The eLearning Center for Gatlin Education Services

Learn how to use Photoshop CS4, the gold standard for image creation and editing, as you get instruction from a Photoshop and graphic design expert with over 15 years of teaching experience. This is the ideal program if you're looking to turn your interest in art into an enjoyable and creative career.

The program begins with the fundamentals of graphic design and guides you through the design process, teaching you the terms and skills you'll need to launch your new career. You'll discover the rules and standards for effective graphic design, Web design, and photo editing, as well as useful marketing strategies for creating graphics that convey the desired message, style, and tone for future clients or for your own use.

This online certificate program is offered in partnership with major colleges, universities, and other accredited education providers.

Even in a tight job market, the need for cutting edge, professionally-designed interactive media grows—making qualified graphic designers, artists, and Web designers very much in demand. Whether freelancing as a designer or working in the art or marketing department of a major corporation, a successful career as a graphic designer requires two things: knowledge of the tools required to get the job done, and the skills to use them effectively. This program ensures that you'll have  both of these things, in conjunction with a working knowledge of the most popular application for creating and editing graphic images in the world—Photoshop CS4. You'll emerge from this program ready to create graphic images that will stand out from the competition and poised to begin a rewarding career in graphic design.

Upon successful completion of this program, you'll be able to:

• Understand the most commonly used Graphic Design concepts and terminology
• Use any tool in the Photoshop CS4 workspace
• Understand how the history of design has influenced what is popular today
• Show potential employers an impressive electronic portfolio

1. Module One - Foundations
   1. Introduction to the history and purpose of design
   2. Editing, Selecting, Layers in Photoshop
   3. Who is your customer?
   4. Whitespace and diagonals in design
2. Module Two - Diving Into Design
   1. Evaluating a design as a whole as well as seeing the individual elements
   2. Fonts and typography
   3. Going into depth on layout and on the vast subject of color
   4. Drawing/painting, Photo manipulation, color channels in Photoshop
   5. Color in print vs. color on the web
3. Module Three - Finishing the Job
   1. Working with illustrators and photographers
   2. Prepping files for print and production
   3. The Web
   4. Filters and patterns, Vector graphics, Web tools in Photoshop
   5. Developing a project and working within constraints