Preparation of a visual representation of an idea or message, such as a print or broadcast advertisement or direct-mail promotion package, including all aspects of the final image/package desired, such as illustrations, set typefaces, colors, paper stock, or arrangement of elements on a page. The design of any promotion must incorporate the marketing objectives and strategy, the production capabilities, and the budget limitations of the advertiser.
Graphic design services can be provided by in-house staffs, advertising agencies, printers and lettershops, art studios, free-lance artists, and syndicated artwork services. An in-house staff is economical if large quantities of design work are needed but limits the advertiser to the style and skills of that pool of designers. Printer and lettershop staffs are usually adept at tailoring graphic designs to a client's printing and production capabilities. Art studios offer a diverse range of talent but at a relatively high cost. Free-lancers can produce very good quality work at a more reasonable price but may not be available when needed. Syndicated services provide identical artwork and designs to many users, who must adapt them to suit their purposes.

Graphics
1. Illustrations formed by hand design, engraving, drawing, or computer that represent the majority of visual elements in the production of advertising and audiovisual artwork, all of which work toward the clear visual expression of the finished product.

2. In television, all visuals prepared for a production, including cameracards, slides, titles, lettering, illustrations, diagrams, electronically generated symbols and letters, and all pictures, maps, charts, and graphs. Virtually every television program makes some use of television graphics.

Graphics education<
The majority of schools, colleges and universities around the world educate students on the subject of graphics and art.The subject is taught in a broad variety of ways, each course teaching its own distinctive balance of craft skills and intellectual response to the client's needs.

Some graphics courses prioritize traditional craft skills - drawing, printmaking and typography - over modern craft skills. Other courses may place an emphasis on teaching digital craft skills. Stilllother courses may downplay the crafts entirely, concentrating on training students to generate novel intellectual responses that engage with the brief. Despite these apparent differences in training and curriculum, the staff and students on any of these courses will generally consider themselves to be graphic designers.

The typical pedagogy of a graphic design (or graphic communication, visual communication, graphic arts or any number of synonymous course titles) will be broadly based on the teaching models developed in the Bauhaus school in Germany or VKhUTEMAS in Soviet Russia. The teaching model will tend to expose students to a variety of craft skills (currently everything from drawing to motion capture), combined with an effort to engage the student with the world of visual culture.

Vector Vs. Bitmap
Intricate illustrations can be made with drawing (vector) programs. However, nothing can provide the realism of an original scene unless it is photographed with an analog camera and scanned in or the picture is taken with a digital camera. (Images courtesy of Adobe Systems, Inc.)