In addition to the two major elements of type and image, designer also work with another category of elements with act as accents to type an d image. Rules, borders, boxes and shading can help to organize a design and give it visual weight. Each of these elements has its own particular uses.

1. RULES
   
   1. Rules may be used to separate information or to provide a base for a page layout. When placed horizontally between lines of text, they can show a break of information.
   2. They can be used in the same fashion to create a barrier between text and image. Used vertically, rules provide the same functions, in addition to defining columns on the page.
   3. Rules are measured by weight in points from hairline (the thinnest line) on up.


2. BORDERS
   
   1. Borders work as a frame to separate one element from another. If an element such as a chart or graph, need special emphasis in a design, placing a border around it can help it to stand on it own.
   2. With a photograph, border can define the edges of the photo as well as separate it from text. This is helpful when the photo does not have a well-defined edge.
3. BOXES
   
   1. Boxes are simply borders that are filled in. You can fill in a box with a colour, or use a tint of colour to fill it. Boxes work best with larger type sizes and graphic elements because small type size easily get lost against the box’s fill.
   2. Boxes are used for the same purpose as borders, to separate an element within the design.
4. SHADING
   
   1. Shading or the use of tinted screens that are positioned behind type, is accomplished by using screens with built-in ruling that are graduated in darkness from a light (10%) tint to a dark (90%) tint.
   2. These percentages refer to the amount of space that the black tint dot occupies within an allocated box. A screen or box with a 50% tint means that the black dot occupies 50% of the white.
   3. The designer should keep in mind that type is more difficult to read when placed over a shaded area because this reduces contrast between the type and the background. If the shade pattern is too dark, the type becomes almost unreadable.

ALIGNMENT

There are four basic text alignment options you can use in your design. Each one of these options has a different impact and lends a different impression to your design. Text can bee aligned in the following ways:
• Basic text alignments
  
  1. Flush left
  2. Flush right
  3. Centered
  4. Justified


• Advanced text alignments
  
  1. Runaround
  2. Asymmetric
  3. Concrete

Basic Text Alignments
• Flush Left
  
  1. Flush left also called flush-left/ragged-right because the first letters of the text are aligned on the left while the right edge is allowed to flow naturally into a ragged edge.
  2. Some computer programs call this option align left or just simply left. The irregular right edge tends to give the page a light and somewhat airy look. Flush left is considered by typography experts to be a very readable text alignment.


• Flush Right
  
  1. Flush right is classically called flush-right/ragged-left, which some computer programs call align right or right. This option works best for short amounts of text because it is hard for the reader’s eye to find the start of the next line, especially if the text line lengths are long.


• Centered
  
  1. Centered type implies formality (imagine a wedding invitation) and is commonly used in headline type. Try to avoid using centered type for more than just a few short phrases because the irregular left edge of the line of type make it difficult for the reader’s eye to find the beginning of the next line of type.


• Justified
  
  1. The justified text alignment option is also called flush-right/flush-left. Justified type is very readable when set properly and is widely used for body copy in all manner of page designs. You will see a lot of justified columns of type in newsletters, magazines, and brochures because this text alignment allows for a higher word density.

Advanced Text Alignments
• Runaround
  
  1. Runaround text alignment is also called text wrap because the type wraps around the photo, image, graphic, or another piece of text. This text alignment is commonly used in newsletters, brochures and other text-intensive pages.


• Asymmetric
  
  1. Asymmetric text alignment is visually very interesting but difficult to read because few of the beginnings or ends of lines align with each other; hence the viewer’s eye has to work to find the beginning of the next line.
  2. It is best used for short lines of type because it is difficult to read long sentence of asymmetric type. Asymmetric text alignment conveys a sense of informality. Youth-oriented magazines and ads use this text alignment a lot because of these qualities.


• Concrete
  
  1. Concrete text alignment is where the arrangement of the type takes on the shape of the action or the object being described. This alignment is difficult to read but often visually interesting. This text alignment has much creative potential if you have the time and patience.

Go to ELEMENTS OF CREATIVE GRAPHIC DESIGN additional notes