Which technologies, hardware, software and file types are used to create and share graphics?
Graphics technologies, hardware, software and file formats: input and output devices, the difference between manual and computer-aided methods, and common file types for images and documents.
An SQA National 5 Graphic Communication answer on graphics technologies, covering input and output hardware such as scanners, printers and plotters, the difference between manual and computer-aided methods, the main types of graphics software, and common file formats for sharing images and documents.
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What this key area is asking
The SQA wants you to know the technologies used in graphics: input and output hardware, the difference between manual and computer-aided methods, the main types of software, and common file formats for sharing images and documents.
Input and output hardware
Producing graphics on a computer needs hardware to get information in and to get the result out. Knowing examples and their uses is the core of this key area.
The input-process-output chain is the simplest way to organise the hardware in your head.
Manual versus computer-aided methods
Graphics can be produced by hand or by computer, and the course expects you to compare the two.
Neither is simply better; each suits a different stage, which is the comparison examiners look for.
File formats
A graphic is only useful if it can be opened and looks right, which depends on its file format.
Common formats include JPEG and PNG for photographs and images (PNG also supports transparency), and PDF for documents and finished layouts, because a PDF preserves fonts, images and layout so it looks the same on any device and is hard to edit. Formats matter because not every program or device can open every type, and different formats balance quality against file size; choosing the right one ensures the file is compatible, looks correct and is a sensible size to store or send.
Why this key area matters
Modern graphic communication runs on technology: hardware to capture and output, software to create, and file formats to share. Knowing the tools, comparing manual and computer-aided methods, and choosing the right format are practical skills a designer uses every day, and they connect to the CAD and DTP work elsewhere in the course. That is why graphics technologies and formats are examined directly.
How this key area is examined
Questions ask you to name input and output devices and their uses, compare manual and computer-aided methods, choose a suitable file format for a purpose, or explain why formats matter. Learn a few devices with uses, the manual-versus-CAD comparison, and the main formats (JPEG, PNG, PDF) with what each suits. These are reliable marks built on practical, learnable facts.
For the official course specification
The SQA publishes the full National 5 Graphic Communication course specification, specimen question paper and coursework task at sqa.org.uk. Always revise from the current specification and SQA past papers, because question style, conventions and terminology are board-specific.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of SQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
SQA N5 style3 marksName one input device and one output device used in producing graphics, and state what each is used for. Then state one advantage of using computer-aided methods over manual drawing.Show worked answer →
One mark for an input device with use, one for an output device with use, one for a CAD advantage.
An input device (any one): a scanner, used to capture a paper image or sketch into the computer; a graphics tablet, used to draw or trace directly into software; a digital camera, used to capture photographs.
An output device (any one): a printer, used to produce paper copies of documents and images; a plotter, used to print large drawings such as posters or technical drawings; a screen or monitor, used to view graphics.
A CAD advantage (any one): work can be edited and reused easily; drawings can be produced quickly and accurately; views and renders can be generated from one model; files can be shared electronically.
Markers reward a valid input device, a valid output device, each with a use, and one genuine CAD advantage. A common error is to name a device without saying what it is used for.
SQA N5 style2 marksA designer needs to email a finished poster so it looks the same on any device and cannot easily be edited. State a suitable file format and explain why it is appropriate, then state one reason file formats matter when sharing graphics.Show worked answer →
One mark for a suitable format with reason, one for why formats matter.
A PDF is suitable: it preserves the layout, fonts and images so the poster looks the same on any device, and it is not easily edited, which protects the design.
File formats matter because different formats suit different purposes and not every program or device can open every format; choosing the right format ensures the file can be opened, looks correct and is a sensible size for emailing.
A good answer names PDF (or another sensible fixed-layout format) with the "looks the same, hard to edit" reason and links file formats to compatibility and fitness for purpose.
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