Color, Typography, and Layout
Color models and harmony
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. Understand that converting RGB to CMYK can shift vivid colors, and that spot colors may not reproduce in CMYK without conversion.
Typography essentials
Know type anatomy (baseline, x-height, ascender, descender, cap height, counter) and classification (serif, sans serif, slab, script, display). Understand leading (line spacing), tracking (overall letter spacing), kerning (pair spacing), and how each is measured. Contrast and legibility questions favor adequate x-height, sufficient leading, and limited typeface count.
Layout mechanics
Layout questions cover margins, columns, gutters, alignment, and text flow. Know when text should be threaded between frames versus placed as independent blocks, and how styles enforce consistency. Widows and orphans, hyphenation, and justification trade-offs are common scenario material.
Worked example
A dense report needs readable body text. Rule of thumb: choose a serif or neutral sans at a comfortable size with leading around 120–145% of type size, left-aligned or hyphenated justified text, and a clear hierarchy of heading styles. A distractor recommending tight tracking and low leading fails the legibility test.
Traps
Confusing tracking with kerning, treating leading as paragraph spacing, and assuming on-screen color matches printed color.