Graphic Elements of Design: Color Theory and Image Formats (Coursera)

Graphic Elements of Design: Color Theory and Image Formats (Coursera)

Examining and exploring the various types of images and graphic elements will be the focus of this course. We will start with color theory to distinguish between CMYK, Pantone and RGB color options and their usages. Then we will review the various types of images used in both print and digital design projects. Finally we will look at logo designs to determine what makes for the best images and graphic elements for corporate branding and imaging.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see Coursera's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

Course 2 of 4 in the Graphic Design Elements for Non-Designers Specialization.
What You Will Learn

  • Discriminate between CMYK, Pantone and RGB color options.
  • Categorize the various kind of image files and understand their usages.
  • Recognize the ideal (and less than ideal) combination of graphics and text in logo design.

Syllabus

WEEK 1
Understanding Color Theory
This module will cover color theories, including CMYK, RGB, Pantone and hex colors.

WEEK 2
Classifications of Images and Graphics
This module will review common image and graphic files, including the difference between raster and vector images.

WEEK 3
Combining Images with Type
This module will cover how to convert image colors and ways to find images online. You will get to use skills learned in designing a color advertisement.

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Fundamentals of Graphic Design (Coursera) Coursera
California Institute of the Arts

Fundamentals of Graphic Design (Coursera)

Graphic Design is all around us! Words and pictures—the building blocks of graphic design—are the elements that carry the majority of the content in both the digital world and the printed world. As graphic design becomes more visible and prevalent in our lives, graphic design as a practice becomes more important in our culture. Through visual examples, this course will teach you the fundamental principles of graphic design: imagemaking, typography, composition, working with color and shape... foundational skills that are common in all areas of graphic design practice.

Aug 24th 2026
4 Weeks
VLSI CAD Part I: Logic (Coursera) Coursera
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

VLSI CAD Part I: Logic (Coursera)

A modern VLSI chip has a zillion parts -- logic, control, memory, interconnect, etc. How do we design these complex chips? Answer: CAD software tools. Learn how to build thesA modern VLSI chip is a remarkably complex beast: billions of transistors, millions of logic gates deployed for computation and control, big blocks of memory, embedded blocks of pre-designed functions designed by third parties (called “intellectual property” or IP blocks). How do people manage to design these complicated chips? Answer: a sequence of computer aided design (CAD) tools takes an abstract description of the chip, and refines it step-wise to a final design.

Aug 24th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Image and video processing: From Mars to Hollywood with a stop at the hospital (Coursera) Coursera
Duke University

Image and video processing: From Mars to Hollywood with a stop at the hospital (Coursera)

In this course, you will learn the science behind how digital images and video are made, altered, stored, and used. We will look at the vast world of digital imaging, from how computers and digital cameras form images to how digital special effects are used in Hollywood movies to how the Mars Rover was able to send photographs across millions of miles of space.

Sep 7th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Digital Thread: Components (Coursera) Coursera
University at Buffalo,The State University of New York

Digital Thread: Components (Coursera)

This course will help you recognize how the "digital thread" is the backbone of the digital manufacturing and design (DM&D) transformation, turning manufacturing processes from paper-based to digital-based. You will have a working understanding of the digital thread – the stream that starts at product concept and continues to accumulate information and data throughout the product’s life cycle – and identify opportunities to leverage it.

Aug 31st 2026
3 Weeks
Create a Storyboard using Canva (Coursera) Coursera
Coursera Project Network

Create a Storyboard using Canva (Coursera)

By the end of this project, you will learn how to create a storyboard from scratch using the free version of Canva. Storyboards are sequential breakdowns of each shot for a visual presentation. A visual presentation can include animation, live-action video, sales and marketing pitches. We can use Canva to complete this project because it provides all the tools you need to create an organized and visually appealing product while offering a variety of options for sharing and collaboration.

Aug 24th 2026
Self-Paced
Visual Elements of User Interface Design (Coursera) Coursera
California College of the Arts

Visual Elements of User Interface Design (Coursera)

This design-centric course examines the broad question of what an interface is and what role a designer plays in creating a user interface. Learning how to design and articulate meaning using color, type, and imagery is essential to making interfaces function clearly and seamlessly. Through a series of lectures and visual exercises, you will focus on the many individual elements and components that make up the skillset of an interface designer. By the end of this course, you will be able to describe the key formal elements of clear, consistent, and intuitive UI design, and apply your learned skills to the design of a static screen-based interface.

Aug 24th 2026
4 Weeks
Introduction to Typography (Coursera) Coursera
California Institute of the Arts

Introduction to Typography (Coursera)

Typography is the art of manipulating the visual form of language to enrich and control its meaning. It’s an essential area of skill and knowledge for graphic designers. Typography predates modern graphic design by around 500 years; it is rich in rules, conventions, and esoteric terminology—but it remains an exciting space for invention and expression.

Aug 24th 2026
4 Weeks
Camera and Imaging (Coursera) Coursera
Columbia University

Camera and Imaging (Coursera)

This course covers the fundamentals of imaging – the creation of an image that is ready for consumption or processing by a human or a machine. Imaging has a long history, spanning several centuries. But the advances made in the last three decades have revolutionized the camera and dramatically improved the robustness and accuracy of computer vision systems. We describe the fundamentals of imaging, as well as recent innovations in imaging that have had a profound impact on computer vision.

Aug 24th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Graphic Design (Coursera) Coursera
University of Colorado Boulder

Graphic Design (Coursera)

Welcome to Graphic Design, the second course in the Effective Communications Specialization. Over 70 different companies have provided this specialization to their employees as a resource for internal professional development. Why? Because employers know that effective visual communication is the key to attracting an audience, building a relationship, and closing the sale. "This course is fantastic. It teaches a great amount of starter graphic design information but it is broken down into easily understood videos and quizzes. The quality was top notch and the interaction was as good as you would get in a brick and mortar school. I did not feel like I was missing anything by taking it online." - a recent Graphic Design student.

Aug 24th 2026
4 Weeks
Digital Manufacturing & Design (Coursera) Coursera
University at Buffalo,The State University of New York

Digital Manufacturing & Design (Coursera)

This course will expose you to the transformation taking place, throughout the world, in the way that products are being designed and manufactured. The transformation is happening through digital manufacturing and design (DM&D) – a shift from paper-based processes to digital processes in the manufacturing industry. By the end of this course, you’ll understand what DMD is and how it is impacting careers, practices and processes in companies both large and small.

Aug 31st 2026
2 Weeks
3D Printing Software (Coursera) Coursera
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

3D Printing Software (Coursera)

This course will demonstrate how to use 3D printing software to create digital designs that can be turned into physical objects. It will also demonstrate how 3D scanners work to turn physical objects into digital designs. This course is hands-on in nature and will provide step-by-step instructions to guide you through two popular 3D modeling programs, Tinkercad and Fusion 360.

Aug 24th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Cree Increíbles Diseños de Mercadeo usando Canva (Coursera) Coursera
Coursera Project Network

Cree Increíbles Diseños de Mercadeo usando Canva (Coursera)

Al final del Proyecto usted podrá crear un gráfico/diseño de ejemplo/muestra de redes sociales para empresas. El gráfico se puede compartir en las plataformas de redes sociales de su empresa. Podrá incorporar la paleta de colores de su guía de estilo empresarial para crear el reconocimiento de la marca como parte de su estrategia de mercadeo en redes sociales.

Aug 24th 2026
Self-Paced