Glossary of Graphic Design Apps. Terms and Acronyms

Important Links to Related Pages

1.      Return to Explore the 32 Category Master List of Productivity Software Applications

2.      See our Side-by-Side Comparison of Graphic Design Applications

3.      Return to the Graphic Design Applications Category List

4.      Scan Through the List of Graphic Design Applications FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

🎨 Glossary: Graphic Design Software – Category-Specific Terms

Artboard

A defined workspace or canvas area where designs are created—used in tools like Illustrator, Figma, and Sketch.

Bleed

The extra area beyond the edge of a document to allow for printing and trimming without white margins.

CMYK

A color model used in print design—stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black.

Color Palette

A curated set of colors used consistently across a design or brand project.

Crop Marks

Lines placed at the corners of a print layout to indicate where the paper should be trimmed.

Export

The process of saving a design in a specific format (e.g., JPG, PNG, PDF, SVG) for use outside the app.

Flat Design

A minimalist design style using two-dimensional elements and bright colors—commonly used in UI and web design.

Grid System

A framework of columns and rows that helps align elements in a layout, improving visual consistency.

Layers

Stacked elements or objects that can be edited independently. Common in Photoshop, GIMP, and Sketch.

Masking

Technique used to hide or reveal parts of an image or layer without deleting any data.

Path

A line or shape created using vector points, editable in tools like Illustrator, Inkscape, and Affinity Designer.

Pixelation

A visible loss of image quality where individual pixels become noticeable—common when scaling up raster images.

Raster Graphics

Pixel-based images such as photographs. Tools like Photoshop and GIMP work with raster formats.

Resolution

The amount of detail an image holds, typically measured in DPI (dots per inch) or pixels. High resolution is important for print.

Smart Object

A non-destructive layer in Photoshop that retains source content, allowing scalable and flexible edits.

Typography

The art and technique of arranging type, including font selection, spacing, and alignment.

Vector Graphics

Scalable designs created using paths and shapes rather than pixels. Ideal for logos, icons, and print materials.

Wireframe

A low-fidelity layout of a web or app interface, outlining structure and flow without final design details.

Workspace

The user-defined layout of panels, tools, and canvases within a design app.

🔤 Glossary of Acronyms – Graphic Design Software

AI – Adobe Illustrator file format

Also refers more broadly to Artificial Intelligence, increasingly present in graphic design tools (e.g., background removal, generative fill).

DPI – Dots Per Inch

A measure of print resolution. 300 DPI is standard for high-quality print materials.

EPS – Encapsulated PostScript

A vector file format used for logos and print graphics.

GIF – Graphics Interchange Format

A compressed image format supporting simple animation.

PDF – Portable Document Format

A universal file format often used for sharing print-ready documents and designs.

PSD – Photoshop Document

The native file format for Adobe Photoshop, preserving layers, masks, and effects.

RGB – Red, Green, Blue

A color model used for digital screens. Design for web or mobile typically uses RGB color mode.

SVG – Scalable Vector Graphics

An XML-based vector format ideal for responsive graphics and web icons.

UI – User Interface

The visual layout of elements a user interacts with in a digital product.

UX – User Experience

Refers to how users interact with and feel about a design or product interface.

XD – Adobe XD file format

Used for UI/UX design and prototyping in Adobe XD.

Important Links to Related Pages

1.      Return to Explore the 32 Category Master List of Productivity Software Applications

2.      See our Side-by-Side Comparison of Graphic Design Applications

3.      Return to the Graphic Design Applications Category List

4.      Scan Through the List of Graphic Design Applications FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)