Graphic Design is the applied art of arranging image and text to communicate a message. It may be applied in any media, such as print, digital media, motion pictures, animation, product decoration, packaging, and signs. Graphic design as a practice can be traced back to the origin of the written word, but only in the late 19th century did it become identified as a separate entity.

The fundamental principles of design are alignment, balance, contrast, emphasis, movement, pattern, proportion, proximity, repetition, rhythm, unity, and white space.

Modern graphic design has evolved into a profession that is done almost entirely on computers. Common tools include Apple Macintosh computers, sketch pads, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, QuarkXPress, Macromedia Freehand and Fireworks, and many other software programs.

[1] http://digitalstudio.gre.ac.uk/content/section/7/34/