Evolving Output Media

One of the biggest evolving output media would have to be monitors. Monitors are going to start being created that have a larger definition. This will give the designer to chance to edit the more smaller parts of their image with much more ease.

HD monitors give videos a more realistic look, sharpening the edges and giving more vibrant colours. They are getting higher and higher contrast ratios all the time, for example although the human can barely tell the difference of anything over a 60,000:1 contrast ratio, monitors are still being made with contrast ratios such as 80,000:1 and they will be getting higher. A contrast ratio basically tells the difference between the darkest black and the lightest white. If a monitor has a 60,000:1 contrast ratio, it means that the white is 60,000 times lighter than the black. The same applies for any different contrast ratio.

LED monitors can give you a huge resolution, for example the top resolution right now is 1080p, (1920x1080). The letter "p" stands for "Progressive Scan" and this means that the image is not interlaced. 1080p is normally a widescreen model TV as it gives 1920 pixels horizontally, and 1080 pixels vertically.

In the future I expect that touch screens will become a new technology made openly availiable to everyone for their monitors, either watching TV or using on PCs. This will give graphic designers new oppurtunities to handle graphics with greater ease, getting rid of the need for a mouse and simply introducing the use of hands. A touch screen monitor will help a graphics designer to also create images, different stylus' can be used, each having its own effect (brush, pencil, pen etc) allowing it to feel as though they are drawing the object on paper. The keyboard could be built into the monitor, along the bottom for example so the option is still there to use a keyboard.

Printers are becoming faster and are being able to print better quality images. These advancements are going to be useful to a graphics designer who is needing to produce posters/flyers. Posters can often be large in size and this will require a higher image quality to make sure it looks as good as it can without any distortions. Printers can be more efficient now, saving on ink which can be quite expensive for a graphics designer, and also saving elctricity.
The colour ranges are becoming better in printers, giving a more dynamic looking print. Larger printers will print off larger images, up to A1 size, and still keep the quality as though it is on an A4 size. The biggeset right now is A1 paper, although in the future it may even become bigger.