blocky where the pixels show, this can happen when you enlarge the image. But it’s good for when you scan an image onto the computer from your scanner and even camera. So for graphic developers who take photos and want to up load them, bitmap it perfect.

If you want to create and design projects, then you will want to know about photo manipulation.

Photo Manipulation:

It’s a type of software where you can create and edit photos and other designs, such programs are Photoshop. Photoshop contains lots of features and affects you can edit your images with, like changing color, grey scale or black and white images. You can also put images together using tools like crop and align to make the image come together.

Example of Photoshop:

http://une10.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/visboo_05.html

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Digital Graphics

Now for more advanced graphic designers, you will want to look into adobe illustrator. With many tools and effects, it’s perfect for making your own unique images. Although both programs are vector based adobe is great for all electronic components, whether you want to print something or make a background for your phone, adobe illustrator has it all and makes it easy for those advanced users

http://bradwallacedesign.com/ textOnly.html

Now if you want others to see your creations online, you can create a photo gallery or even a slide show.

Photo gallery:

It’s where you upload your and make a collection for others to see, this it normally done on a slide show so users can go through and see one after the other. People normally put these up, comment and even compare and use ideas from other people’s creations to add on to their own.

Now if your making or editing looks of images, it good to know which file format your using and why.

File Compression programs:

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This is a type of program that changes the file format. This is usually done when you save, it will come up with an option bar below naming file where you can chose what file format you want to save it as. A good example of this is if you used paint and wanted to save, you could chose formats like BMP, JPG, GIF, TIF and PNG file. Each one will change the file size and quality of the image. So it’s good to fine one that will make the file size small but keep the image look good still. What’s also good is with certain applications you can change the format with different software to use your images on different programs.

An example of changing file formats:

Now with all these programs and hardware, you will need certain requirements so that there pieces of software will run efficiently. So I will give you some examples of hardware and what type of hardware should be used to run your system well. The types of hardware I will talk about are:

• Processor

• RAM

• Graphics card

• Motherboard

• Hard drive

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Digital Graphics

• Monitor

Processor:

A processor is a piece of hardware inside your system that will run your programs speeds, This will depend on the amount instructions or programs use at any one time, The better the processor the faster the programs will run and the more programs you can use at one time. This is essential for graphics designers because they will be using more than one program and will want the system to run at a fast speed. A good example of a up to date processor is the Intel i7. The Intel i7 is a top of the range processor allows the computer to run many tasks at one point. It may cost £180 but for the price it is, it will run your system quickly.

An example of a processor:

http://www.coinsaround.com/2013/06/03/i7-processors/

Even though you may have a good processor to run multiple tasks, you will want a piece of hardware to run the program quickly; this is where RAM comes in.

RAM:

RAM is another piece of hardware; this will affect how fast your programs run/work. For graphics designers they will be using software like Adobe Photoshop, this will take up roughly a gigabyte (GB) of RAM. So getting a computer with a large quantity or RAM is required, if you did have the required RAM the system would run slow and the program would either not load or crash. Having 4 GB of RAM would run the program and keep the rest of your system up to speed. But if you want to use more powerful programs like Studio max or auto CAD, then you will want RAM with about 8 GB. If you want to keep your current system it’s most likely you can upgrade your hardware. This can range in price depending on the size or RAM.

Example of RAM:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/ict/hardware/1datastoragerev1.shtml

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When using graphics software, you will need a graphics card to make your designs look the best quality.

Graphics Card:

A graphics card is a piece of hardware that’s put inside your computer to give you certain graphics quality, depending on the graphics card. Graphics designers will want a good graphics card. For the average user Intel graphics 4000 is the one most people will use is their only going to do work and use the internet. If you’re using graphics software or playing games, you will want a good graphics card to get the best quality image. I use graphics software and play games, so I have an NVidia GeForce 740m graphics card. This is another piece of hardware worth upgrading and like other hardware the price will vary on the make and quality.

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/industry/2009/01/23/palit-launches-the-first-55nm-custom-designed-nvidia-graphics-card-palit-gtx260-sonic-216sp/1

Here’s a flow diagram of graphics cards sending images from the display to the CPU:

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Display Graphics

Frame BufferTexture 2

Chipset

CPUSystemMemoryTexture

1

Digital Graphics

Now to store all the programs and files you will want a hard drive.

Hard Drive:

With the hard drive, it’s what stores the bulk of the memory like files and documents. The average system will have about 150 GB to 300GB, that’s good for all your files and documents. But when you’re using graphics software, a lot of your designs will take up memory, so getting between 500GB to 1TB (1000GB) will defiantly store everything. Of course is you find it’s filling up, then you can get a storage device which you plug into your computer and move files onto there and only access them when you need them.

https://www.fstopacademy.com/learn/how-to-choose-hard-drives-for-video/

Now having all these pieces of hardware, you will want something to let it run with the system to make it compatible, that’s where the mother board comes in.

Mother Board:

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Display Graphics Chipset

SystemMemoryTexture

1

Digital Graphics

The mother board is what stores the graphics card and other devices. The better the mother board the more hardware you can run on it such as graphics cards and the better quality hardware you can run on it. A good mother board like the via chipset 1066 will let you add a graphics cards and to slots for RAM so your system runs even faster, also able to run 3D graphics programs. The normal motherboards are normally ok, but getting one like the Via Chipset will mean when it comes to graphics software you won’t have any problems.

Also with a motherboard you will want to know about DMA (Direct Memory Access). DAM is a where data is transferred from the computers RAM to another part of the computer without using the CPU. This will mean that data will get there much quicker and mean you can use that data quickly. A good example is a graphics card may want to access data stored in the computers RAM. Because the data can process itself then it can bypass the CPU and get to another part of your computer quickly. This is good when you want to move some files like images to edit onto another program or store those files in another part of the system.

Now if you’re planning on upgrading all of these items, I would recommend getting a new computer altogether because the price is all cost would be very similar to a computer with all these upgrades and would be more likely to be compatible with the hardware. When I started my course, I needed to upgrade my laptop to keep up with the program I was using for 3D Modeling. So I went on a site called PC Specialist, http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/. PC Specialist is an online site that custom make your laptop/desktop from scratch, you chose a system of your chose depending on the price range and chose the hardware you need for the programs you’re running. For the up to date hardware and able to keep up with the program I spent £700, It may seem a lot, but you won’t need to upgrade anything.

http://

www.manapool.co.uk/mana-pool-hardware-upgrade/

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If you’re trying to keep your company up to date, you will want to know about some of the new technologies for graphics hardware.

Graphics card: One of the latest graphics cards today is the GTX 690; it’s made by NVidia GeForce. It’s one of the fastest graphics cards available; it has a high memory bandwidth and great power efficiency. It’s perfect for gaming and any graphics software known today. It will run all software smoothly and quick, also allowing you to use high settings for graphics software and not slowing down.

Large Flat Screens: One of the latest large flat screens today is ISP monitor. It is 21:9 inches with 4 screen split, so you are able to do multiple tasks at once. It has dual link up so you’re able to connect more than one computer. What’s also good is that is it’s compactible with Mac, so you can connect mac pc to the monitor. This is good because macs have good graphics programs and can be useful in graphics business. Also with the wide screens it will make the images on your screen much clearer.

Printer/Scanners: One of the latest printers/scanners is the brother MFC-J4710DW. This is a wireless printer, which means you don’t have to be by it to print. Also you can you can fax images and work. This is perfect for graphics software if you need to send in images you have done from home. What’s also good is it has an A3 capability so you can print and scan large images too.

Graphics Tablet: One of the up to date graphics tablets is a 7 inch tablet pc. It has a quad core processor so you’re able to run multiple programs without crashing the system, also with 8gbs, you won’t have trouble with speed or storage space. It’s very light, so useful when carrying about and with some of the latest features too. Such features are jellybean android 4.2.2 which has all the up to date apps, 3G Wi-Fi and HD ISP screen for the best quality image. This is perfect for on the go work with digital graphics.

Finally I’m going to evaluate some of the main components with digital graphics and give features like cost, speed and usage. The main components that I will talk about are:

Graphics card Large flat screens Printer/ scanner

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Graphics tablet

Cost Speed UsageGraphics Card Graphic cards will

vary in price because of the make and quality of how well the image outputs on the screen is. For a good decent graphics card the average price is £150. It may seem like a lot but it will produce better images.

If you get a Good graphics card, then the speed will be fast. This is because you will be using many graphics software and will need the graphics card to keep up.

It will have a very high usage because any output on the system will need the graphics card to output it onto the screen. Because you are in a graphics business you will have to use a graphics card so that you can work with high quality images.

Large flat screens These are essential because having larger screen will mean when using images you can see them a lot clearer and can edit them better than using a smaller screen. The screens will vary in price because of size and make, some of the cheapest are £70 but can go into hundreds and thousands.

The speed can be quick fast because of the CPU. This is good because with a graphics business you will want the screen to run fast as well as the system. Otherwise you will be sitting there waiting for the graphics software to do its job.

They will have a large usage because you will be using editing software and will need a larger screen to see work clearer and be able to look into detail. It is also essential because without a screen all together you won’t be able to see any of your work.

Printer/Scanner A printer/scanner is another good piece of equipment to have. These will also very in price depending on the

The printers should be quick fast because you are a working business and will want up to date equipment.

This will have a big usage because you will be printing graphical images. Also you will be able to scan

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quality of the printer/scanner and any other features you get with it. The average price will be from about £100.

Having these fast pieces of hardware will mean you have any graphical images printed and also scanned onto your computer.

images on and can edit them on your computer. A good example is the company’s logo. You can have a print out and scan onto other computers, add effects and print out again.

Graphics Tablet A graphics tablet is another piece of equipment you can add to your company. These will also vary, but they will start from around £90 and go into hundreds. For all the modern versions, they should have LCD screens. These will let you edit the images and use the tablet its self instead of the mouse and monitor.

The speed will be fast because you are working with graphics software and won’t want distractions like waiting time. You will want it to work fast otherwise there won’t be any advantage of having a graphics tablet at all.

These can have a large usage within a graphics company because of the amount of editing involved. You will also be able to edit detailed bits because you will be using a pen/pencil rather than a mouse. This makes it quicker and easier to edit images.

Conclusion: I will conclude with saying that having these pieces of equipment will improve your company because you will be able to get your work done quicker and it will also show you company as a modern business.

Referencing:

Reference for Cache:

Howstuffworks, HSW, how computer memory works [online]. Available from: http://computer.howstuffworks.com/computer-memory4.htm [Accessed 24 October 2013].

Reference for RAM

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GCSE Bite size, BBC, Data Storage [online]. Available from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/ict/hardware/1datastoragerev1.shtml [Accessed 23 October 2013].

Reference for Hard drive: Danielle Malcolm-college blog. What makes a graphics computer

[online], Available from: http://daniellemalcolm-college.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/p1.html [Accessed 24 October 2013].

Reference for Processor: Danielle Malcolm-college blog. What makes a graphics computer

[online], Available from: http://daniellemalcolm-college.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/p1.html [Accessed 24 October 2013].

Reference for graphics card:Answers, what is a graphics card and what does it do [online], Available from: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_a_graphics_card_and_what_does_it_do [Accessed 25 October 2013].

Reference for graphics card image:Bit-tech, Asus matric Radeon HD 5870 Graphics card Review[online]. Available from: http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/graphics/2010/07/15/asus-matrix-hd-5870-graphics-card-review/1 [Accessed 26 October 2013].

Reference for Photo manipulation image:Connecting bloggers, Photoshop images[online], Available from: http://une10.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/visboo_05.html , [Accessed 26 October 2013].

Reference for Photo manipulation image:Bradwallacedesigns, image for adobe illustrator [online], Available from: http://bradwallacedesign.com/%20textOnly.html , [Accessed 27 October 2013].

Reference for Processor comparison:Coins around posted by Sam, I7 Processor [online], Available from: http://www.coinsaround.com/2013/06/03/i7-processors/ , [accessed 28 October 2013].

Reference for RAM Comparison: GCSE Bit-size, BBC, RAM [online], available from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/ict/hardware/1datastoragerev1.shtml , [Accessed 28 October 2013].

Reference for graphics card comparison:

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Bit-tech, NVIDIA graphics card [online] Available from: http://www.bit-tech.net/news/industry/2009/01/23/palit-launches-the-first-55nm-custom-designed-nvidia-graphics-card-palit-gtx260-sonic-216sp/1 , [Accessed 29 October 2013].

Reference for Hard drive comparison:F-Stop Academy, how to choose a hard drive [online], Available from: https://www.fstopacademy.com/learn/how-to-choose-hard-drives-for-video/ [Accessed 29 October 2013].

Reference for PC Specialist image:Mana pool, Hardware upgrade [online], available from: http://www.manapool.co.uk/mana-pool-hardware-upgrade/ , [Accessed 30 October 2013].

Reference for Evaluation: Daniellemalcolm-college.blog, the impact of output mediums [online], Available from: http://daniellemalcolm-college.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/d1.html, [Accessed 31 October 2013].

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