Review with your counselor the processes for producing printed communications: offset
lithography, screen process printing, electronic/digital, relief, and gravure. You may
show samples or draw diagrams to help with your description.
Explain the difference between continuous-tone, line, and halftone artwork. Describe how
it can be created and/or stored in a computer.
Design a printed piece (flier, T-shirt, program, form, etc.) and produce it. Explain
your decisions for the typeface or typefaces you use and the way you arrange the elements
in your design. Explain which printing process is best suited for printing your design. If
desktop publishing hardware and software are available, identify what hardware and
software would be appropriate for outputting your design.
Produce the design you created for requirement 3 using one of the following printing
processes:
Offset lithography Make a layout and then produce a plate using a process approved by your
counselor. Run the plate and print at least 50 copies.
Screen process printing Make a hand-cut or photographic stencil and attach it to a screen that you have
prepared. Mask the screen and print at least 20 copies.
Electronic/digital printing Make a layout in electronic form, download it to the press or printer, and run 50
copies. If no electronic interface to the press or printer is available, you may print and
scan a paper copy of the layout.
Relief printing Prepare a layout or set the necessary type. Make a plate or lock up the form. Use
this to print 50 copies.
Review the following postpress operations with your counselor:
Discuss the finishing operations of padding, drilling, cutting, and trimming.
Collect, describe, or identify examples of the following types of binding: perfect,
spiral, plastic comb, saddle stitched, and case.
Identify three career opportunities in graphic arts and tell how you can prepare for
them.
Do one of the following, and then describe the highlights of your visit:
Visit a newspaper printing plant: Follow a story from the editor to the press.
Visit a commercial or in-plant printing facility: Follow a job from beginning to end.
Visit a schools graphic arts program: Find out what courses are available and what
the prerequisites are.
Visit three Web sites on the Internet that belong to graphic arts professional
organizations and/or printing-related companies (suppliers, manufacturers, printers):
Download product or service information from two of the sites.