name: graphic-design description: Professional graphic design principles for digital and print media. Use when creating visual designs, choosing color palettes, typography, layouts, or providing design feedback.

Graphic Design

Comprehensive guide for creating professional visual designs across digital and print media.

Design Fundamentals

The 7 Principles of Design

Color Theory

Color Models

Color Harmonies

Complementary:    Opposite on wheel (high contrast)
Analogous:        Adjacent colors (harmonious)
Triadic:          3 equidistant colors (vibrant)
Split-Comp:       Base + 2 adjacent to complement
Tetradic:         4 colors forming rectangle
Monochromatic:    Single hue, varying saturation/lightness

Color Psychology

Accessible Color Contrast

WCAG AA Requirements:
- Normal text: 4.5:1 minimum contrast ratio
- Large text (18pt+): 3:1 minimum
- UI components: 3:1 minimum

WCAG AAA Requirements:
- Normal text: 7:1 minimum
- Large text: 4.5:1 minimum

Tools: WebAIM Contrast Checker, Stark, Color Safe

Typography

Type Classification

Type Hierarchy

Display:     48-72px  (Hero headlines)
H1:          32-48px  (Page titles)
H2:          24-32px  (Section headers)
H3:          20-24px  (Subsections)
Body:        16-18px  (Readable text)
Caption:     12-14px  (Secondary info)
Micro:       10-12px  (Legal, footnotes)

Typography Rules

1. Limit fonts: 2-3 maximum per project
2. Contrast pairing: Serif + Sans-serif works well
3. Line height: 1.4-1.6 for body text
4. Line length: 45-75 characters optimal
5. Letter spacing: Increase for all-caps text
6. Alignment: Left-align body text (easier to read)

Font Pairing Examples

Headlines + Body:
- Playfair Display + Source Sans Pro
- Montserrat + Merriweather
- Oswald + Lato
- Roboto Slab + Roboto
- DM Serif Display + DM Sans

Layout & Composition

Grid Systems

12-Column Grid (Most Common):
├─┬─┬─┬─┬─┬─┬─┬─┬─┬─┬─┬─┤
│1│2│3│4│5│6│7│8│9│10│11│12│

Common Column Spans:
- Full width: 12 columns
- Two-thirds: 8 columns
- Half: 6 columns
- One-third: 4 columns
- One-quarter: 3 columns
- Sidebar: 3-4 columns

Spacing System (8pt Grid)

/* Base unit: 8px */
--space-1: 4px; /* 0.5x - tight */
--space-2: 8px; /* 1x - base */
--space-3: 16px; /* 2x - comfortable */
--space-4: 24px; /* 3x - section gap */
--space-5: 32px; /* 4x - group separation */
--space-6: 48px; /* 6x - major sections */
--space-7: 64px; /* 8x - page sections */
--space-8: 96px; /* 12x - hero spacing */

Rule of Thirds

┌───────┬───────┬───────┐
│       │       │       │
│   ●───┼───●   │       │  Place key elements
├───────┼───────┼───────┤  at intersection
│       │       │       │  points (●)
│   ●───┼───●   │       │
├───────┼───────┼───────┤
│       │       │       │
└───────┴───────┴───────┘

Visual Hierarchy Techniques

1. Size: Larger = more important
2. Color: Bright/saturated draws attention
3. Contrast: High contrast = focal point
4. Whitespace: Isolation creates emphasis
5. Position: Top-left (F-pattern) or center
6. Typography: Bold, different font, caps

File Formats

Raster (Pixel-Based)

Vector (Math-Based)

Export Guidelines

Web Graphics:
- Icons: SVG (or PNG fallback)
- Photos: WebP with JPG fallback
- Illustrations: SVG or WebP
- Resolution: 72 DPI minimum, 2x for retina

Print Graphics:
- Resolution: 300 DPI minimum
- Color: CMYK mode
- Format: PDF/X or TIFF
- Bleed: 0.125" (3mm) on all sides

Design Tools

Industry Standard

Free Alternatives

Design Systems

Component Structure

Atoms:
- Colors, typography, icons
- Buttons, inputs, labels

Molecules:
- Form fields (label + input + helper)
- Cards (image + title + description)
- Navigation items

Organisms:
- Header (logo + nav + actions)
- Forms (multiple fields + submit)
- Product cards grid

Templates:
- Page layouts
- Grid structures

Pages:
- Specific instances with real content

Naming Conventions

Colors:
- primary, secondary, accent
- success, warning, error, info
- gray-100 through gray-900
- background, surface, text

Components:
- btn-primary, btn-secondary, btn-ghost
- card-default, card-elevated, card-outlined
- input-default, input-error, input-disabled

Print Design Specifics

Standard Print Sizes

US Paper:
- Letter: 8.5" × 11"
- Legal: 8.5" × 14"
- Tabloid: 11" × 17"

International (ISO):
- A4: 210 × 297mm
- A3: 297 × 420mm
- A5: 148 × 210mm

Business Cards:
- US: 3.5" × 2"
- EU: 85 × 55mm

Print Checklist

• CMYK color mode
• 300 DPI resolution minimum
• Bleed area included (0.125")
• Safe zone for text (0.25" from trim)
• Fonts outlined or embedded
• Rich black for large areas: C60 M40 Y40 K100

Best Practices

DO:

• Start with sketches/wireframes
• Use consistent spacing system
• Test designs at actual size
• Get feedback early and often
• Design for accessibility first
• Use real content when possible
• Create style guides/design systems

DON'T:

• Use more than 3 fonts
• Rely on color alone for meaning
• Ignore whitespace
• Stretch or distort images
• Use low-resolution images
• Center-align long paragraphs
• Forget mobile/responsive design

Design Review Checklist

• Visual hierarchy clear
• Color contrast passes WCAG
• Typography readable at all sizes
• Consistent spacing throughout
• Alignment precise (use grids)
• Images high quality and appropriate
• Brand consistency maintained
• Responsive/adaptive design considered