“Align the icons.” “Adjust the tracking.” “Export the logo with a transparent background.” When you work in Figma, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, or another design app, understanding the English instructions is part of getting the design right. This guide explains the vocabulary you need to follow tutorials, discuss changes, and describe your own work.
Graphic design vocabulary includes words for arranging objects, editing images, styling text, and preparing files. Start with shared terms such as layer, alignment, fill, stroke, and opacity, then learn application terms such as Figma components, Photoshop layer masks, and Illustrator anchor points. Practise each term in a useful instruction, such as “Duplicate the layer” or “Increase the space between the lines.”
What's your English level?
Take the test and get your certificate!
Core Graphic Design Vocabulary
The usual name of the field is graphic design, and a person who does this work is a graphic designer. Graphics refers to visual material: “The designer created the graphics for our website.”
| Term | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Canvas | The working area where you create or arrange a design. | “Zoom out to see more of the canvas.” |
| Artboard | A defined area for a design or output, particularly in Illustrator. | “Create a separate artboard for the poster.” |
| Layer | A separate level or item in a document’s stacking structure. | “Move the text layer above the photograph.” |
| Layout | The arrangement of text, images, and other elements. | “The mobile layout needs more space.” |
| Alignment | How elements line up with an edge, centre, or each other. | “Check the alignment of the headings.” |
| Hierarchy | The visual order that suggests what to notice first. | “The larger headline creates a clear hierarchy.” |
| White space | Unoccupied space around or between elements, whatever its colour. | “Leave more white space around the logo.” |
| Asset | A resource used in a design, such as an icon, photograph, or logo. | “Put the approved assets in one folder.” |
Vector and raster graphics
A vector graphic describes shapes using paths and mathematical information. Its vector shapes can be enlarged without becoming pixelated, which is useful for logos and icons. A raster image is a grid of pixels, as in a digital photograph; enlarging it can reveal its limited detail.
“Please send a vector version of the logo” asks for actual vector artwork. Placing a small photograph inside an Illustrator file does not turn that photograph into vectors. Rasterize means to convert artwork into pixels.
Everyday Design Actions in English
Tutorials often use the imperative: a verb followed by the object you should change. Learn the whole phrase, such as select the layer, rather than memorising the verb alone.
| Action | What it means | Useful instruction |
|---|---|---|
| Select | Choose an item to work on. | “Select both shapes.” |
| Duplicate | Create another copy. | “Duplicate the button.” |
| Group / ungroup | Organise objects together or separate the group. | “Group the icon and its label.” |
| Align | Line elements up. | “Align the cards to the left.” |
| Distribute | Arrange positions or gaps evenly. | “Distribute the icons evenly.” |
| Resize / scale | Change dimensions; scaling often keeps proportions. | “Scale the logo proportionally.” |
| Crop | Trim the visible area of an image. | “Crop the photo to a square.” |
| Rotate / flip | Turn an object or mirror it. | “Flip the arrow horizontally.” |
| Nudge | Move an item a small distance. | “Nudge the label slightly to the right.” |
| Lock / unlock | Prevent editing or make an item editable again. | “Lock the background layer.” |
Compare “Make the image smaller” with “Crop the image.” The first asks for smaller dimensions; the second asks to remove part of the visible composition. To avoid distortion, say, “Resize it without changing the aspect ratio,” meaning the relationship between width and height.
Figma Vocabulary: Frames, Components, and Auto Layout
Frame, component, instance, and variant
A frame is a container for design elements. It can represent a screen, a card, or a smaller part of an interface. Unlike a simple group, it supports features such as auto layout and constraints; see Figma’s explanation of frames.
A main component defines a reusable element, such as a button. An instance is a linked copy used in a design, while an override changes a supported property of that particular instance. For example: “Use an instance of the button component and change its label to Continue.” Figma’s component guide explains this relationship.
Variants are related components organised into a component set, such as small and large buttons or default and disabled states. “Switch to the disabled variant” means choose the version representing that state. The word variant does not simply mean any duplicate; see Figma’s guide to variants.
Auto layout and resizing
Auto layout arranges elements according to layout settings and responds to content changes. These expressions are useful when discussing flexible buttons, cards, and navigation.
| Term | Meaning and example |
|---|---|
| Padding | Space between a container’s edge and its contents. “Increase the button’s horizontal padding.” |
| Gap | Space between items. “Set an equal gap between the cards.” |
| Hug contents | A container sizes itself around its contents. “Set the button width to Hug contents.” |
| Fill container | A child expands into available space. “Make the input fill its container.” |
| Fixed width | The width remains at a specified value. “Give the icon a fixed width.” |
“Add padding” and “increase the gap” request different changes: one concerns the container’s inside edges, the other the space between its items. These labels follow Figma’s auto layout documentation.
Photoshop Vocabulary: Selections, Masks, and Image Editing
Photoshop instructions often describe the area being edited and how the edit is applied. Knowing the difference between a selection and a mask helps you understand the intended result.
| Term | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Selection | An area targeted for an operation. | “Make a selection around the subject.” |
| Layer mask | A mask that controls which parts of a layer are visible. | “Hide the background with a layer mask.” |
| Feather | Soften the transition at a selection or mask edge. | “Feather the edge slightly.” |
| Adjustment layer | A separate layer for changing colour or tone without directly rewriting the image pixels. | “Add a Curves adjustment layer.” |
| Smart Object | A layer that retains source content for flexible transformations and editing. | “Convert the image to a Smart Object.” |
| Retouch | Edit details to clean up or refine an image. | “Retouch the dust marks on the product.” |
| Blend mode | A rule for how a layer’s colours interact with underlying content. | “Try the Multiply blend mode.” |
| Flatten | Combine the visible result into a single background layer. | “Keep a layered copy before flattening.” |
Non-destructive editing keeps the source available so you can revise the result. A layer mask hides content without erasing it, and an adjustment layer keeps a colour change separately editable. Adobe explains these approaches in its guides to layer masks and adjustment layers.
A Smart Object preserves its source during transformations, but it does not give a small raster image unlimited detail. “Keep it as a Smart Object” asks you to retain that editing flexibility. See Adobe’s Smart Object overview.
Illustrator Vocabulary: Paths, Points, and Shapes
In Illustrator, many instructions concern the structure of vector artwork. A path consists of connected straight or curved segments; an open path has separate endpoints, while a closed path joins back to itself.
| Term | Meaning and example |
|---|---|
| Anchor point | A point defining a path segment. “Move the anchor point to reshape the icon.” |
| Handle | A control used to adjust a curve’s direction and shape. “Drag the handle to smooth the curve.” |
| Fill | The colour, gradient, or pattern inside a shape. “Change the fill to blue.” |
| Stroke | The visible line along a path. “Apply a thin black stroke.” |
| Stroke weight | The thickness of that line. “Increase the stroke weight.” |
| Pen tool | A tool for drawing paths with anchor points. “Trace the outline with the Pen tool.” |
A shape can have a fill, a stroke, both, or neither. If someone says “Remove the stroke,” they are asking you to remove the visible border, not the whole shape. Adobe’s path overview explains the underlying structure.
Clipping masks, Pathfinder, and outlined text
A clipping mask uses a shape to show only the artwork within its boundary. “Clip the photograph to a circle” describes a circular visible result without deleting the hidden photograph. See Adobe’s clipping mask guide.
Pathfinder operations combine or cut overlapping shapes. For example, Unite combines their areas, while Intersect keeps the area they share. “Unite these shapes into one silhouette” is a practical instruction; Adobe documents the Pathfinder operations.
To convert text to outlines is to turn letters into vector shapes. The result is no longer editable as ordinary text, so “Keep an editable text copy” is a useful accompanying instruction. This is different from adding a stroke around letters, as Adobe’s outline text explanation makes clear.
Typography Vocabulary: Fonts, Kerning, Tracking, and Leading
Typography is the selection and arrangement of type. You will meet this vocabulary in Figma, Photoshop, Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, and other tools that let you work with text.
| Term | Meaning and example |
|---|---|
| Typeface / font family | A related design of lettering. “Use the same font family for both headings.” |
| Font weight | The thickness of the letter strokes, such as regular or bold. “Choose a lighter weight.” |
| Serif / sans serif | Letterforms with small finishing strokes, or without them. “Try a sans serif typeface.” |
| Kerning | Spacing adjustment between a particular pair of characters. “Check the kerning between A and V.” |
| Tracking | Spacing adjustment across a range of characters. “Increase the tracking in the heading.” |
| Leading | The vertical distance between baselines of successive lines. “Increase the leading in the paragraph.” |
| Baseline | The reference line on which most letters sit. “Align the labels on the same baseline.” |
If two letters look awkward together, discuss kerning. If an entire heading feels too tightly packed, discuss tracking; if lines of a paragraph feel cramped, discuss leading or the app’s line height setting. The controls and measurements can differ, but the distinction helps you describe the problem. Adobe’s typography guide compares these spacing terms.
In typography, leading is pronounced “led-ing,” like the metal lead. You might say, “The font size is fine; please increase the leading so the paragraph is easier to read.”
Colour and Appearance: Opacity, Contrast, and Gradients
A colour palette is the set of colours selected for a design. A swatch is a saved colour or other reusable fill sample, while a gradient changes gradually between colours. “Use the brand palette and apply a subtle gradient to the background” combines all three ideas.
Hue identifies the colour family, such as blue or green. Saturation describes colour intensity, so “reduce the saturation” asks for a less vivid result. These terms appear in Adobe’s colour picker documentation.
Opacity describes how opaque an element is: a 100% setting adds no extra transparency, while a lower setting makes the element more transparent. Transparent areas already present in an image remain transparent. Contrast describes differences between elements, such as light text against a dark background. “Increase the contrast” and “increase the opacity” therefore request different changes.
RGB and CMYK
RGB stands for red, green, and blue, the components of an additive colour model used for screens. CMYK stands for cyan, magenta, yellow, and key (black), the process inks used in many print workflows. Adobe’s colour mode guide explains their different uses.
“Export the web image in RGB” and “Check the printer’s required colour profile” are useful requests. A colour profile describes how colour values should be interpreted for a particular colour space or output condition. Confirm the print provider’s specifications before converting a file, because the required workflow can vary.
Files, Export, and Print Vocabulary
Save usually means preserve your working document, while export means create an output in a chosen format or at particular settings. Keep the editable source file as well as the output: “Save the layered PSD, then export a JPEG for review.”
| Format or term | What to understand |
|---|---|
| PSD | A Photoshop document that can retain layers and editing information. |
| AI | An Illustrator document format. In “Send the AI file,” AI refers to the file type. |
| SVG | A format commonly used for scalable vector icons and logos; it can also contain embedded raster images. |
| PNG | A raster format that supports transparency. Export settings and the artwork determine whether the background is transparent. |
| JPEG / JPG | A raster format commonly used for photographs, with lossy compression and no alpha transparency. |
| A document format that can contain text, vector artwork, and raster images. Print suitability depends on its contents and settings. | |
| Compression | Reducing stored data. Lossy compression discards information; lossless compression preserves the encoded image data. |
Pixel dimensions, resolution, PPI, and DPI
Pixel dimensions give an image’s width and height in pixels, such as 1200 × 800. Resolution can refer to different measurements, so a precise request states both the intended output and the units. For a web asset, ask, “What pixel dimensions do you need?”
PPI means pixels per inch; for print, it relates image pixels to the physical size at which they will appear. DPI means dots per inch and describes a printer’s dot density. For example, an image 1800 pixels wide placed at 6 inches wide has 300 PPI. Changing its PPI setting without resampling does not add image detail. See Adobe’s PPI explanation.
Bleed, trim, and safe area
Bleed is artwork extending beyond the intended cut edge so small cutting variations do not leave an unwanted white border. Trim refers to the final cut boundary, and crop marks or trim marks show where cutting should occur. Adobe’s print marks and bleed guide explains their relationship.
The safe area is the area inside the trim where important content is kept away from the edge. A useful request is, “Extend the background into the bleed and keep the text inside the safe area.” Ask the print provider for the required distances rather than assuming one measurement fits every job.
Talking About Feedback, Revisions, and Handoffs
A revision is a change to an existing design, while feedback is information or comments intended to help improve it. A deliverable is an agreed item to provide, such as a logo file or a set of banners. A handoff is the transfer of designs, files, and relevant information to the next person, such as a developer.
A mood board collects visual references for a direction. A wireframe focuses on a screen’s structure, a mockup presents its visual appearance or shows a design in context, and a prototype demonstrates intended behaviour or interaction. These words also help when discussing projects made in Canva, Sketch, InDesign, or other design tools, although individual app features differ.
Giving specific feedback
“Make it better” leaves the designer guessing. Identify the element, the change, and the reason: “Could you increase the heading size so it stands out from the body text?” Body text means the main reading text, as opposed to headings or labels.
Reviewer: “The cards feel crowded. Could you increase the gap between them?”
Designer: “Certainly. Should I also increase the padding inside each card?”
Reviewer: “Keep the padding as it is. I only mean the space between the cards.”
Clarifying a file request
Client: “Can you send the logo in high resolution?”
Designer: “Will you use it on a website or in print?”
Client: “On the website, without a white background.”
Designer: “Would you prefer an SVG or a transparent PNG? If you need a PNG, what pixel dimensions should it have?”
Learn handoff as a noun and hand off as a verb: “The handoff is tomorrow” and “I’ll hand off the approved files tomorrow.” Similarly, mockup names a result, while mock up describes making one: “Could you mock up the homepage?”
Common English Mistakes in Design Conversations
Technical knowledge is easier to communicate when the surrounding English is natural. The corrections below address frequent word combinations and grammatical patterns.
| Avoid | Use instead | Why |
|---|---|---|
| “I am a graphics designer.” | “I am a graphic designer.” | The standard job title uses singular graphic. |
| “Please give me a feedback.” | “Please give me some feedback.” | Feedback is normally uncountable. |
| “I did a revision to the layout.” | “I revised the layout.” | Revise is a direct, natural verb here. |
| “Export it on PNG.” | “Export it as a PNG.” | Use as for the output format. |
| “Make the background transparence.” | “Make the background transparent.” | Transparent is the adjective; transparency is the noun. |
| “Align the icon with left.” | “Align the icon to the left.” | Use to for this direction; say “align it with the heading” for a reference object. |
Pay attention to prepositions in short requests: apply a mask to a layer, align an icon with a label, and export a file as a PDF. Repeating these complete patterns helps you use the terminology naturally.
Practise Graphic Design Vocabulary
Complete each sentence with a term from the word bank. Use each term once, then check the explanations below.
Word bank: anchor point, bleed, crop, feedback, gap, instance, kerning, layer mask, leading, padding.
- Adjust the ______ between A and V so that this pair looks balanced.
- Increase the ______ to give the paragraph’s lines more vertical space.
- Add more ______ between the button label and the button’s inside edges.
- Increase the ______ between the three cards.
- Use an ______ of the main component for the second button.
- Add a ______ to hide part of the photograph without erasing it.
- Move the ______ to change the shape of the vector path.
- Extend the background into the ______ beyond the final cut edge.
- Please ______ the photograph to remove the empty area on the right.
- Could you give me some ______ on the revised layout?
Answers and explanations
1. Kerning: the request concerns one character pair. 2. Leading: the change concerns vertical line spacing. 3. Padding: the space is inside the button’s edges. 4. Gap: the space is between separate cards. 5. Instance: this is a linked use of a component.
6. Layer mask: the hidden content remains available. 7. Anchor point: changing its position reshapes the path. 8. Bleed: the background extends beyond the cut boundary. 9. Crop: part of the visible composition is removed. 10. Feedback: use “some feedback,” without an indefinite article.
Describe a small design task
Imagine that a colleague is preparing a product card with a photograph, a heading, and a button. Write three instructions: one about spacing, one about typography, and one about export. Include the element being changed in every instruction.
Example answer: “Increase the gap between the photograph and the heading. Reduce the heading’s tracking slightly. Export the finished card as a PNG at the requested pixel dimensions.” For more practice outside design, explore the English vocabulary lessons.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I say graphic design or graphics design?
Use graphic design for the field and graphic designer for the profession. Use graphics for visual material: “She created the graphics for the presentation.”
Which design terms should I learn first?
Start with layer, select, move, resize, crop, align, fill, stroke, and export. Then learn the terms that match your current task, such as components for reusable interface elements or masks for image editing. Use each word in a sentence describing something you actually do.
Are Figma, Photoshop, and Illustrator terms interchangeable?
Some terms, including layer, opacity, and alignment, describe related ideas across apps. Others have specific meanings or behaviours, such as Figma instances and Photoshop Smart Objects. Learn the shared meaning first, then check how the particular tool uses it.
What is the difference between a mockup and a prototype?
A mockup typically presents appearance, such as a screen design or a logo shown on packaging. A prototype demonstrates intended behaviour, such as what happens when a user clicks a button. When a request is unclear, ask whether the person needs a static visual or an interactive demonstration.
