One of the largest most diversified industries in the country, Graphics and printing consist of publishing and packing. Students are trained in digital Pre Press, Multimedia Design, Offset printing, process camera, and direct computer to plate technology.
The students will be introduced to the basics of layout and design, web based animation and basic press operations. Students will learn the fundamentals of Silk Screen printing and how to create single color T-shirts and posters. Students will be trained in the operation of offset duplicators and wet ink duplicating processes. Students will learn the bindery functions of folding, drilling, stitching, collating, booklet making and padding operations. Students will be introduced to the entire graphic communication field, which includes press operations, pre press computer based layout, digital design, imaging and animation. Concentration will be placed on safety standards and procedures related to the graphic communications field of study. The student will be informed of the many facets of the trade from pre-press computer design to press and bindery work. The student will understand the importance of safety within the shop environment. Students will be taught the fundamentals of all aspects of the trade with direct correlation to shop instruction. The areas covered are basic computer operation, layout, design, computer to plate, film imposition and platemaking. The first year student will learn about press setup, operation, clean up, folding operations, padding, bindery operations, packaging, paper cutting and estimation.
This course will build on the information gained in the freshman year. The students will work on the computer to learn about hardware and software functions of the computer. The student will learn about page layout software using the Adobe InDesign application. A basic understanding of Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator will be introduced. Weekly projects and daily lessons reinforce the material learned in the Related Theory class. The concentration of layout and digital imaging software will act as a primer to the junior year when advanced digital layout and multimedia design is introduced. The later half of the sophomore year will be spent learning basic press techniques, which include the use of duplicator’s and offset printing equipment to achieve simple forms printing, close and hairline register plus four-color process. Students are taught the five and/or six systems of the press for complete set-up and operation of the equipment. Students will learn about the Silk Screen process working with one and two-color projects including T-shirts and posters. Training will continue of bindery operations to reinforce the knowledge gained in freshmen year. The operation and calculation of all paper cutting techniques will be taught. Students will learn about paper types and weights as it applied to the successful operation of the equipment. This course will build on the information gained in freshman year. Quarterly projects are introduced to promote knowledge gained in the program. Desktop design applications will be discussed using the latest software in the industry. Proofreading, Proofing, using register marks, and color bars to produce CMYK work for the presses, and color separations will be taught. The RIP station will be covered with preflight operations. Computer to plate technology will also be covered. Students will understand the process of job estimating, paper types, the previous processes used in the darkroom and stripping areas, and plate burning. The students will know the fundamental operations of the offset presses within the shop with a continuing emphasis on safety. Two color operation with close and hairline register will be discussed. Introduction to four-color process printing will be covered. Bindery operations including folding, padding, stitching, collating and cutting is an integral part of sophomore year.
Students will concentrate on digital design and printing techniques. Four color registration, color matching and calibration, mixing ink and bindery techniques will be reinforced during the first half of the junior year while in the press area of the shop. Continuing to learn about four-color press runs and registration techniques prepares the junior student to enter the press field. Densitometry, the use of color bars and registration is stressed. Students will work on single color, two-color and four-color process work on a daily basis. Maintenance of equipment is taught on a daily basis. Students will continue to use bindery equipment for producing booklets, brochures, forms and other typical printing work. Students are trained in scoring, perforating and folding operations. Students will continue to learn about the Silk Screeen process working with multi-color projects including T-shirts and posters. Strong emphasis will be placed on four-color design, animation and press techniques while broadening the scope of the curriculum by including web design and digital authoring. The inclusion of digital authoring, animation, digital imaging and web design will be concentrated on in the later half of the junior year. While emphasis will still be placed on digital layout and design, expansion of the lessons to include animation and digital media allow the student to gain experience that enhances their understanding of the entire graphic communication field. Photoshop, Illustrator, InDeisgn, Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Flash, 3D Studio Max and Bryce software is taught during this time. Students will learn about the importance of digital printing as it applies to the graphic communications field. Students will use the Adobe Creative Suite of software products for design. This includes: Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign and Quark Xpress applications fussed in the industry. Quarterly projects reinforce the student’s knowledge in pre-press and press operations. Multiple page layout, color separations and densitometry are a part of the junior year. Students learn about printing color separations, quality control standards, job cost estimation and paper estimation for a multi-page form. Students will discuss film imposition for a color-separated job, pin registration, and how to create a multi-flat exposure. Proofing techniques, ink mixing, and the use of color bars as they relate to CMYK press operations are discussed. Students will have a better understanding of press operations for proper registration and for larger color printing work. Multiple folding operations are used and the understanding of paper manufacturing and bookbinding are discussed.
Students will continue to practice the Graphic Communications career involving the prepress, digital and press techniques. Students will concentrate on more typical graphic communications work like: four-color process design and printing plus web page design, preflighting operations, RIP station operation and the use of the four-color press. Students will continue to learn about the Silk Screen process working with multi-color projects including printing on different substrates. They will study all areas of the discipline to gain a thorough understanding of techniques to better themselves in the work force. Creation of work for the school involving the school brochure, shop pamphlets, and projects given the senior student will enable them to produce a working portfolio of their work to present to the future employer using real world examples. The senior student may elect to produce this working portfolio online via a web based presentation or through the use of multimedia production techniques, create a self running kiosk based presentation to send to employers. The senior student will create a resume to utilize for their continuing education or in the work world. The students will understand job interview techniques and prepare themselves to become young professionals within the graphic communications industry. Students will learn about business functions and how to create their own business. The students will work on the Internet for their research and work within the classroom to create a mock business. Students will be able to demonstrate a greater understanding of the design, preparation and printing of multi-color and process printing operations using the latest software and printing equipment within the shop and industry. Safety standards are taught continually to impress upon the graduating student that safety procedures are a part of everyday life. Printing of CMYK work is the emphasis in senior year. Students will understand the process and are able to design, preflight, RIP to plate and print a four-color process job plus complete the necessary bindery operations associated with the work. Estimating functions and job costing functions will be discussed in further detail.
