CorelDRAW, Photoshop, Canva, typography, page layout, print-ready artwork, checked AI design tools and a publishing portfolio.
What you will cover
CorelDRAW
Photoshop
Canva
typography
page layout
print-ready artwork
checked AI design tools
a publishing portfolio
Topic list from the institute's programme record.
Certification
Certificate terms for this programme are confirmed by the institute at admission. Any ADIVAS course-completion certificate is an institute certificate; it is not a university degree, an externally accredited qualification or a vendor certification (such as AWS or Microsoft) unless the institute states so in writing.
The programme title is as supplied in the institute's list. Please confirm the awarding body and recognition with the institute before enrolling.
Curriculum 0.1 · Draft: written for ADIVAS and awaiting academic review and approval. Topics and weeks may change before your batch starts.
Your skill trail
You move through 7 stations. Each week builds one skill you can show, not just a topic you have heard.
1
Design and print foundations
Understand images, colour, files and the print process before opening a tool.
Week 1 How print and screen images work
Week 2 Colour, paper sizes and the print process
Week 3 Design principles and briefs
2
Vector design with CorelDRAW
Draw, colour and arrange vector artwork and logos.
Week 4 CorelDRAW basics: shapes and workspace
Week 5 Curves, nodes and shaping
Week 6 Colour, gradients and effects in vectors
Week 7 Text in CorelDRAW and logo design
Week 8 Vector project: visiting card and flex banner
3
Photo editing with Photoshop
Retouch and composite images without damaging originals.
Week 9 Photoshop basics: documents, layers and selections
Week 10 Adjustments, masks and non-destructive editing
Week 11 Retouching and image repair
Week 12 Compositing, text and effects in Photoshop
Week 13 Exporting and preparing images for print and web
4
Typography and page layout
Set readable text in English and Tamil and build structured layouts.
Week 14 Typography fundamentals
Week 15 Tamil and bilingual typography
Week 16 Grids, margins and multi-page layout
Week 17 Layout project: booklet or magazine spread
5
Canva and brand assets
Make quick, consistent social and marketing graphics.
Week 18 Canva fundamentals and brand kit
Week 19 Canva for presentations, print and collaboration
6
Print-ready production
Prepare files so that a printing press can print them correctly.
Week 20 Print-ready files: bleed, margins and PDF
Week 21 Preflight, proofs and working with a press
7
AI tools and portfolio
Evaluate AI design tools honestly and complete a publishing portfolio.
Week 22 Checked AI design tools
Week 23 Portfolio planning and production
Week 24 Final presentation and publishing portfolio
★
Local Business Identity and Print Pack
Your project, reviewed by a trainer.
The ADIVAS mastery ladder: how each skill is recognised
Explored You have seen the idea and tried a first example.
Practising You can do it with hints and keep improving.
Proficient You complete the weekly practical task correctly on your own.
Proven You apply it in a project reviewed by your trainer.
Skill-level tracking is being added to the learner workspace. Your trainer already reviews weekly practical work.
What you will be able to do
Explain pixels, vectors, resolution, colour modes (RGB and CMYK), bleed and file formats and choose them correctly for print and screen.
Draw and edit vector artwork in CorelDRAW including shapes, curves, colour, text and logos.
Retouch, composite and prepare raster images in Photoshop using layers, masks, adjustments and non-destructive workflow.
Apply typography rules: font choice, hierarchy, spacing, alignment and readability in English and Tamil text.
Design multi-page layouts with grids, styles and consistent margins for brochures, posters and booklets.
Produce quick social and marketing graphics in Canva while keeping brand colours, fonts and licences in order.
Prepare print-ready files: bleed, crop marks, safe margins, fonts, links, colour mode and a preflight check, and export a correct PDF.
Use AI design tools responsibly: write clear prompts, check the output for errors and licences, disclose use and never replace required originality or consent.
Plan and deliver a publishing portfolio of finished, checked pieces with a short note on each.
Who it suits
School Students in Classes 9-12 who enjoy art, posters and lettering and want to learn how designs are made and prepared for print.
College Arts, media, commerce and design students who need graphics skills for events, college magazines, internships and freelance work.
Professional Printing-press staff, shop owners, freelancers and office staff who need to prepare reliable artwork for flex, flyers, cards and booklets.
Prerequisites: Basic computer use (files, folders, typing). Interest in design. No earlier design software experience. Tools: CorelDRAW (licensed edition in the lab), Adobe Photoshop (licensed edition in the lab), Canva (free or education tier), Free alternatives for practice: Inkscape for vectors, GIMP or Krita for raster images, Scribus for layout, A Tamil-supporting Unicode font set and an English type family with a suitable licence, An AI image or text tool (a free tier, assessed in week 22).
Weekly plan
Design and print foundations Weeks 1–3
Week 1: How print and screen images work
Theory
Pixels and vectors
Resolution and ppi/dpi for screen and print
Colour modes: RGB and CMYK
Common formats: JPG, PNG, TIFF, PDF, SVG and native files
Lab
Open the same image at 72 and 300 ppi, enlarge a raster and a vector logo to 400 percent and compare; record file sizes of four formats.
Homework
Collect three printed items (card, flyer, flex) and list what each needs in size and resolution.
Deliverable
A comparison sheet of raster versus vector and format sizes.
Weekly checkpoint
Choose the correct format and mode for four jobs.
You will be able to
Explain pixels, vectors, resolution, colour modes (RGB and CMYK), bleed and file formats and choose them correctly for print and screen.
Week 2: Colour, paper sizes and the print process
Theory
Colour theory: hue, saturation, brightness and harmony
CMYK, spot colours and why screens look brighter
Paper sizes (A4, A3, visiting card, flex sizes), orientation and margins
Offset, digital and flex printing at a basic level
Lab
Create a 5-colour palette for a local tea shop, view it in RGB and CMYK and print a swatch on a lab printer to compare with the screen.
Homework
Visit a local print shop or interview one printer about the files they receive and write three problems they see.
Deliverable
A palette sheet with RGB and CMYK values and a printer interview note.
Weekly checkpoint
Match print jobs to paper sizes and process; interpret a colour difference.
You will be able to
Explain pixels, vectors, resolution, colour modes (RGB and CMYK), bleed and file formats and choose them correctly for print and screen.
Week 3: Design principles and briefs
Theory
Contrast, repetition, alignment and proximity
Visual hierarchy and white space
Reading a client brief and a design checklist
Copyright, fonts licences and image rights
Lab
Critique two real posters against the four principles, then redesign one on paper as a thumbnail sketch with annotated improvements.
Homework
Write a one-page brief for a poster for a local event, including audience, message and size.
Deliverable
A critique sheet, thumbnail sketches and a brief.
Weekly checkpoint
Identify which principle is broken in four poster images.
You will be able to
Explain pixels, vectors, resolution, colour modes (RGB and CMYK), bleed and file formats and choose them correctly for print and screen. Apply typography rules: font choice, hierarchy, spacing, alignment and readability in English and Tamil text.
Vector design with CorelDRAW Weeks 4–8
Week 4: CorelDRAW basics: shapes and workspace
Theory
Workspace, page setup and units
Rectangle, ellipse, polygon and shape tools
Fill, outline and object order
Align, distribute and snap
Lab
Build a set of icons for a coaching centre (book, cap, pencil, phone) from basic shapes with a consistent grid.
Homework
Redraw three everyday objects with only basic shapes.
Deliverable
An icon sheet in CorelDRAW format and exported PNG.
Weekly checkpoint
Use alignment tools on a given messy layout.
You will be able to
Draw and edit vector artwork in CorelDRAW including shapes, curves, colour, text and logos.
Week 5: Curves, nodes and shaping
Theory
Bezier and pen tools, nodes and handles
Shape operations: weld, trim, intersect, combine
Transformations and the pick tool
Tracing a sketch
Lab
Trace a hand-drawn leaf and a simple Madurai temple-tower silhouette using as few nodes as possible and tidy them.
Homework
Reduce nodes on a messy curve and compare file complexity.
Deliverable
Two traced illustrations with clean curves.
Weekly checkpoint
Identify the shaping tool for five outcomes.
You will be able to
Draw and edit vector artwork in CorelDRAW including shapes, curves, colour, text and logos.
Week 6: Colour, gradients and effects in vectors
Theory
Colour models and palettes in CorelDRAW
Uniform fills, gradients and pattern fills
Transparency and drop shadow with restraint
Converting colour to CMYK and spot colours
Lab
Colour the icons and temple tower with the palette from week 2 and make a one-colour and a two-colour version for cheap printing.
Homework
Test the design in grayscale and note which colours lose contrast.
Deliverable
Colour, one-colour and grayscale versions.
Weekly checkpoint
Choose a colour option for a one-colour newspaper ad.
You will be able to
Draw and edit vector artwork in CorelDRAW including shapes, curves, colour, text and logos. Explain pixels, vectors, resolution, colour modes (RGB and CMYK), bleed and file formats and choose them correctly for print and screen.
Week 7: Text in CorelDRAW and logo design
Theory
Artistic and paragraph text
Fonts, kerning and converting text to curves
Logo principles: simplicity, scalability and versions
Original work versus copying
Lab
Design a logo for a fictional bakery with a horizontal and a stacked version, test it at 15 mm and on a flex banner size.
Homework
Present two logo directions and explain why one was chosen.
Deliverable
A logo pack: colour, black and white and small-size tests.
Weekly checkpoint
Critique a logo for scalability and clarity.
You will be able to
Draw and edit vector artwork in CorelDRAW including shapes, curves, colour, text and logos. Apply typography rules: font choice, hierarchy, spacing, alignment and readability in English and Tamil text.
Week 8: Vector project: visiting card and flex banner
Theory
Sizes and safe margins for cards and banners
Resolution for large formats
Information hierarchy on a card
Exporting proofs
Lab
Design a double-sided visiting card (90 x 54 mm) and a 6 x 3 ft flex for a local shop using your logo and palette.
Homework
Print the card at 100 percent and check legibility at arm's length.
Deliverable
Card and flex files with exported proofs.
Weekly checkpoint
Review: spot four legibility issues in a given card.
You will be able to
Draw and edit vector artwork in CorelDRAW including shapes, curves, colour, text and logos. Apply typography rules: font choice, hierarchy, spacing, alignment and readability in English and Tamil text. Prepare print-ready files: bleed, crop marks, safe margins, fonts, links, colour mode and a preflight check, and export a correct PDF.
Photo editing with Photoshop Weeks 9–13
Week 9: Photoshop basics: documents, layers and selections
Theory
Document size, resolution and colour mode
Layers, groups and naming
Selections: marquee, lasso, quick selection and select-and-mask
Undo, history and saving PSD
Lab
Create a poster document at A4, 300 ppi, add layers for background, subject and text and cut a subject out of a photo.
Homework
Cut out three objects with different edges (hair, glass, a shoe).
Deliverable
A layered PSD and three cutouts.
Weekly checkpoint
Name the correct tool for four selection tasks.
You will be able to
Retouch, composite and prepare raster images in Photoshop using layers, masks, adjustments and non-destructive workflow.
Week 10: Adjustments, masks and non-destructive editing
Theory
Adjustment layers: levels, curves, hue-saturation
Layer masks versus erasing
Smart objects
Histogram basics
Lab
Correct an underexposed temple photo with levels and curves, selectively lighten a face with a mask and keep every step editable.
Homework
Do the same correction destructively and note what you cannot undo.
Deliverable
A corrected photo with a layered PSD and a before-after.
Weekly checkpoint
Sort edits into destructive and non-destructive.
You will be able to
Retouch, composite and prepare raster images in Photoshop using layers, masks, adjustments and non-destructive workflow.
Week 11: Retouching and image repair
Theory
Spot healing, clone stamp, patch and content-aware fill
Skin retouching with restraint and honesty
Cropping and straightening
Image ethics: what not to alter
Lab
Restore a scanned old family-style photograph with scratches and fading; remove a distraction from another image and document what was changed.
Homework
Write a short note on where retouching becomes misleading.
Deliverable
A restored image with a change log.
Weekly checkpoint
Choose the right repair tool for five defects.
You will be able to
Retouch, composite and prepare raster images in Photoshop using layers, masks, adjustments and non-destructive workflow.
Week 12: Compositing, text and effects in Photoshop
Theory
Blending modes and opacity
Layer styles used sparingly
Type in Photoshop and rasterising
Combining photos and graphics into a coherent scene
Lab
Build a festival greeting poster by compositing a photo, a texture and text while matching colour and light.
Homework
Refine the poster after peer feedback on hierarchy.
Deliverable
A composite poster as PSD and exported JPG.
Weekly checkpoint
Peer critique using the principles checklist.
You will be able to
Retouch, composite and prepare raster images in Photoshop using layers, masks, adjustments and non-destructive workflow. Apply typography rules: font choice, hierarchy, spacing, alignment and readability in English and Tamil text.
Week 13: Exporting and preparing images for print and web
Theory
Resizing and resampling
Sharpening for output
Converting RGB to CMYK and softproofing
Export presets: JPG, PNG and TIFF
Lab
Prepare the same image for Instagram, a newspaper ad and an A3 print; note size, mode and ppi for each.
Homework
Create a one-page export cheat sheet for your own work.
Deliverable
Three exported versions and a cheat sheet.
Weekly checkpoint
Compute pixel size needed for an A4 at 300 ppi.
You will be able to
Explain pixels, vectors, resolution, colour modes (RGB and CMYK), bleed and file formats and choose them correctly for print and screen. Retouch, composite and prepare raster images in Photoshop using layers, masks, adjustments and non-destructive workflow. Prepare print-ready files: bleed, crop marks, safe margins, fonts, links, colour mode and a preflight check, and export a correct PDF.
Typography and page layout Weeks 14–17
Week 14: Typography fundamentals
Theory
Serif, sans-serif and display faces
Hierarchy: size, weight and colour
Line length, leading and tracking
Pairing fonts and limiting to two families
Lab
Set the same paragraph in six ways and choose the most readable; build a type hierarchy for a notice.
Homework
Collect three poor and three good typographic examples from your neighbourhood.
Deliverable
A type specimen sheet and a hierarchy for a notice.
Weekly checkpoint
Rank four text settings by readability and justify.
You will be able to
Apply typography rules: font choice, hierarchy, spacing, alignment and readability in English and Tamil text.
Week 15: Tamil and bilingual typography
Theory
Unicode and keyboard layouts for Tamil
Choosing Tamil fonts with good conjunct rendering and a licence that permits the use
Mixing Tamil and English: size balance and baseline
Avoiding legacy non-Unicode font problems when files are shared
Lab
Design a bilingual Tamil-English notice and a shop signboard and test them by opening the file on a second machine without the original fonts embedded.
Homework
Fix three problems in a given bilingual layout.
Deliverable
Bilingual notice and signboard with a font note.
Weekly checkpoint
Identify font-substitution and size-balance problems in a screenshot.
You will be able to
Apply typography rules: font choice, hierarchy, spacing, alignment and readability in English and Tamil text.
Week 16: Grids, margins and multi-page layout
Theory
Grids, columns, margins and gutters
Master pages, page numbers and paragraph styles
Text flow, image placement and captions
Page layout in CorelDRAW and options such as Scribus
Lab
Build a 8-page college event brochure with a master page, three paragraph styles, images and captions.
Homework
Change one style and confirm that the whole document updates.
Deliverable
A multi-page layout with styles.
Weekly checkpoint
Fix alignment and style inconsistencies on a given spread.
You will be able to
Design multi-page layouts with grids, styles and consistent margins for brochures, posters and booklets.
Week 17: Layout project: booklet or magazine spread
Theory
Pagination and imposition basics
Image resolution inside layouts
Colour consistency
Proofreading marks and process
Lab
Design a 12-page college magazine issue or a shop catalogue with cover, contents and consistent headings; proofread with marks.
Homework
Apply the proof corrections from a peer.
Deliverable
A 12-page booklet layout and a proofing record.
Weekly checkpoint
Proofread a page and list ten corrections.
You will be able to
Design multi-page layouts with grids, styles and consistent margins for brochures, posters and booklets. Apply typography rules: font choice, hierarchy, spacing, alignment and readability in English and Tamil text.
Canva and brand assets Weeks 18–19
Week 18: Canva fundamentals and brand kit
Theory
Templates versus original design
Brand kit: colours, fonts and logo
Elements, uploads and licensing
Alignment, spacing and consistency in a template-based tool
Lab
Set up a brand kit for the bakery and produce a social post, a story and a WhatsApp status image, changing templates until nothing looks generic.
Homework
List the limits of Canva compared with CorelDRAW.
Deliverable
A brand kit and three social graphics.
Weekly checkpoint
Spot licence and brand-consistency problems in a sample post.
You will be able to
Produce quick social and marketing graphics in Canva while keeping brand colours, fonts and licences in order.
Week 19: Canva for presentations, print and collaboration
Theory
Print settings and bleed in Canva
Resizing a design for multiple formats
Team sharing and review comments
When to move work to professional tools
Lab
Create an A5 flyer and a presentation deck from the brand kit and export a print PDF with crop marks; note what Canva cannot control.
Homework
Compare the PDF with one made in CorelDRAW for colour and fonts.
Deliverable
A flyer and deck with an export comparison.
Weekly checkpoint
Decide which tool to use for six jobs.
You will be able to
Produce quick social and marketing graphics in Canva while keeping brand colours, fonts and licences in order. Prepare print-ready files: bleed, crop marks, safe margins, fonts, links, colour mode and a preflight check, and export a correct PDF.
Print-ready production Weeks 20–21
Week 20: Print-ready files: bleed, margins and PDF
Theory
Bleed, trim and safe margin
Crop marks and registration
Fonts: embed or convert to curves
Linked images, resolution and colour mode in the final file
Lab
Prepare the visiting card, a flyer and the flex with 3 mm bleed, crop marks, embedded fonts and CMYK; export PDFs and check them.
Homework
Open each PDF and verify fonts, images and bleed.
Deliverable
Three print-ready PDFs with a checklist.
Weekly checkpoint
Find the six errors in a given print-ready file.
You will be able to
Prepare print-ready files: bleed, crop marks, safe margins, fonts, links, colour mode and a preflight check, and export a correct PDF.
Week 21: Preflight, proofs and working with a press
Theory
Preflight checklists and tools
Hard proof versus soft proof
Quoting, quantities and paper choice
Communicating with the press: file naming and handover notes
Lab
Run a preflight on your files, fix flagged items, send a mock job to a lab printer and write a handover note.
Homework
Write a one-page job specification for a 1,000-piece flyer run.
Deliverable
A preflight report, proof and handover note.
Weekly checkpoint
Order the steps from final design to press delivery.
You will be able to
Prepare print-ready files: bleed, crop marks, safe margins, fonts, links, colour mode and a preflight check, and export a correct PDF.
AI tools and portfolio Weeks 22–24
Week 22: Checked AI design tools
Theory
What generative design tools can and cannot do
Prompting for images and layouts with context and constraints
Checking output: text errors, distorted forms, copyright, style imitation and bias
Disclosure and client consent; keeping personal and client images private
Lab
Use an AI image tool to make five concept images for a poster brief, record every prompt, check each output against a checklist and use only one after rebuilding it in Photoshop or CorelDRAW; compare time and quality with manual work.
Homework
Write a short policy: when you will and will not use AI in client work.
Deliverable
A prompt and evaluation log, a rebuilt final and a one-page policy.
Weekly checkpoint
Decide which AI outputs are fit to use in four scenarios and justify.
You will be able to
Use AI design tools responsibly: write clear prompts, check the output for errors and licences, disclose use and never replace required originality or consent.
Week 23: Portfolio planning and production
Theory
Choosing a coherent set of six to eight pieces
Case-study format: brief, process, result
Photographing and mocking up printed work honestly
Naming, file organisation and backups
Lab
Select pieces, redo weak ones to professional standard, run preflight and build a portfolio PDF with case-study notes.
Homework
Collect feedback on the portfolio from two people outside the class.
Deliverable
A draft portfolio PDF and a feedback record.
Weekly checkpoint
Portfolio review using the rubric.
You will be able to
Plan and deliver a publishing portfolio of finished, checked pieces with a short note on each. Prepare print-ready files: bleed, crop marks, safe margins, fonts, links, colour mode and a preflight check, and export a correct PDF.
Week 24: Final presentation and publishing portfolio
Theory
Presenting design decisions
Handling client feedback
Pricing and quoting basics for freelance jobs
Lab
Present the portfolio, explain two decisions and one failure, and submit final print-ready files and the portfolio.
Homework
Update the portfolio after the review and archive all source files.
Deliverable
A final portfolio PDF, print-ready files and a source archive.
Weekly checkpoint
Final review with rubric and viva.
You will be able to
Plan and deliver a publishing portfolio of finished, checked pieces with a short note on each. Prepare print-ready files: bleed, crop marks, safe margins, fonts, links, colour mode and a preflight check, and export a correct PDF. Use AI design tools responsibly: write clear prompts, check the output for errors and licences, disclose use and never replace required originality or consent.
Sample lessons
Week 20
Making a file ready for the press
A design that looks right on screen can fail in print. Printers cut large sheets down to size, and the cutting is never perfectly exact, so artwork must extend past the final edge. This extra area is the bleed, usually 3 mm. Important text and logos must stay inside a safe margin, and fonts, images and colour mode must be correct. A preflight check before sending the file catches problems that cost money to fix after printing.
Zone
Typical size
What goes here
Risk if wrong
Bleed
3 mm beyond trim
Backgrounds and images
White edges after cutting
Trim
Final size
The cut line
Wrong size
Safe margin
3-5 mm inside trim
Text and logos
Text cut off
Colour mode
CMYK
All print artwork
Dull or shifted colours
Bleed protects the edge; the safe margin protects the text.
Step by step
Set the document to the final trim size, such as 90 x 54 mm for a card.
Extend backgrounds and images 3 mm beyond the trim edge as bleed.
Keep text and logos at least 3 to 5 mm inside the trim edge.
Convert colours to CMYK and check black text is pure black, not a rich mix.
Embed fonts or convert text to curves and check image links and resolution of 300 ppi.
Export a PDF with crop marks and bleed, then open it and check every item.
In real life
A local printer receives a visiting card where a blue background stops exactly at the edge. After cutting, a thin white line shows on one side. With 3 mm of bleed the cut would have been clean.
Worked example
Problem. A flyer is A5 (148 x 210 mm) and needs 3 mm bleed. What is the size of the document including bleed, and what is the safe text area if the margin is 5 mm?
Solution. With bleed: width 148 + 3 + 3 = 154 mm and height 210 + 3 + 3 = 216 mm. The trim is 148 x 210 mm. The safe text area is inside the trim by 5 mm on each side: 138 x 200 mm.
Common mistakes
Designing at the trim size with no bleed, which leaves white edges after cutting.
Placing small text only 1 mm from the cut edge.
Sending RGB files with low-resolution images taken from a website.
Try it yourself
Calculate the bleed document size for a 90 x 54 mm card.
Create a check sheet with ten items and use it on a flyer.
Find and fix the problems in a file with a 72 ppi image and missing bleed.
Week 22
Using an AI design tool without getting caught out
Generative image tools can quickly produce concepts, but their output often contains garbled text, distorted hands and objects, invented logos and styles copied from living artists. The rights to use the images depend on the tool's terms, and a client may require original, licensed work. A responsible designer uses AI for ideas, checks every output against a checklist, rebuilds what goes into the final artwork in professional tools, keeps client and personal images out of public tools and tells the client when AI was used.
1Clear prompt
2Generate options
3Check defects and rights
4Rebuild in professional tool
5Disclose and log
AI helps with ideas; the designer takes responsibility for the final work.
Step by step
Write a prompt with subject, style, colours, format and what to avoid.
Generate several options and record each prompt and tool version in a log.
Check each option for text errors, distortion, accidental logos and copied styles.
Read the tool's terms to see whether commercial use is allowed.
Use the image only as a concept and rebuild the final art with licensed or original assets.
Tell the client how AI was used and keep the log with the project.
In real life
A shop owner wants a Pongal sale poster. An AI image gives a lovely festive scene, but the shop name is misspelt, the sugarcane has odd shapes and the tool's terms restrict commercial use of free-tier images. The designer redraws the scene and sets the Tamil text properly.
Worked example
Problem. An AI tool produces a poster with the Tamil words for 'Pongal Sale' rendered as garbled shapes. The client insists on using it as is. What do you do?
Solution. Explain that the text is not correct Tamil and would embarrass the shop. Use the generated image only as background or concept, set the Tamil text yourself with a proper Unicode font and check it with a Tamil reader, and confirm the tool's terms allow commercial use or rebuild the image from licensed assets. Record the decision in the AI log.
Common mistakes
Trusting AI-generated text inside images, especially Tamil, without checking.
Using AI images of real people or a living artist's style without consent.
Uploading client photos to a public AI tool.
Try it yourself
Generate three concepts, list defects in each and decide which, if any, is usable.
Rewrite a weak prompt into a clear one with subject, style and exclusions.
Write a two-line disclosure note for a client.
Try the questions
The same skills are asked at three levels: School (Classes 6–12), College and Professional. Switch the level and the language (English or Tamil), and say how sure you are before you check: knowing what you are unsure about is part of learning.
Classes 6–12: everyday examples, no prior knowledge. Practice only. Nothing here is graded or saved.
Question 1 / 4 · Understand pixels and vectors
You enlarge a small photo a lot and it looks blocky. You enlarge a simple logo drawn with shapes and it stays sharp. Why?
Projects
Local Business Identity and Print Pack
A small bakery in Madurai needs a coherent identity and print pack: a logo, visiting card, A5 flyer, a 6 x 3 ft flex banner and a bilingual price notice. Design the set so that it is consistent, readable in Tamil and English, and ready for a printing press, and document your design decisions.
Tasks
Write the brief and create a palette, logo (colour, black and white) and font pairing.
Design the card, flyer, flex and a bilingual price notice with a clear hierarchy.
Edit a product photo in Photoshop non-destructively and place it correctly in the layouts.
Prepare print-ready PDFs with bleed, crop marks, embedded fonts and CMYK, and run a preflight checklist.
Write a one-page design note and record how you used or did not use an AI tool.
Sample input
Business: Anbu Bakery, Anna Nagar; items: cake, puff, bun; price list in Tamil and English; flex size 6 x 3 ft.
Expected output
Four print-ready PDFs with 3 mm bleed, a consistent brand look, a preflight report with no errors and a short design note.
How it is assessed
Criterion
Weight
Design quality and consistency
25%
Typography including Tamil
20%
Photo editing and image quality
15%
Print-ready preparation and preflight
25%
Documentation and responsible use of tools
15%
Stretch challenge: Design a 12-page product catalogue and a social media pack from the same identity.
How you are assessed
Each week: five short questions (concepts, print arithmetic, design critique, with one diagram or image-reading question) and one practical task assessed with a design checklist and a peer critique.
Practical work. Learners submit native files and exported PDFs for each module. The trainer checks hierarchy, typography, colour mode, bleed, fonts, image resolution and preflight results, and reviews the AI-use log where applicable.
What trainers look for
Weight
Design quality and hierarchy
25%
Typography including Tamil
20%
Technical file quality: bleed, colour, resolution
25%
Originality, licences and responsible AI use
15%
Documentation and presentation
15%
Where this can lead
Prepares you for junior designer and DTP operator roles in printing presses, agencies and in-house marketing teams.
Prepares you to produce print-ready artwork and social graphics for small businesses and as a freelancer.
Builds a portfolio base for further study in graphic design.
These describe skills you will build. ADIVAS does not guarantee jobs, placement or salary.
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