In 1970, the Merganthaler Linotype VIP became the first phototypesetter to incorporate a minicomputer with programmable software that could be used to process raw text within the output machine (Barlow & Eccles, 1992). The graphic artist and designer had been losing some of their credibility in relationship to the fine artists up to the 1970s, because typesetting became a mechanical process that required technical training rather than artistic talent. Yet illustrators continued to be considered artists. However, several graphic designers proved such beliefs biased and irrelevant. Starting in the 1950s, Alan Fletcher used pop art, humor and bold and colorful works to develop new works of art. David Carson, a typographer and graphic designer, established his expertise in the 1980s for experimental typeface design. Completely developing his own approach, he established new rules of design and typography and experimented with overlapping and distorted fonts that were interconnected with images. Peter Saville greatly changed the graphic design culture in fashion, art and music (Eskilson, 2007).

Desktop publishing totally transformed the field of graphic art and design. Artist April Greiman was one of the first graphic designers to make use of this technology. In 1984, she bought a Macintosh personal computer and immediately began to explore its potential to enhance her creative output. She did not see the computer as a functional tool that would execute a preconceived idea, but rather something that would lead to new experimentation in composition. In the mid-1980s, the separate products of Apple Computers, Adobe and Aldus together brought a completely new system for graphic artists and typographers. The Apple "What You See Is What You Get" format, the Adobe Postscript printer language and the Aldus Page Maker software gave designers the ability to produce camera-ready typeset quality work without having to leave their studio chair (Eskilson, 2007).

The digital revolution of the Internet and Web has greatly enhanced the reliance on the graphic artists' areas of expertise both in print and on the computer. Manipulating fonts with a wide range of effects with a click of a mouse has become second nature. As the varied methods of graphic designers extend into the virtual space of the computer monitor, art...

This technology gives graphic designers flexibility for quickly and innovatively producing typography and transforming images
The computer has become the industry and educational standard for the graphic arts profession. Students now learn how to use such software packages as QuarkXpress and Adobe Photoshop and work with scanners and high-resolution printers. Computer-generated typography now allows for freedom expression, which heralds back to the first days of the Guttenberg press. Most recently, the iPhone and now the iPad, which are not navigated with a mouse, have once again expanded the graphic designer's abilities. Instead, they are controlled with touch-sensitive, human fingers, so pages turn, photos zoom in and out, and electronic books include videos of the author reading sections, games or educational learning opportunities.

It used to be that new technology was introduced every several decades, then every decade and every few years. Now there are new innovations being announced every few months. These new ideas are not just changes from products already on the market, but new technology. The graphic artists and designers will continue to play a pivotal role as these new innovations are announced. They will be the leaders who use the new technology and let others know their features and advantages.