Elements and Performance Criteria
- Apply knowledge of printing industry
- Apply knowledge of government acts and regulations
- Basic principles and obligations involved in copyright, OHS, environmental protection, access and equity and industrial awards are understood in relation to the workplace
- The basic principles and obligations involved in copyright, OHS, environmental protection, access and equity and industrial awards are followed in personal work practices
- Apply detailed knowledge of pre-press processes
- The principles behind the following pre-press functions: image production (typesetting, scanning, graphic arts camera), image combining (manual and electronic), image output (film, plates, direct to press) and digital workflow are understood and applied where possible in the workplace
- Different types of images (line, half-tone), digital and their use are understood and general strategies developed for printing
- Different output settings eg screen rulings and angles, shapes, and how they affect final product are understood and general strategies developed for printing
- The different types of output required for different printing processes are understood and general processes developed for printing
- Different output devices eg film setters, plate setters, analogue proofs, digital proofs, are understood and general processes developed for printing
- Apply knowledge of printing processes
- Principles of the following printing processes: lithography, relief, flexography, gravure, pad printing, screen printing, digital/electronic printing are applied when using a selected printing process
- The types of jobs and products for each process are considered to ensure appropriate choices are made to meet client needs
- The capabilities and limitations of each process are considered when using a selected printing process
- Apply knowledge of converting and finishing processes
- Basic characteristics of the following converting and finishing processes: guillotining, flat-bed and rotary cutting, collating, folding, adhesive, mechanical and thermal fastening are taken into consideration when making print process decisions
- The types of jobs and products for each process are considered to ensure appropriate choices are made to meet client needs
- Apply knowledge of substrates and inks
- The range of substrates used for each printing process are taken into consideration when making print set up decisions
- The relationship of different paper sizes is taken into consideration when making print set up decisions
- Different weights and callipers of substrates and how they affect printing operations are taken into consideration when making print set up decisions
- Paper grain and how it affects pre-press, printing and finishing operations are taken into consideration when making print set up decisions
- Different properties of ink such as drying properties, fastness, gloss, and how they affect printing and finishing operations are taken into consideration when making print set up decisions
- Inks and coatings that are appropriate and those that are not appropriate for particular finishing processes are taken into consideration when making print set up decisions
- Apply detailed knowledge of printing requirements for pre-press and finishing processes
- Designs that are appropriate for different printing processes are understood and general strategies developed for printing
- Criteria for evaluating suitability of pre-press outputs for printing processes are understood and general strategies developed for printing
- Mechanisms and techniques for adjusting image registration and position are understood and general strategies developed for printing
- Procedures for determining colour sequence are understood and general strategies developed for printing
- Adjustments that can be made so that product matches approved proof are understood and general strategies developed for printing
- Criteria for determining impositions and image placements for converting, binding and finishing operations are understood and general strategies developed for printing
- Apply knowledge of colour theory
- Colour theory of additive colours (light), RGB, is understood and used to inform printing decisions
- Colour theory of subtractive colours (pigments), CMYK, is understood and used to inform printing decisions
- Relationship between ranges of visual colour RGB and CMYK is understood and used to inform printing decisions
- Relationship between hue, greyness and substrate for tone and colour correction is understood and used to inform printing decisions
- Colour matching conditions and colour matching systems are understood and used to inform printing decisions
- Apply basic knowledge of costs of production
- The main cost elements (fixed, capital and variable) in printing production are understood and used to inform printing decisions
- The information required to accurately cost jobs and the means of collecting it (manual and computerised) are applied to work practices
- Ways of minimising use of materials without affecting the quality of output is understood and used to inform printing processes
- Ways of maximising efficiency of capital and human resources are understood and used to inform printing processes
- Apply basic knowledge of production management requirements and systems
- The types of information that need to be exchanged between different stages of production to facilitate production efficiency are understood and used to inform personal work practices
- Systems (manual and computerised) that can be used to exchange information are understood and used in the workplace
- The basic principles of efficient production management are understood and used to inform personal work practices