ART 225 or consent of instructor

Course presents background information and methodology for production of high quality publications in desktop environment. Content includes powerful tools available for the electronic prepress and press imaging, assembly of publications with computer tools, and most common publishing problems. QuarkXPress and Adobe InDesign used as the main software.

A.    To explain the basic mechanics of producing documents with a computer and taking documents into print.
B.    To identify the terminology, process tools and production options encountered in the world of publishing on the computer.
C.    To make separations electronically, trap and match colors.
D.    To explain how electronic pages are most efficiently brought to press.
E.    To calibrate a system from monitor to print.
F.    To explain the role of color perception and instrumentation in quality control.

Students and employees at Oakton Community College are required to demonstrate academic integrity and follow Oakton's Code of Academic Conduct. This code prohibits:

• cheating,
• plagiarism (turning in work not written by you, or lacking proper citation),
• falsification and fabrication (lying or distorting the truth),
• helping others to cheat,
• unauthorized changes on official documents,
• pretending to be someone else or having someone else pretend to be you,
• making or accepting bribes, special favors, or threats, and
• any other behavior that violates academic integrity.

There are serious consequences to violations of the academic integrity policy. Oakton's policies and procedures provide students a fair hearing if a complaint is made against you. If you are found to have violated the policy, the minimum penalty is failure on the assignment and, a disciplinary record will be established and kept on file in the office of the Vice President for Student Affairs for a period of 3 years.
Details of the Code of Academic Conduct can be found in the Student Handbook.

A.    Press
        1.  History of Printing
            a.    Ancient printing
            b.    Printing in the East
            c.    Printing in the West
            d.    Printing presses
            e.    Book illustration
            f.    Type faces, steel presses and type setting machines
            g.    Engraving
       2.    Types of printing
           a.    Lithography
              i)    Offset principles
             ii)    Offset theory
           b.    Relief printing
             i)    Letterpress
            ii)    Photo plates
            iii)    Flexographic
            iv)    Nylo-plastic
           c.    Gravure
              i)    Cylinders and runs
             ii)    Intaglio
           d.    Screen printing
              i)    Silk screen
             ii)    Devices and surfaces
          e.    Electronic printing processes
              i)    Electrophotographic printing
             ii)    Ink-jet
             iii)    Microcapsule printing
             iv)    Thermal sublimation and wax transfer
B.    Prepress
      1.  Color systems
          a.    Additive
          b.    Subtractive
          c.    CIE system
          d.    Color of correcting
             i)     Gray scale balance
            ii)    Printing ink setup
      2.  Resolution
         a.    Measurement
             i)    PPI
            ii)    DPI
           iii)    File size and speed
         b.    Output resolution
            i)    Formula of shades of gray
           ii)    Sizing and resolution
          iii)    Number of pixels and resolution
      3.  Scanning
          a.    How scanners work
              i)    Flatbed
             ii)    Film
            iii)    CCD
            iv)    CD ROM
          b.    Measurement - 8 bit, 24 bit systems
          c.    Histograms
          d.    File formats
      4.  Tonal scales
          a.    Original versus the printed page
          b.    Logarithmic density scale
          c.    Gamma values
      5.  Screens
          a.    Four color
          b.    Screen frequency
          c.    Halftones
          d.    Screen angle
          e.    Dot
               i)    Elliptical
              ii)    Circle
             iii)    Square
          f.  Electronic halftones and output
              i)    Agfa balanced system
             ii)    Adobe screening
      6.  Separations
          a.    File and printer
          b.    Orientation and page size
          c.    Assignment of color
          d.    Overprint and trap
          e.    Crop marks
          f.    Saving and separation options
      7.  Calibration
          a.    Monitor
          b.    Software calibration
          c.    Scanner
          d.    Image setter
          e.    Printing plates and proofs
     8.  Trapping
          a.    Setting colors and knockout
          b.    Constructing artwork with a trap
     9.  Duotones, tritones, and quadtones

This course will be presented using a combination of lectures, slide presentations and computer work in the lab.

Course may be taught as face-to-face, media-based, hybrid or online course.

A.    Attend and participate in all classes and labs.
B.    Attend critiques and quizzes as scheduled in the course calendar.
C.    Complete assigned exercises and print work.
D.    Final Exam.

A.    Flash drive or portable hard drive
B.    Blank CD-Rs

The final grade will be based upon the following elements and their weights:
A.        Quizzes           25%
B.        Critiques          25%
C.        Final Exam       25%
D.        Final Critique    25%

Multiple choice quizzes will be administered at the first three critiques.  Critiques offer the student the opportunity to show work in progress to the instructor and to the class and to obtain feedback on the work presented.  There will be four critiques including the final. 

If you have a documented learning, psychological, or physical disability you may be entitled to reasonable academic accommodations or services. To request accommodations or services, contact the ASSIST office in the Learning Center. All students are expected to fulfill essential course requirements. The College will not waive any essential skill or requirement of a course or degree program.