Graphic Vocabulary

This is just a list of terms I have or have heard used in relation to gfx and such. I'll update this every so often as i get more words. It's quite incomplete, you see.

Program/designer terms:

-GIMP: GNU Image Manipulation Program.

-PSE: Photoshop Elements.

-PS: Photoshop.

-PhotoGIMPER: Someone who uses both Gimp and photoshop.

-PhotoPaintGIMPER: Someone who coordinates Photoshop, Gimp and Paint all at once.

-PSP: Paint Shop Pro.

Style Terms:

-C4D: An image, usually a render and abstract, made in Cinema 4d

-Sleek: An image with a smooth shape.

-Grunge: A dirty, almost scruffed up image.

-Tech: A style that consists mainly of computer-like looks and a border that differs greatly from others.

-Scanlines: Lines, usually diagonal and semi-faded, that are applied to an image to give it a look of being scanned.

-Pixellated: Describes the small squares usally created when the image has been hastily resized.

-Fractal: A rough or fragmented geometric shape that can be split into parts. Generally used as a brush.

-Transparency: See-thru effect that when applied to a given area, allows you to see partially or completely whatever's behind it.

-Brush: A design or pattern that can be altered(color, size, opacity changed) before used and applied to an image for extra effect.

-Vector: Geometrical primitives such as points, lines, curves, and shapes or polygons to represent images. Does not lose quality when resized.

-Raster: A data structure that represents a usually rectangular grid of pixels or points of color.

-Smudging: Image warping that consists of stretching parts of the image as if dragging your thumb across fresh ink.

-Topazed: use of topaz [usually badly]

Category Terms

-Sig: Signature image, placed underneath your post.

-Vert Sig: Same as a signature, except that it's height is greater than it's width making it tall and skinny.

-Avy: Avatar image, placed next to your post.

-Wallpaper/desktop: An image used as a desktop background on your computer.

-Banner: Usually an image placed at the top of a website displaying it's logo and occasionally a catch phrase.

-Button: Small images that are used as buttons on web pages and the likes.

-Userbar: A very thin sig that usually shows that user is a part of a club or clan.

-Animation: Any form of graphic with looping movement.

-Render: Any image that has been removed from another for use in a different image.

-ROoS: Render Out of Sig; A signature that consists of a render that raises off or out of the signatures.

-Stock: renders with backgrounds, pretty much

-Tag: same as sig

Misc. Terms

-Opacity: The amount(in percentage) of transparency an image has

-Filters: Category of pre-made, alterable effects for application to an image.

-Burn: Darken either the shadows, highlights, or or midtones of an image.

-Dodge: Lighten either the shadows, highlights, or or midtones of an image.

-Blendmode: The blending mode for a layer, commonly used to help blend renders into images.

-Mono: monotone (lack of more than one colour)

-Oversharpened: too many sharpened effects

-LQ: Low quality

-CnC: comments and criticism



If you got any terms you know of not listed here, don't be afraid to let me know.

good idea

Is there already a graphics dictionary in the General discussion boards? Anyway, nice one, really helps.

i never knew raster...woah, you learn something new everyday ^_^
does anyone have a definition for "difference"? i think its a Photoshop term?

Very good guide... and very simple! Can I use it?

You will have to ask someoneinsane the original poster

OK I'll wait for his response. Thank you

Yes you can use it.
Here is the code.

Spoiler:

You guys need some more terms:

Mono - monotone (lack of more than one colour)
Oversharpened - too many sharpened effects
Topazed - use of topaz [usually badly]
LQ - Low quality
Stock - renders with backgrounds, pretty much
CnC - comments and criticism
Tag - same as sig

There's prolly a lot more I can think of X3

"Updated"

Depth
The extent, measurement, or dimension downward, backward, or inward--provides a sence of verisimilitude in the sig (is used to give the appearance of reality). More information can be located here.

De-Saturation
To "De-saturate" is to remove the colour from an image, making it Black and White.

Dimensions
The length of an image on the x or y axis.
The length of the image horizontally is usually mentioned first.

Dithering
Use of few colors instead of a big amount in a specific way that tricks the eye to see it like multicolored picture with more depth. example: using lots of red and blue pixels can create the illusion of different shades of violet - this is basically the way dithering works.

DodgeTool
Use and brush this over a section of a render, or the whole render itself. whatever you want and it'll lighten up the spot. use a clicking motion.

Feather
A tool used in Photoshop to soften the edges of an image and make it blend in good. When you feather a picture, it will become transparent at the edges and more solid as you get far from the edges, This allows you to blend your image smoothly.


Flow
An effect in which the sig blends to a point of giving the appearance of motion.


Foreground
The area 'in front' anything that is happening in the back. The opposite to the Backround of an image.
There are many types of foregrounds (FG's) that range in popularity. These include Renders, small effects, and vectors.