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There are two different graphic types which are the most commonly used and they are a vector or a bitmap.

Vectors are made up of different lines, curves and shapes called objects. When magnified a vector image will keep its quality so the image will not become blurry and distorted when zoomed in. Vectors use file formats which save all the objects and they are AIs, PSDs and PDFs. This graphic type is normally used for shapes and titles so they are more appropriate for brochures & vinyl designs for things like vans.

Bitmaps are composed of lots of pixels which makes the file size very large as each pixel is often many different colours. When you resize a bitmap graphic, it tends to lose quality and become distracted when zoomed in. Bitmaps use different file formats to vectors as they use pixels and the file formats are JPEGs, GIFs and PNGs. This graphic type is used for photographs and images on the brochures and posters.

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1. Computer systems

I think that the best computer system needed to create graphic images would be the MacBook Pro as it marks all the requirements for a good graphics design computer. I would recommend the 15 inch screen version of the MacBook Pro as it has space on screen for you to complete graphic images compared to the 13 inch screen which is smaller and does make a big difference when making designs. As the computer is a laptop, it is very portable and allows you to create graphic images on the move with its large battery life, which lasts up to 8 hours charge and will be very useful when considering ideas for the promotional materials for The Kingswood School.  With the retina display, the MacBook Pro allows you to see everything as razor sharp with the 2880x1800 resolution and its pixel-for-pixel accuracy which will give you the best experience when designing graphic images. The MacBook Pros Intel Core i7 processor helps you make quick work of large design tasks in professional apps such as Photoshop, thanks to speeds of up to 2.6GHz which can Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.8GHz. The 16GB of super-fast 1600MHz memory can help you take of any tasks as you can run multiple programmes at the same time and still have top class performance from the MacBook Pro. The Multi-Touch track pad and backlit keyboard allow you to interact with your Mac by using intuitive gestures; you can switch between apps, navigate your content and get the most out of your computer and the MacBook Pro is designed to sensor changes in ambient light and adjusts the keyboard and display brightness automatically which can allow to be up for as long as you want designing graphic images and you will never be left in the dark. 

The limitations for the computer systems are that the price of the MacBook Pro is quite high considering the other choices on the market, although it is a good choice for your computer system if you have the funds to pay for the product. The MacBook Pro only has a choice between 13 inch display or a 15 inch display which can be seen as a limitation if you are expecting a bigger display on your computer system. The keyboard and trackpad which are designed on the MacBook Pro could be a limitation as it is already designed into the MacBook Pro so if you wanted to use a different keyboard/mouse then it would have to placed into the USB slots which could make the computer system less portable.

2. Input devices

I think that the best camera needed to create graphics images would be the Canon EOS Rebel T3i 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera as it is a good camera considering the price you can purchase it for. With class-leading 18 megapixel resolution, user friendly design, a number of different lenses and accessories, the Canon EOS Rebel is the perfect choice for any graphic designer. With the price ranging from £300-500, it’s a good price for the quality of the camera you are receiving. 

I think that the best scanner needed to create graphic design would be the Canon CanoScan 9000F Mark II as it is one of the best flatbed scanners on the market. The CanoScan offers simple, fast and versatile scanning of exceptional quality with a number of impressive feature including zero-warm up and auto image correction. The scanner has a scanning resolution of 9600x9600dpi which is super high quality for graphic images and perfect for creating promotional materials for The Kingswood School. The price of the scanner can range from £100-200 which is a good price for the quality you are receiving from the scanner.

The limitations of the input devices are that the quality of the camera may be limited due to the megapixel resolution not being able to produce a large high quality image. Another limitation could be that the scanner is not able to produce a high quality scan due to the quality of the scanner not being quite good enough. The scanner may not be large enough to fit on all types of images which can be larger than the scanner.

3. Output devices

I think that the best printer used to print high quality graphic images would be the Canon Pixma Pro 100 as it is one of the best choices for a high quality printer that can offer outstanding photo quality, fast print speeds and support for a wide range of media. The Pixma Pro has 4800dpi high resolution photo printing that can allow you to produce perfect quality prints that are perfect for any graphics designer and will be suitable for the job. With an 8-ink dye-based system, the printer can allow you to only change the ink which runs out which means that the printer can last for much longer and print off more prints than any other normal printer. The printer can also print via WiFi and directly onto discs which will be very helpful when wanting to share your designs digitally to the Kingswood School. The price of the printer can range from £150-300 which is a decent price for the printer considering the amount of impressive features which it includes.

I think that the best vinyl cutter used to cut high quality graphic images would be the RK500C. This vinyl cutter can be used to cut sticker and decal vinyl, stencils, vinyl lettering and much more. The vinyl cutter can cut up to 1000dpi resolution with the cutting size up to 400 mm which is an ideal size and resolution for creating graphic images. The vinyl cutter has been designed for office/home use so it can be easily set up and used when you want to cut out vinyl designs for the Kingswood School.


The limitations of the output devices are that the printer may not be able to produce the best quality images available but for the price of the printer it is expected that the images won't be of the highest quality. The printer may also not be able to print over A4 due to the size limitations which could be a problem when wanting to print designs onto A3 or bigger. Another limitation could be that the vinyl cutter is hard to buy and the price can vary depending on the quality of the product.

4. Storage

I think that the best type of external hard drive which would be used as storage for graphic designs would be the Seagate Backup Plus Portable Drive for Mac. The Seagate Backup Plus is specially designed to work with Macs so it is ideal for the recommended computer system and it comes with a large amount of space which can range from 1TB-4TB which is more than enough for all the graphic designs that will be produced. The price can range from <£100 which is a very good deal for the amount of memory you are getting.

The limitations of the storage devices are that the storage device can not be used on PCs as it is designed for Macs. The device could also get corrupted and it is nearly impossible to get the contents back off of the hard drive.

5. Software

I think that the best software used to create vectors for graphic images would be Adobe Illustrator as it is one of the best vectors creating software that is highly rated by many graphic designers. The programme allows you to create high quality vector images which can be used for things like vinyl logos and it is the best option on the market for graphic designers.

I think that the best software used to create bitmaps for graphic images would be Adobe Photoshop as it is one of the most professional bitmap software products out there on the market. The programme is the best option available if you want to design bitmap images so I would recommend purchasing this as it allows you to create high quality bitmaps to use.

I think that the best software for desktop publishing would be Adobe InDesign as it’s the best option for desktop publishing software available to graphic designers. It can be used as a programme to produce posters, flyers, brochures, magazines, newspapers and books. It is one of the top programmes available so I would highly recommend you use this when creating promotional materials for The Kingswood School.

All three of these software products are included in the Adobe Collection which you can purchase so this allows you to buy them all together and have all the tools available to create your graphic images for The Kingswood School.

The limitations of the software are that the price of the Adobe Collection can be very large comparing to other free products available on the market. Another limitation is that the software can be hard to learn and difficult to master all of the tricks and trades of the software.