Fall 2023

File Prep

VC246

Course Calendar

COURSE WEEK ::

01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11

Calendar Notes:

  • Exercises are homework assignments that are due at a future class period, while Lab Exercises are assignments that should be worked on and completed during the current class period. Labs are activities we will complete during class.

Week 01 | Course Orientation / Intro to Print

Monday :: 09.25.2023

Welcome Course Introduction and Welcome
Lecture File Management, Naming & Archiving
Exercise Introduction to Print Specification Research Exercise
Resources Class Notes: File Management, Naming & Archiving
Exercise: 01 Print Specification Research

Wednesday :: 09.27.2023

Lecture Introduction to Printing Machines: Types of printing, use, features & limitations.
Defining Preflight and Responsibilities: The Designer, the Customer Service Representative, & the Prepress Operator.
Lab Job Production Role Play
Video Printing & Finishing (London College of Communication)
Resources Class Notes: Printing Techniques & Processes
Class Notes: Defining Preflight & Responsibilities
Lab: Job Production Role Play

Week 02 | Page Geometry / Imposition

Monday :: 10.02.2023

Lecture Page Geometry: Introduction, vocabulary, layout areas, important decimal values, and brochure folds.
Demo Practice with Page Geometry & Precision Guides
Exercise Creating Templates for Common Brochure Folds
Resources Class Notes: Document Setup, Pages, & Imposition
Class Notes: Page Geometry Terms
Exercise: 02 Creating Templates for Common Brochure Folds

Wednesday :: 10.04.2023

Due Creating Templates for Common Brochure Folds Exercise
Print Specification Research Exercise (01)
Lecture Imposition: Converting reader's spreads to printer's spreads, and setting up multiple-up pages for digital printing.
Lab Exercise Creating Printer Spreads with PDF
Exercise Layout Resizing for Multiple Publications
Resources Lab Exercise: 03 Creating Printer Spreads with PDF
Exercise: 04 Layout Resizing for Multiple Publications

Week 03 | Vector Artwork

Monday :: 10.09.2023

Lecture Troubleshooting Vector Art: Transparency, points, working with type, auto-trace & formats.
Project Introduction to Non-Profit Awareness Campaign Project
Lab Exercise Illustrator Raster Effects Stress Test
Video The Adobe Illustrator Story
Resources Class Notes: Troubleshooting Vector Artwork
Exercise: 05 Illustrator Raster Effects Stress Test
Project: Non-Profit Awareness Campaign Project

Wednesday :: 10.11.2023

Due Layout Resizing for Multiple Publications Exercise
Print Specification Research Exercise (02)
Lecture Preparing Vector Logos for Print Production
Lab Exercise Preparing Vector Artwork
Resources Exercise: 06 Preparing Vector Artwork

Week 04 | Raster artwork / Document Preflight

Monday :: 10.16.2023

Lecture Troubleshooting Raster Art: Transparency, effective resolution, color space, up-sampling artwork, rich blacks, & file formats.
Lab Exercise Preparing Raster Artwork
Resources Class Notes: Troubleshooting Raster Artwork
Exercise: 07 Preparing Raster Artwork

Wednesday :: 10.18.2023

Due Initial Version of Non-Profit Awareness Campaign Project
Print Specification Research Exercise (03)
Critique Non-Profit Awareness Campaign Project
Demo Refresher on Creating Mock-ups in Photoshop
Lab Exercise Document Preflight
Resources Exercise: 08 Document Preflight

Week 05 | Field Trip / Exam

Monday :: 10.23.2023

Field Trip To Select Impressions (North Salem)

Wednesday :: 10.25.2023

Due Print Specification Research Exercise (04)
Final Version of Non-Profit Awareness Campaign Project
Exam Over all course class demonstrations, projects, labs, and exercise assignments.
Project Introduction to Brand Guide Project
Lab Button Making 101
Resources Project: Introduction & Personality for Brand Guides Project

Week 06 | Color

Monday :: 10.30.2023

Lecture Troubleshooting Color for Offset Printing
Understanding color separations, overprinting, & knockouts.
Lab Exercise CMYK Color Matching
Resources Class Notes: Troubleshooting Color for Offset Printing
Exercise: 09 CMYK Color Matching

Wednesday :: 11.01.2023

Due Introduction & Personality Component of Brand Guide Project
Lecture Introduction to Color Management and LAB
Demo Working with ICC Profiles & Color Calibration of Monitors
Exercise Working with Color Space Profile Conversion
Project Logo Component of Brand Guide Project
Resources Class Notes: Introduction to Color Management and LAB
Exercise: 10 Working with Color Space Profile Conversion

Week 07 | Color Correction

Monday :: 11.06.2023 (Class starts at 9:45 AM)

Discussion Winter Term Group Advising
Lecture Image Anatomy 101
Introduction to Curves in Photoshop
Resources Class Notes: Color Correction with Curves

Wednesday :: 11.08.2023

Demo Preparing a Logo Package
Lecture RGB Color Correction by the Numbers
Lab Exercise Color Correction with Curves
Resources Exercise: 11 Color Correction with Curves

Week 08 | Color Correction / Adobe PDF

Monday :: 11.13.2023

Due Logo Component of Brand Guide Project
Demo Processing Photos with Adobe Camera Raw
Lab Color Correction with Adobe Camera Raw
Project Typography Component of Brand Guide Project
Resources Project: Typography Component of Brand Guides Project

Wednesday :: 11.15.2023

Lecture An in-depth look at PDFs: History, versions, current use, features, & applications.
Creating PDFs: Types, Methods, Presets & Options.
Demo Advanced PDF Creation with Acrobat Distiller
Resources Class Notes: Portable Document Format (PDF)

Week 09 | Adobe PDF

Monday :: 11.20.2023

Due Typography Component of Brand Guide Project
Critique Brand Guide Logos
Lecture Introduction to the PDF/X Specification
Demo Creating Fillable PDF Forms in InDesign
Using Adobe Acrobat Pro: Proofing, preflight and document properties.
Project Color & Production Component of Brand Guide Project
Resources Project: Color & Production Component of Brand Guide Project

Wednesday :: 11.22.2023

Lab Open lab time to work on Brand Guide Project

Week 10 | Preflight & Packaging

Monday :: 11.27.2023

Due Draft Version of Brand Guide Booklet
Critique Draft Version of Brand Guide Booklet
Lecture Working with the Preflight Panel & Packaging in InDesign
Creating Preflight Profiles in InDesign
Lab Exercise Document Preflight Revisited
Resources Class Notes: Preflight & Packaging
Class Notes: Commercial Printing Preflight Checklist
Exercise: 12 Document Preflight Revisited

Wednesday :: 11.29.2023

Exam Over all course class demonstrations, projects, labs, and homework assignments.
Movie Linotype: The Film
Extra Credit Linotype: The Film Extra Credit Questions

Week 11 | Finals Week

Monday :: 12.04.2023 @ 10:00 AM

Due Color & Production Component of Brand Guide Project
Linotype: The Film Extra Credit Questions
Critique Color & Production Component of Brand Guide Project