Task 1 Computer Hardware.
The basic computer hardware are: Monitor, Keyboard, Mouse, Case, Motherboard, RAM, CPU, Harddrive.
The monitor:... is the screen that you are reading this on. Monitors have improved no end over the years from the large bulky items of the 80's to the ultra slim flat screen ones of today.
The keyboard and mouse:... These are the most common of the hardware and are used to navigate through your computer, to write letters and type into search engines.
The Case:... Is what your computer is housed in, modern computers of today can also be all in-one. The all in-one computers are basically a monitor with all the workings built in behind it.
Motherboard:... Everything that is done on your computer goes through the motherboard it contains all the circuitry & connections that various components to interact with each other.
Ram:... (random access memory) This is the computer memory that can be accessed randomly. RAM is the most common type of memory found in computers and other devices.
The processor or CPU:... (central processing unit) Is the brain of your computer, the more powerful your processor the faster your PC will run.
Hard drive:... This is a magnetized storage area, your operating system and software will be stored here.
Some of the most popular operating systems.
Microsoft Windows 7 - PC and IBM compatible operating system. Microsoft Windows is the most commonly found and used operating system.
Apple MacOS - Apple computer operating system. The only Apple computer operating system.
Ubuntu Linux - A popular variant of Linux used with PC and IBM compatible computers.
Google Android - operating system used with Android compatible phones.
ios - Operating system used with the Apple iphone.
Graphics Card: ... Is a plug-in card that connects to the motherboard via a PCI or AGP slot; the card contains the graphics adapter, RAM for the local memory and sockets for the required outputs.
A graphic card (Video card, Display card, Graphics Board) is an expansion card that generates a feed of images to your computer monitor. Graphic cards for computers come in one of two profiles, this allows them to be added to even smaller form factor PC's. People who use computer games a lot would benefit from a larger graphic card, simple—faster graphics. With a better video card, programs that require a lot of power for graphics processing should run faster and more smoothly, such as programs that play high-definition video, render photorealistic 3D graphics, or let you edit high-resolution pictures or video. A better card can also make the animations and other visual effects in Windows run better.
Computer input devices:... Keyboard, Mouse, Joy Stick, Light pen, Track Ball, Scanner, Graphic Tablet, Microphone.
Computer output devices:... 3D printer, Braille embosser, Braille reader, GPS, Flat panel, Headphones, Monitor, Plotter, Printer, Projector, Sound card, TV & Video card.
Software applications:... also known as Apps, is a type of software that allows you to perform different tasks.
What is Adobe Photoshop.
Adobe photoshop is the premier software of choice for many graphic designers, photographers. The software allows you to create images in layers and with layer masks & alpha channels to manipulate them to your required effect. It is a raster graphics editor. Photoshop has vast support for graphic file formats (Jpeg, Gift, png &Tiff are a few) but also uses its own PSD file format.
What is Adobe Illustrator.
Adobe Illustrator is a program used by both artists and graphic designers to create vector images. These images will then be used for company logos, promotional uses or even personal work, both in print and digital form. Many people are intimidated by Adobe Illustrator due to the fact that they believe they have no artistic skill. If you can’t draw on paper, what makes you think you can draw on the computer? While this self-doubt is certainly not the right way to look at things, Adobe Illustrator actually doesn’t require any prior knowledge of drawing or painting. You can use this program to create freehand drawings, but you can also import a photograph and use that photograph as a guide to trace and re-color a particular subject – turning it into a work of art that looks as though you drew it freehand. As a graphic designer, you can use Illustrator to easily create sleek, aesthetically pleasing company logos. Do you want to type in a circle around a particular image or logo? Not a problem! Do you want to type in the shape of the CEO’s head? You can do that as well, and it’s not as complicated as you’d assume. Illustrator is not only limited to artists and graphic designers. Those who are looking to create a web site can create a mock up through illustrator which they can use to create vector images that can be used over a wide variety of platforms. Since it is an Adobe product, Illustrator works seamlessly with other Adobe Programs in the Creative Suite. After creating your initial image, you can drag it over into Photoshop to further edit it and apply filters, or drag it over to InDesign for flawless printing and digital booklets or magazines. Want to turn your illustration into a game or animation? Import it into Flash and watch it come to life! You can even add your logo and illustrations to videos or animate them through After Effects.
Resolution.
In computers, resolution is the number of pixels (individual points of color) contained on a display monitor, expressed in terms of the number of pixels on the horizontal axis and the number on the vertical axis. The sharpness of the image on a display depends on the resolution and the size of the monitor. The same pixel resolution will be sharper on a smaller monitor and gradually lose sharpness on larger monitors because the same number of pixels are being spread out over a larger number of inches. A given computer display system will have a maximum resolution that depends on its physical ability to focus light (in which case the physical dot size - the dot pitch - matches the pixel size) and usually several lesser resolutions. For example, a display system that supports a maximum resolution of 1280 by 1023 pixels may also support 1024 by 768, 800 by 600, and 640 by 480 resolutions. Note that on a given size monitor, the maximum resolution may offer a sharper image but be spread across a space too small to read well.
Pixels.
‘Pixel’ is short for Picture Element. When we see graphic images on digital devices the display divides the screen into thousands or millions of pixels, arranged in rows and columns. Each pixel has its own address in this grid and is represented by dots or squares. Pixels build up a sample of an original image and are the smallest component of a digital image. The more pixels used to represent an image, the closer it will resemble the original. The number of pixels used to create an image is often referred to as the ‘resolution’. The best digital cameras have the highest pixel count because they produce a higher-quality image. In colour images a pixel is typically comprised of three of four colour dots – a red, a blue and a green. When these colour dots converge, they build coloured pixels. You might have spent most of your youth playing Mario games with 256 x 224 pixels – now a typical HD monitor can display 1,366 x 768 pixels.
The basic computer hardware are: Monitor, Keyboard, Mouse, Case, Motherboard, RAM, CPU, Harddrive.
The monitor:... is the screen that you are reading this on. Monitors have improved no end over the years from the large bulky items of the 80's to the ultra slim flat screen ones of today.
The keyboard and mouse:... These are the most common of the hardware and are used to navigate through your computer, to write letters and type into search engines.
The Case:... Is what your computer is housed in, modern computers of today can also be all in-one. The all in-one computers are basically a monitor with all the workings built in behind it.
Motherboard:... Everything that is done on your computer goes through the motherboard it contains all the circuitry & connections that various components to interact with each other.
Ram:... (random access memory) This is the computer memory that can be accessed randomly. RAM is the most common type of memory found in computers and other devices.
The processor or CPU:... (central processing unit) Is the brain of your computer, the more powerful your processor the faster your PC will run.
Hard drive:... This is a magnetized storage area, your operating system and software will be stored here.
Some of the most popular operating systems.
Microsoft Windows 7 - PC and IBM compatible operating system. Microsoft Windows is the most commonly found and used operating system.
Apple MacOS - Apple computer operating system. The only Apple computer operating system.
Ubuntu Linux - A popular variant of Linux used with PC and IBM compatible computers.
Google Android - operating system used with Android compatible phones.
ios - Operating system used with the Apple iphone.
Graphics Card: ... Is a plug-in card that connects to the motherboard via a PCI or AGP slot; the card contains the graphics adapter, RAM for the local memory and sockets for the required outputs.
A graphic card (Video card, Display card, Graphics Board) is an expansion card that generates a feed of images to your computer monitor. Graphic cards for computers come in one of two profiles, this allows them to be added to even smaller form factor PC's. People who use computer games a lot would benefit from a larger graphic card, simple—faster graphics. With a better video card, programs that require a lot of power for graphics processing should run faster and more smoothly, such as programs that play high-definition video, render photorealistic 3D graphics, or let you edit high-resolution pictures or video. A better card can also make the animations and other visual effects in Windows run better.
Computer input devices:... Keyboard, Mouse, Joy Stick, Light pen, Track Ball, Scanner, Graphic Tablet, Microphone.
Computer output devices:... 3D printer, Braille embosser, Braille reader, GPS, Flat panel, Headphones, Monitor, Plotter, Printer, Projector, Sound card, TV & Video card.
Software applications:... also known as Apps, is a type of software that allows you to perform different tasks.
What is Adobe Photoshop.
Adobe photoshop is the premier software of choice for many graphic designers, photographers. The software allows you to create images in layers and with layer masks & alpha channels to manipulate them to your required effect. It is a raster graphics editor. Photoshop has vast support for graphic file formats (Jpeg, Gift, png &Tiff are a few) but also uses its own PSD file format.
What is Adobe Illustrator.
Adobe Illustrator is a program used by both artists and graphic designers to create vector images. These images will then be used for company logos, promotional uses or even personal work, both in print and digital form. Many people are intimidated by Adobe Illustrator due to the fact that they believe they have no artistic skill. If you can’t draw on paper, what makes you think you can draw on the computer? While this self-doubt is certainly not the right way to look at things, Adobe Illustrator actually doesn’t require any prior knowledge of drawing or painting. You can use this program to create freehand drawings, but you can also import a photograph and use that photograph as a guide to trace and re-color a particular subject – turning it into a work of art that looks as though you drew it freehand. As a graphic designer, you can use Illustrator to easily create sleek, aesthetically pleasing company logos. Do you want to type in a circle around a particular image or logo? Not a problem! Do you want to type in the shape of the CEO’s head? You can do that as well, and it’s not as complicated as you’d assume. Illustrator is not only limited to artists and graphic designers. Those who are looking to create a web site can create a mock up through illustrator which they can use to create vector images that can be used over a wide variety of platforms. Since it is an Adobe product, Illustrator works seamlessly with other Adobe Programs in the Creative Suite. After creating your initial image, you can drag it over into Photoshop to further edit it and apply filters, or drag it over to InDesign for flawless printing and digital booklets or magazines. Want to turn your illustration into a game or animation? Import it into Flash and watch it come to life! You can even add your logo and illustrations to videos or animate them through After Effects.
Resolution.
In computers, resolution is the number of pixels (individual points of color) contained on a display monitor, expressed in terms of the number of pixels on the horizontal axis and the number on the vertical axis. The sharpness of the image on a display depends on the resolution and the size of the monitor. The same pixel resolution will be sharper on a smaller monitor and gradually lose sharpness on larger monitors because the same number of pixels are being spread out over a larger number of inches. A given computer display system will have a maximum resolution that depends on its physical ability to focus light (in which case the physical dot size - the dot pitch - matches the pixel size) and usually several lesser resolutions. For example, a display system that supports a maximum resolution of 1280 by 1023 pixels may also support 1024 by 768, 800 by 600, and 640 by 480 resolutions. Note that on a given size monitor, the maximum resolution may offer a sharper image but be spread across a space too small to read well.
Pixels.
‘Pixel’ is short for Picture Element. When we see graphic images on digital devices the display divides the screen into thousands or millions of pixels, arranged in rows and columns. Each pixel has its own address in this grid and is represented by dots or squares. Pixels build up a sample of an original image and are the smallest component of a digital image. The more pixels used to represent an image, the closer it will resemble the original. The number of pixels used to create an image is often referred to as the ‘resolution’. The best digital cameras have the highest pixel count because they produce a higher-quality image. In colour images a pixel is typically comprised of three of four colour dots – a red, a blue and a green. When these colour dots converge, they build coloured pixels. You might have spent most of your youth playing Mario games with 256 x 224 pixels – now a typical HD monitor can display 1,366 x 768 pixels.
Different File Formats.
JPG files have the file extension .jpg or .jpeg. They are the most common file type for images taken with digital cameras, and widely used for photos and other graphics used on websites.
GIF files are a format commonly used for graphics presented on websites. GIFs can contain a maximum of 256 colors, and are therefore best for images that contain simple shapes, a limited color palette, text and other elements as opposed to photos. GIF stands for Graphics Interchange Format.
PNG (pronounced ping as in ping-pong; for Portable Network Graphics) is a file format for image compression that, in time, is expected to replace the Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) that is widely used on today's Internet.
TIF is an image format file for high-quality graphics. TIF files are also called .TIFF, which stands for “Tagged Image Format File.” TIF files were created in the 1986 as a file format for scanned images in an attempt to get all companies to use one standard file format instead of multiple. Though .TIF files originally only supported black and white, the update in 1988 added a color palette. Now owned by Adobe, the TIF format is used for high color-depth images. TIF files can be compressed using LZW compression to reduce the file’s size. TIF files can be converted to .jpeg .gif or .PDF format by using Image Converter Plus.
PSD is a Photoshop design file. Technically, it stands for Photoshop Document, which is a proprietary file type from Adobe. Adobe’s Photoshop is the software most widely used for web design and works best for the design-to-code process.
AI is a file extension for a vector graphics file format used in an Adobe Illustrator drawing. Adobe Illustrator is a popular vector graphics-based drawing program. The AI format is a strictly limited, highly simplified subset of EPS. AI stands for Adobe Illustrator.
Photomontage.
Photomontage (combination printing) was first seen in the mid victorian times with “The two ways of life” by Oscar Rejiander from 1857 being the first and most famous. Henry Peach Robinson followed a year later with “Fading Away” these works were a direct challenge to the dominant painting and theatrical tableau vivants of the day. A photomontage is a group of images that have been cut and put together (pasted as in scrapbooking is an example) then photographed, with the invention of the computer this is done quite easily now this is also known as phptoshopping. Fantasy photomontage postcards were very popular in Victorian & Edwardian times with the Bamforth Company of Holmfirth, West Yorkshire & New York one of the leaders of this genre. Cubeism & the Popart period are just two to the movements that took the photomontage to another level.
Individual photographs combined together to create a new subject or visual image proved to be a powerful tool for the Dadists protesting World war 1 and the interests that they believed inspired the war. David Hockney is one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, in the early 1980's he started to produce photo collages that he called the Joiners. He done this at first using polaroid prints of a single subject which he arranged in a patchwork effect to make a single print.
With the invention of the Photoshop software in 1988 by Thomas & John Knoll, later licences to Adobe Systems. Photomontageing or collageing was made much easier, You could use many of the selection tools from the toolbox to remove required sections of an image then have them in layers which could be changed in your layers palette. Photoshop tools that can do this are Magic wand tool, Lasso tool, magnetic lasso tool, Eraser tool & Magic eraser tool to name but a few. With the layers palette you can move each image separately and have them in what order that you want. If the images are removed carefully you can make your photomontage seamless with photoshop this is now well know as "Photoshoping". Images can be scanned into your computer or downloaded so they can be imported into photoshop, this makes photomontaging very easy today.
JPG files have the file extension .jpg or .jpeg. They are the most common file type for images taken with digital cameras, and widely used for photos and other graphics used on websites.
GIF files are a format commonly used for graphics presented on websites. GIFs can contain a maximum of 256 colors, and are therefore best for images that contain simple shapes, a limited color palette, text and other elements as opposed to photos. GIF stands for Graphics Interchange Format.
PNG (pronounced ping as in ping-pong; for Portable Network Graphics) is a file format for image compression that, in time, is expected to replace the Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) that is widely used on today's Internet.
TIF is an image format file for high-quality graphics. TIF files are also called .TIFF, which stands for “Tagged Image Format File.” TIF files were created in the 1986 as a file format for scanned images in an attempt to get all companies to use one standard file format instead of multiple. Though .TIF files originally only supported black and white, the update in 1988 added a color palette. Now owned by Adobe, the TIF format is used for high color-depth images. TIF files can be compressed using LZW compression to reduce the file’s size. TIF files can be converted to .jpeg .gif or .PDF format by using Image Converter Plus.
PSD is a Photoshop design file. Technically, it stands for Photoshop Document, which is a proprietary file type from Adobe. Adobe’s Photoshop is the software most widely used for web design and works best for the design-to-code process.
AI is a file extension for a vector graphics file format used in an Adobe Illustrator drawing. Adobe Illustrator is a popular vector graphics-based drawing program. The AI format is a strictly limited, highly simplified subset of EPS. AI stands for Adobe Illustrator.
Photomontage.
Photomontage (combination printing) was first seen in the mid victorian times with “The two ways of life” by Oscar Rejiander from 1857 being the first and most famous. Henry Peach Robinson followed a year later with “Fading Away” these works were a direct challenge to the dominant painting and theatrical tableau vivants of the day. A photomontage is a group of images that have been cut and put together (pasted as in scrapbooking is an example) then photographed, with the invention of the computer this is done quite easily now this is also known as phptoshopping. Fantasy photomontage postcards were very popular in Victorian & Edwardian times with the Bamforth Company of Holmfirth, West Yorkshire & New York one of the leaders of this genre. Cubeism & the Popart period are just two to the movements that took the photomontage to another level.
Individual photographs combined together to create a new subject or visual image proved to be a powerful tool for the Dadists protesting World war 1 and the interests that they believed inspired the war. David Hockney is one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, in the early 1980's he started to produce photo collages that he called the Joiners. He done this at first using polaroid prints of a single subject which he arranged in a patchwork effect to make a single print.
With the invention of the Photoshop software in 1988 by Thomas & John Knoll, later licences to Adobe Systems. Photomontageing or collageing was made much easier, You could use many of the selection tools from the toolbox to remove required sections of an image then have them in layers which could be changed in your layers palette. Photoshop tools that can do this are Magic wand tool, Lasso tool, magnetic lasso tool, Eraser tool & Magic eraser tool to name but a few. With the layers palette you can move each image separately and have them in what order that you want. If the images are removed carefully you can make your photomontage seamless with photoshop this is now well know as "Photoshoping". Images can be scanned into your computer or downloaded so they can be imported into photoshop, this makes photomontaging very easy today.
"The Two Ways of Life" Oscar Rejiander 1857 "Fading Away" Henry Peach Robinson 1858
DADA Propaganda images from WW1
Some Contemporary artists that use Photomontage in their work.
Top left Marther Rosler, Top right Linder, Bottom left Joseph Renau & Bottom right David Hockney.
Top left Marther Rosler, Top right Linder, Bottom left Joseph Renau & Bottom right David Hockney.
These are most of the websites that I used for my research and some quoted text.