ACA JJO study guide
ACA JJO · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The ACA (Adobe Certified Associate) credential is an entry-level certification that verifies practical skill with Adobe creative software. The JJO profile here is organized around a single creative-application workflow: exam objectives and project planning, visual design and composition fundamentals, vector graphics creation and editing, color, typography, and layout, asset organization and document workflow, and exporting and publishing for target media. The ACA JJO study guide has 6 sections and about 1,697 words.
01Exam Objectives and Project Planning
The ACA-style exam blends software skill with design judgment. Objectives typically cluster into document setup, asset handling, type and color, editing and effects, and output.
323 words, about 2 min02Visual Design and Composition Fundamentals
Design fundamentals questions test whether you can name and apply the building blocks: line, shape, form, space, texture, value, color. Principles include balance (symmetrical, asymmetrical, radial), contrast, hierarchy, emphasis, rhythm and repetition, proportion and scale, unity and variety, and movement.
277 words, about 1 min03Vector Graphics Creation and Editing
Vector art is defined by paths: anchor points joined by segments, shaped by direction handles. Understand corner versus smooth points, open versus closed paths, and how handle length and angle control curvature.
289 words, about 1 min04Color, Typography, and Layout
Distinguish RGB (additive, screen), CMYK (subtractive, process print), spot colors (premixed inks), and grayscale. Know hue, saturation, and brightness/lightness, plus harmony schemes: monochromatic, analogous, complementary, split-complementary, triadic.
264 words, about 1 min05Asset Organization and Document Workflow
Professional workflows separate source assets from working documents and exports. Understand linked versus embedded images: links keep file size down and allow updates but break if moved; embedding makes the document self-contained but larger.
272 words, about 1 min06Exporting, Publishing, and Output for Target Media
Export decisions flow from the destination: print (PDF/X-style, CMYK, bleed, marks, high resolution), web and social (RGB, sRGB profile, pixel dimensions, compressed JPEG/PNG/WebP), and screen or video (RGB, correct aspect ratio). Understand raster versus vector formats: PNG for lossless with transparency, JPEG for photographic compression, SVG/PDF/EPS for scalable vector, TIFF for print interchange.
272 words, about 1 min