Erie Community College, State University of New York

VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY - GRAPHIC ARTSAND PRINTING

Program Competencies

Upon graduation with an Associate in Applied Science degree in Visual Communication Technology - Graphic Arts / Printing, the graduate will be able to:

• Recognize the product mix, production sequence and variety of equipment (cost centers) unique to the printing/ publishing industry and understand its operation as both a service and manufacturing industry/career
• Understand and apply a variety of measurement systems including points and picas to a diversity of job specifications/ products in the graphics industry and apply correct mathematical processes to specific procedures
• Identify basic design principles and the historical influence on graphic design including the fundamentals of typography as they relate to print media for a variety of products and page formats including single/double-sided pages, folds, columns, single, and multiple page layouts, as well as, single and multiple colors
• Apply related techniques such as markup specifications, principles of layout, copyfitting, the understanding of paper, page anatomy, copyright laws, and proofreading when applicable to the publishing and printing process
• Gain competency in operating a computer including related input and output devices, as well as a variety of current versions of industry-related software for design, page assembly, photo/image manipulation, proofing, and HTML web publishing
• Understand the differences between spot and CMYK colors, graphic file formats, PostScript and TrueType, and the factors involved in outputting to a PostScript level output device
• Gain competency and learn how to apply quality control techniques to different levels of the production process at all times including proofreading, page proofs, densitometer, visual checks, color bars etc.
• Be informed of safety regulations and requirements that affect different segments of the publishing/printing process
• Understand basic management functions involved in a printing company, including the principles of estimating and production management
• Understand and be able to demonstrate how to produce film/halftone negatives both manually and electronically with proper density, exposure, screen type, tests and percentages
• Understand and execute basic as well as advanced stripping procedures
• Produce mock-ups and color proofs with proper imposition, pagination, and directions for single and multiple pages and colors as well as separations
• Understand and apply the principles of trapping, chokes, and spreads to the printed product
• Understand the theory of color and its relationship to the electronic process, as well as the relationship of color filters to final output
• Identify the terminology associated with special effects for image manipulation and how to produce each effect
• Understand the relationship and importance of preflighting to electronic output and apply preflighting techniques to jobs prepared for output
• Understand and demonstrate how to output to plate both, manually, and electronically, for a variety of linear and digital output devices
• Understand the differences and behaviors of output colorant including light, toner, ink jet, transfer film, ink and how to mix a variety of specific colors to create spot as well as CMYK colors
• Understand the principles of both lithographic and digital press output and how to prepare each device for proper output for a variety of substrates, page impositions, and colors as well as apply proper maintenance procedures.
• Operate and be familiar with basic bindery and finishing processes
• Present and describe how to produce a variety of typical products in the printing industry that reflect skills in the areas of electronic publishing, design, imaging, and/or output