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 STEP 1: Log in using your email and
password set upon Enrolment.
STEP 2: Click on your active
Courses to see Tutorials &
Assignments allocated.
STEP 3: Read through tutorial
material & answer assignments
within the 4 week cycle [ or before
the due date sent to you]
*Tutorial Material will be delivered
in various formats:
•Written notes & images
•Short videos or AVI’s
1. The student must organise their daily schedule to
accommodate their studies.
2. Students must read through all tutorial notes and heed any
recommendations by tutor.
3. Students must answer the assignments for modules they
are currently working on, and submit before/on the due
date stipulated by SDC ONLINE. Assignments are only
submitted via student portal, no work will be accepted via
email.
4. Student queries must be directed to the tutor facilitating
the specific course/module before the due date.
5. Students may submit assignment answers as WORD, JPEGS
& PDF’s via their student portal. Each tutor will stipulate a
format within the assignment brief, students must adhere
to this as well as the recommended file sizes. [See pg 12]

ASSIGNMENT FEEDBACK: A tutor will respond within a week of

receipt of your assignment. The Feedback Form will include your
mark & comments about your work.
SDC TUTOR

ONLINE ASSISTANCE: Tutors will available at specific times to

answer your queries. Tutors can be contacted via:
•Student Message Facility (all times, allow for 1 or 2 days response
time)
•Skype (arranged session, contact student Liaison)
Due to high volumes of queries and vary time zones students must
book a session with a tutor, we try our utmost best to serve all
students. You must state your query and mention the module you
wish to discuss in order for us to attend to you promptly.
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 •Complete assignments by following Brief
instructions, please adhere to individual
tutor requests and stipulations as these may
differ from module to module.
•It is always advised that students should
document their process by taking photos or
scanning the stages of their work for
submitting as well. This authenticates their
work as well as gives tutors a step by step
view of the working process and can help
with proper Feedback.

•SCANNING is one method can that be used to document work or

transfer hard copy into an electronic format for upload.
•Many students may have an A4 scanner & printer in their home
studio, this is useful for small drawings/sketches and sections. You
may want to make use of a Copy/Print Company for large scale
scanning [A3-A1] but this can be very costly, we advise that you only
use this for exam projects if necessary.
•If you are very efficient with Photo Shop or other photo editing
software, you may want to scan parts and join seamlessly [do not
attempt this if you are not capable of creating a good scaled end
product, as poor images will compromise your marks] 8
 •SCANNING PROCESS
•Scan to your Computer Hard drive.
•Open your image an edit further if
required.
•Do not alter/enhance your original
hand drawn image using software
other than reducing size/resolution
unless the brief/subject requires
this.
•Computer enhanced images may
be rejected, if this was not
stipulated.

•See ‘Reducing Image Size’ instructions in this

Document for detailed guide lines when
working with images.

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 Suspend
Window Work on
Light Source opposite
wall

•PHOTOGRAPHY: See this simple Floor Plan set up when

taking Photos of your work. Fairly good quality
documentation can be taken in your home studio with
natural lighting and a good digital camera.

•Suspend artwork at eye level on the opposite wall

from window [natural lighting].
•With technology advancing so rapidly, most people
have access to good quality cameras, even some cell
phones produce clear images. However it is not
recommended that you submit cell phone images,
unless of an exceptionally high quality.
•Remember you need to capture fine details like
shading, line work etc, poor images and bad lighting
will affect your mark.
•Avoid using the Flash feature, as this tends to
“white out” images, especially on white paper.
Rather use favourable natural lighting.

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 •PHOTOGRAPHY PROCESS
• Stand at a reasonable distance away from the work.
•Ensure you are not casting a shadow onto Work. If you are
casting a shadow or seeing shine [if shooting a gloss surface]
then try aiming slightly to the left or right, this slight shift in
camera angle may reduce/remove shadow and reflection.
•Ensure you are evenly balanced on both feet, hold camera
sturdy [some cameras have an ‘anti-shake’ button] , ensure the
entire image fits squarely within the lens window and shoot.
•Use zoom facility for close-up’s or details you want to highlight.

•Export images from Digital camera to Computer

Hard Drive using a USB cable/ Memory Card or Blue
Tooth [If available]
•See ‘Reducing Image Size’ instructions in this
Document for detailed guide lines when working
with images.

11
•Reducing Image Size: For the purposes of this Hand Book we will discuss only two
simple and quick methods of image reduction. You may select a method that works
best for you. Individual file sizes are recommended to be not bigger than 500KB

Raw image from camera = 862 KB

[this will vary according to camera type/make/settings]

Method One - Step 1:

Open image in Photoshop
Select Image
From the Drop Down Menu
select > Image Size

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 Step 4:
Ensure the width is not
larger than 20cm, highlight
and change if needed [see A]
Step 5:
Ensure Resolution is 72 dpi or
pixels/inch.
Step 2:
On Image size Window
Tick “Resample Image” box.
Step 3:
From the Drop Down Menu
select > “Bicubic Sharper(best for
reduction)”
A
A: If boxes for ‘Scale Styles’ &
‘Constrain Proportions’ are ticked >
change ‘Width’ to 20cm & the ‘Height’
should adjust automatically.

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 Step 6:
Select >File > Save As to
see this window.
Select destination.
Save file as a JPEG.
[JPEGS can converted to PDF’S if
required]

Step 7:
From JPEG window choose an option Raw image from camera = 862 KB
from the Quality drop down menu: Reduced image size= 45.6 KB
Low, Medium, High or Maximum
If Preview Box is ticked an estimate
file size is generated automatically.
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Raw image from camera = 862 KB
[this will vary according to camera type/make/settings]
Method Two - Step 1:
Open image in Photoshop
Select Image
From the Drop Down Menu select
> Auto Tone > Auto Contrast [this
automatically adjusts the clarity of
the image]

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Step 2:
Select > Save As

Step 3:
Select Destination to save image
On the Save As Window> name image >
Select JPEG format.
Select > Save

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 Step 4:
From JPEG window choose an
option from the Quality drop down
menu: Low, Medium, High or
Maximum
If Preview Box is ticked an estimate
files size is generated automatically.

Note that if you intend using several images in a single doc. Then you may
have to reduce images further to meet the file recommendation of Raw image from camera = 862 KB
approximately under 500KB . Reduced image size= 111 KB

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•Log in to MY SDC from our home page with the log in details that were sent to you via email.

18
•Once you have logged in, using your email and password, your Student Portal page opens.
•Select your active courses, click on Graphic Design

19
•Your course page will open, click on “Upload an Assignment Answer”

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•Select the correct assignment code from the drop down list. [Ensure you submit the correct assignment under
the correct code/name in order that it goes to the correct tutor]
•Add a message for tutor if you choose.
•Click “Browse” and add the assignment answer file saved on your computer[Ensure file size is under 2megs]
•Select “I Accept”
•Select “Submit” 21
PDF – Portable document format PDF (Portable Document Format) is a universal file format developed by Adobe® that
preserves all the fonts, formatting, graphics, and colour of any source document, regardless of the application and platform
used to create it.
JPEG – Joint Photographics Expert Group invented the JPEG to make huge image files into small file size. It
compresses the files by 90%, and cuts the file size to 1/10th of the original.
DPI – Dots per Inch Digital images are essentially made up of little "dots". We use DPI as a measure of resolution.
Generally speaking, the higher the number, the higher the resolution and the sharper the picture
RGB – Red/ Green/ Blue The RGB colour model is an additive colour model in which red, green, and blue light are added
together in various ways to reproduce a broad array of colours. The name of the model comes from the initials of the three
additive primary colours, red, green, and blue.
Image SIZE: Relates to the length and width or dimensions of an image.
Image RESOLUTION: Relates to the number of pixels or dots that make up an image.

Course - Refers to the field of design, e.g. Interior, Graphics, Fashion, Photography
Subject - Refers to the individual aspects of study within the course, e.g. Pattern, Computers, Illustration, Post Editing
Module - Refers to the smaller units of study within the individual Subjects e.g. Dress blocks, Photoshop, Figure Drawing
Tutorial - Refers to the study material, or the main lesson/ body of the module.
Brief – Compulsory Assignment/ Task instructions related to a specific Module.

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