ACA Project Workflow & Industry Standards 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A designer receives a logo file that must appear on both a white business card and a black T-shirt. Which file format best handles both use cases without quality loss?
- JPEG
- PNG-8
- SVG (Correct answer)
- GIF
Correct answer: SVG
SVG is a vector format that scales infinitely and can be re-colored for any background without quality loss.
Question 2: When handing off a completed Photoshop project to a print shop, which color mode should the file be set to?
- RGB
- CMYK (Correct answer)
- Lab Color
- Grayscale
Correct answer: CMYK
CMYK matches the ink process used by commercial printers, ensuring accurate color reproduction.
Question 3: A client requests editable text in the final Illustrator file. What should the designer avoid doing to the type layers?
- Applying character styles
- Converting text to outlines (Correct answer)
- Using OpenType fonts
- Embedding fonts
Correct answer: Converting text to outlines
Converting text to outlines removes the live text data, making it impossible to edit the wording later.
Question 4: Which version control practice helps a team avoid overwriting each other's work on shared creative assets?
- Saving files with today's date only
- Using a single master file on a shared desktop
- Checking files in and out through a DAM or version control system (Correct answer)
- Emailing final versions back and forth
Correct answer: Checking files in and out through a DAM or version control system
A digital asset management (DAM) or version control system tracks changes and prevents simultaneous conflicting edits.
Question 5: An ACA candidate is asked to set the document bleed in InDesign for a flyer going to press. What is the standard bleed value used in the US?
- 1/16 inch
- 1/8 inch (Correct answer)
- 1/4 inch
- 1/2 inch
Correct answer: 1/8 inch
A 1/8-inch (0.125 in) bleed is the US printing industry standard to allow for slight cutting variance.
Question 6: During a design review, a stakeholder asks for 'lorem ipsum' text to be replaced before final delivery. What does lorem ipsum represent?
- A font embedding placeholder
- Dummy placeholder text used during layout (Correct answer)
- An ICC color profile name
- A type of copyright notice
Correct answer: Dummy placeholder text used during layout
Lorem ipsum is filler text used in layouts to demonstrate typography and spacing before real copy is available.
Question 7: Which artifact should a designer create to document the approved color palette, fonts, and spacing rules for a brand?
- A mood board
- A wireframe
- A style guide or brand standards document (Correct answer)
- A storyboard
Correct answer: A style guide or brand standards document
A style guide documents all visual standards so every team member applies the brand consistently.
ACA Project Workflow & Industry Standards 2
A designer receives a logo file that must appear on both a white business card and a black T-shirt.
Which file format best handles both use cases without quality loss?