Introduction to Texture as an Element of Design

Lesson 4 - Identify Textures

For desktop publishing, actual texture is the feel of the paper. Is it smooth to the touch or rough? Textures can also be visual. On the Web, especially, backgrounds that simulate familiar fabrics, stone, and other textures are common.

Certain printing and finishing techniques such as thermography and embossing can add both actual and visual textures to a printed piece.

Go through your sample folder of ads, newsletters, business cards, books, and other projects looking for as many different types of actual and visual textures as you can find. Can you tell by looking whether a paper will be soft and smooth or rougher? Are the visual textures used in place of actual papers of that texture or do they relate in some way to the purpose of the printed piece (such as a stone texture for a tile company)? See and feel the difference in textures on embossed pieces or other types of raised printing.

Exercise
Find four examples of textures as follows:

1. actual smooth paper
2. actual rough paper
3. visual texture (simulated fabric, stone, or even water etc. printed on the paper)
4. an example of thermography or embossing
   or, Alternately for item 3, browse the Web and find a Web page with a simulated textured background.

Separate these four (or more) examples in your Class Samples collection before going on to the next lesson.

Remember, this first set of lessons is an introduction to each of the elements of design. You'll be taking an in-depth look at texture^* and other elements in subsequent classes in this course.

Next > Lesson 5 - Introduction to Color

_{Elements of Design Classes > Introduction to the Elements of Design > Lines > Shapes > Mass > Introduction to Texture}

^*If you found this page via search and are not following this lesson-by-lesson course on the Elements of Design, jump to the in-depth lessons on texture for more detailed information.