Unit 3O:

Digital
Graphics
P1&M1

Roksana Rzezniczak

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Table of Contents
Introduction ................................................................................................................................. P.2

Graphical hardware ................................................................................................................ P.2-4

Storage media ........................................................................................................................... P.4-5

Photo editing software ........................................................................................................... P.5-6

References .............................................................................................................................. P.7-8

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Introduction
In this report I will write about graphical hardware and software. For graphics, I will explain
what each type of graphic is, how it is used and what difference does it make in graphic
production. I will also compare the different types of storage media and photo editing
software.
Graphical hardware
Screen: A computer screen is a physical surface which displays visual information and
graphic images to the user. To do this the screen uses the cathode ray tube (CRT). The
cathode ray tube is a vacuum tube made up of one or more electron guns, and a
phosphorescent screen used to view images (1). It is able to speed up and deflect the
electron beam(s) onto the screen to make images (1). First
ever computers made came with large CRT monitors,
whereas now we can purchase computers with small, flat
monitors, and these are much cheaper and produce clearer
images. The prices of screens vary depending on the size
and features of the screen, such as whether it is touch
screen or not. For example, a monitor with only a
1600x1200 screen resolution costs about 100.00, in
(14)
contrast to a monitor with a 1600x1200 screen resolution which is about 500.

Graphics tablet / mouse: A graphics tablet is hardware

input device that allows the user to draw/sketch or write
digitally using a special pen (2). A mouse is an input
device that allows the user to control the pointer on the
screen. Moving the mouse also moves the pointer in the
same direction. Clicking on a link or a folder using the
(15)
mouse can help you to open up a link or folder. Using a
graphics tablet/mouse is better for computer artists
because it provides a more natural and precise feel than a
traditional mouse. Therefore, you can create images much more easily and more
accurately than using a mouse as it enables you to add in more detail (2). For this reason
a graphic tablet is much more expensive from a traditional mouse. You can purchase a
normal mouse for less than 5.
Digital camera: A digital camera stores images in
digital form, rather than recording them on a film (3).
These stored images can be downloaded to a
computer system and edited within a photo editing
software package like Photoshop. They can also be
(16)
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then printed using a printer. Moreover, you can store them on external devices, such us a
USB, and share them with others by making copies of the photos.
Scanner: A scanner is a hardware input device that allows the user to capture images
from photographic prints, posters, magazine pages etc. (4). A scanner can be connected
to a computer via a USB, Firewire, Parallel or a SCSI
port. Some scanners may scan pictures in
black-and-white only, whilst others may scan them in
colour depending on the type of scanner (4).
Additionally, most scanners will come with software,
such as Adobe's Photoshop, to enable the user to
modify the image before scanning.

USB storage device: A USB is a portable storage

device on which you can store your data and files (5). It uses flash memory for this and(17)
is
light to carry, which means that you can carry copies of your data and files anywhere you
want. It is an alternative to a floppy disk, Zip drive disk or CD. In order to connect it to a
computer, you place it into the USB port for the computer system to recognise the device
as a removable drive. In contrast to most removable drives, a USB drive does not have to
be rebooted after it is placed into the USB port. Also, it does not have to be charged and is
not platform dependant. However, there are different types of USB's. The size of each
varies depending on how much, as a user, you would like to store on it. One type of USB
is called an external hard drive. This type of USB has large
capacity and is often powered by external power supplies (5). A
USB Flash drive is the type of USB which you can carry with you at
all times (5). This is because the physical size of each USB flash
drive is small, so that it can fit into your pocket, or so that you can
attach it to your keyring. Moreover, they are powered by nothing
(18)
else other than the USB connection.
Graphics card: A graphics card is a card which allows the user to view images on the
computer screen. To do this the graphic card changes data into a signal which the monitor
is able to understand. There are different types
of graphic cards: integrated and discrete (6).
An integrated graphic card is a graphic card
which is built into the motherboard (6). Most
standard laptops and computers have this built
in them. The advantage of an integrated
graphic card is that it is cost-effective.
(19)
However, this type of graphic card is usually
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hard to upgrade. A discrete graphic card is installed on to the motherboard as an extra

component (6). In particular, this card is mainly used for gaming and video editing, as it
accelerates the image processing time.
Processor: A processor is a small chip that responds to and processes information that
drives a computer. It is also known as the 'central processing unit' (CPU). Most desktop
computers come with a CPU developed by either Intel
or
AMD, both of which use the x86 processor architecture
(7).
Modern processors often include more than one
processing cores, which work together to process
information. Processors that include two cores are
known as dual-core processors. Processors with four
(20)
cores are known as quad-core processors (7).
RAM: Ram stands for 'random access memory'. It is a hardware device that can store
and retrieve data. This type of memory can be accessed randomly instead of
sequentially, that means that any byte of memory can be accessed without touching the
preceding bytes (8). The only disadvantage of RAM is
that it requires power to keep the data accessible (8).
(21)

Storage media
Type of storage

Evaluation

CD-ROM

Speed: Medium
Capacity: 700MB
Portability: Very portable
Cost: Very cheap
Pros: Can be read in any CD-ROM drive
Cons: Can only be written once

Hard Drive

Speed: Fast
Capacity: 20 Gb- 2Tb
Portability: Quite portable
Cost: Expensive
Pros: Fast data transfer
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Cons: Usually not portable

Flash Card

Speed: Fairly Fast

Capacity: Up to 16 Gb
Portability: Very portable
Cost: Fairly cheap
Pros: Can be used in many different devices
Cons: Requires an accessible slot of the correct type

USB Storage

Speed: Fast
Capacity: Up to 1000 GB
Portability: Very portable
Cost: Fairly cheap
Pros: Fast data transfer and can be carried everywhere

Photo editing software

Type of software

Description

Vector graphics software

Vector graphics software, such as Corel Draw,

allows the user to create images and edit photos
within the program. For example, you might
change the shape, colour, size and position of an
object using the graphics package (9). Therefore,
vector graphics softwares are useful for creating
things like diagrams. The advantage of using
vector graphics is that they are small in size so do
not require a lot of memory (9). Vector graphics
are scalable, which means that they do not lose its
quality when edited. Moreover, vector images
mainly consist of shapes, such as squares and
circles. Each element can be grouped together if
the user needs to do so (9). However, in contrast
to bitmaps, vector graphics use more processing
power.

Bitmap software

A bitmap is basically the display space and the

colour for each pixel. GIF and JPEG are graphic
image file types that consist of bitmaps (10). When
you take a picture using a digital camera you are
creating a bitmap graphic. Bitmap requires
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information on any new colour-code for each pixel

on every row. Therefore, a graphic with solid
colour doesn't require a large bitmap (10). It is
possible to edit each pixel using bitmap software,
such as Paint. However, in contrast to vector
graphics, bitmap graphics cannot be rescaled as
they will lose their quality, and elements cannot be
grouped together. This is because bitmap uses a
fixed or raster graphics technique of specifying an
image. Consequently, the user may design an
image using vector graphics, and then convert it
into bitmap to ensure good quality (10).

Photo manipulation software

Photo manipulation softwares allow the user to

edit their photos using a computer. Unlike on
vector graphic and bitmap software, on photo
manipulation software you can edit large pixel
images and adjust their quality through editing. An
example of photo manipulation software is Adobe
Photoshop. Photoshop consists of plenty of tools
used to edit or retouch an image, and to create an
image from scratch. Many users of Photoshop use
it to correct their photographs, for example by
fixing the 'red eye' effect (11). Photoshop
professionals can do anything from changing the
lightning, colour and even people on a photograph.
Some artists even use Photoshop in order to
achieve artistic effects or to clean up rough or
unfinished images (11).

Graphics facilities embedded

within other applications

Microsoft Publisher is a graphic design application,

similar to Microsoft Word, although it focuses more
on page layout and design, rather than writing and
formatting (12). Microsoft Publisher users manly
use it for creating leaflets, booklets, brochures,
logos, etc. In contrast to photo manipulation
software, graphics facilitates are very popular
amongst small businesses, but not so much by
large business, as they have a limited number of
features. In comparison to photo manipulation
software, graphics packages deal with both small
and large images and the image quality can be
adjusted through editing.

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References
1. Cathode ray tube https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathode_ray_tube Date accessed:
06/04/2016
2. Graphics tablet http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/g/graptabl.htm Date
accessed: 06/04/2016
3. Digital cameras
http://searchmobilecomputing.techtarget.com/definition/digital-camera Date
accessed: 06/04/2016
4. Scanner http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/scanner Date accessed:
06/04/2016
5. USB http://www.ehow.com/about_5379074_usb-storage-devices.html Date
accessed: 06/04/2016
6. Graphics card http://www.ebuyer.com/blog/2015/04/what-is-a-graphics-card/ Date
accessed: 07/04/2016
7. Processor http://techterms.com/definition/processor Date accessed: 07/04/2016
8. RAM http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/r/ram.htm Date accessed: 07/04/2016
9. Vector graphics http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/V/vector_graphics.html Date
accessed: 08/04/2016
10. Bit map http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/bit-map Date accessed: 08/04/2016
11. Photo manipulation
http://www.ehow.co.uk/about_6715625_photo-manipulation-software_.html Date
accessed: 08/04/2016
12. Microsoft Publisher
https://www.techopedia.com/definition/13140/microsoft-publisher Date accessed:
08/04/2016
13. Comparison of backing storage
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/standard/computing/computer_systems/current_ba
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20/04/2016
15. LCD Display Tablets
http://www.teamworkphoto.com/wacom-2200-graphics-tablet-p-15530.html Date
accessed: 20/04/2016
16. Digital cameras
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Digital-Cameras/b?ie=UTF8&node=560836 Date
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accessed: 20/04/2016
17. Scanner
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/epson-perfection-v370-flatbed-photo-scanner-with-b
uilt-in-transparency-unit-black/8291124.p?id=1218888262634&skuId=8291124
Date accessed: 20/04/2016
18. Amazon best sellers
http://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Electronics-USB-Flash-Drives/zgbs/electro
nics/3151491 Date accessed: 20/04/2016
19. The GPU http://computer.howstuffworks.com/graphics-card1.htm Date accessed:
20/04/2016
20. The system unit https://dennywork.wordpress.com/week-2-activity/ Date
accessed: 20/04/2016
21. Data storage
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/ict/hardware/1datastoragerev1.shtml
Date accessed: 20/04/2016

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