ACA Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield ACA facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. A designer wants to create a logo that scales from a business card to a billboard without losing quality. Which file format is most appropriate? → SVG
2. What is a key advantage of exporting a logo from Adobe Illustrator as an SVG compared to PNG? → SVG is resolution-independent and scales without quality loss at any size
3. Which term in color theory describes the perceived lightness or darkness of a color? → Value (Brightness)
4. Which panel in Adobe Photoshop lets you view and select individual color channels of an image? → Channels Panel
5. What is 'scope creep' and why is it relevant to setting project requirements? → Uncontrolled expansion of project work beyond the agreed requirements
6. In Adobe Premiere Pro, what is the purpose of 'color grading'? → Adjusting and stylizing the color, tone, and mood of video footage
7. What is the function of a 'style guide' or 'brand standards manual' delivered to a client? → It documents rules for consistent use of logos, colors, fonts, and other brand elements
8. What is the purpose of 'paragraph styles' in Adobe InDesign? → To store and apply a complete set of paragraph formatting with one click
9. Which file format preserves vector data, layers, and is natively used by Adobe Illustrator? → .AI
10. What does 'soft proofing' in Photoshop allow a designer to do? → Simulate on-screen how a design will appear when printed with specific inks and paper
11. What is a key factor in creating engaging digital content? → Combining visuals with compelling storytelling
12. Which Adobe tool allows you to remove a subject from its background using AI-powered detection? → Remove Background (AI) in Photoshop
13. In the context of design contracts, what is a 'kill fee'? → A partial payment owed to the designer if the client cancels a project mid-way
14. What is the purpose of the 'Use Maximum Render Quality' checkbox in Premiere Pro's export settings? → Produces higher-quality scaling when resizing video, at the cost of longer render times
15. Which Photoshop command lets you load a layer's contents as an active selection? → Ctrl/Cmd-click the layer thumbnail
16. Which paragraph setting controls the minimum space Adobe allows between words when text is justified? → Word Spacing minimum
17. In Adobe Illustrator, how do you access the 'Align' panel if it is not currently visible? → Window > Align
18. What is the purpose of Adobe InDesign? → Print and digital publishing
19. What does 'Kerning' control in Adobe typography tools? → The spacing between specific pairs of characters
20. What does DPI stand for in the context of digital images? → Dots Per Inch
21. What is the primary purpose of soft-proofing in Adobe Photoshop? → To simulate on-screen how an image will look when printed on a specific output device
22. When exporting a video for streaming on the web using Adobe Media Encoder, which codec is most widely compatible with modern browsers? → H.264
23. A client says they want a 'modern' website. What should you do to clarify this requirement? → Ask the client to provide reference websites they find appealing
24. What does 'DPI' stand for and why does it matter for print design? → Dots Per Inch — determines print image resolution and sharpness
25. In Adobe applications, what does the Hand tool allow you to do? → Scroll or pan the view of the document without moving any objects
26. What does the Camera Raw cache in Adobe Bridge store? → Processed thumbnail and preview data to speed up image loading
27. Which type of image is made up of a grid of pixels, each assigned a specific color value? → Raster image
28. What is 'tracking' in typography? → Uniformly adjusting letter spacing across a range of characters or words
29. What is the purpose of a mood board early in a design project? → To visually communicate style direction, tone, and aesthetic before full design begins
30. Which Illustrator export option creates the smallest file suitable for a simple web icon while preserving transparency? → PNG-8 with transparency enabled