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Graphic Communications
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
these shapes. It is important for the designer to see
each element as a shape. Everything has a shape,
even emptiness.
Square, Circle, and Triangle
The three basic geometric shapes are the
square, circle, and triangle. These structured
shapes are associated with a psychological
meaning, as shown in Figure 7-6.
Do not underestimate the importance of
familiarity. The comfort of having square pages and
books provides stability. Squares are uniform and
symbolize equality.
Circles do not often appear in design outside
of logos. They are great for grabbing attention
or providing emphasis. They are complete and
suggest protectiveness.
The visual attitude portrayed by the triangle is
one of conflict or action. Often acting as an arrow
or flag to give direction, triangles also have religious
significance.
It is not that squares are boring, but unexpected
shapes can grab attention better. The fluidity of
natural or abstract shapes is good for reinforcing a
theme or giving a feeling of impulse.
Texture
The texture of a visual image is a projection
of emphasized structure or weight. When gauging
the texture of an object, the first inclination
is to touch the surface. Most often in graphic
communications, texture is visual; there is no
feeling gained through the sense of touch. However,
new kinds of substrates are becoming popular for
publications and advertising collateral that provide
an interactively tactile nature. Actual texture for a
printed image may also be produced by embossing,
which presses a shape or irregular surface into the
substrate. See Figure 7-7.
Many elements can be used to create texture,
including type, line, and shape. Patterns can have
a dramatic effect on a design. Texture varies
and depends on the structure and weight of the
individual letters, the amount of space between
lines, and the shapes in a certain space. Type as
texture can be a special display font or unique
blocks of text. See Figure 7-8.
Goodheart-Willcox Publisher
Figure 7-6. Shapes can imply a psychological meaning.
Figure 7-7. Embossing has a raised surface that is tactile as
well as visual.