New York City College of Technology Professor Thelma Bauer

GRA 1111, Section D314,,89799 Phone: 718-260- 5823

Email: tbauer@citytech.cuny.edu and thelmabauer@hotmail.com

GRA1111GraphicCommunicationWorkshop

1. What is leading?
The vertical distance between lines of type and is measured in points. During the days of metal
type, printers inserted extra strips of lead between long lines of text to make it easier to read.
This procedure gave rise to the term leading (pronounced ledding)> Leading is measured from
the base line of one line of text to the baseline of the next line of text. Most word processing and
page layout applications let you adjust the leading in your document.

2. What are the subtract primaries and why are they are called substrates?

Cyan, magenta, and yellow ink colors used in four-color process printing (along with
black) are known as the subtractive primaries.

Subtractive primaries are so-called because they subtract (absorb) certain colors from the
light falling upon them. This is how objects appear to be colored if you shine white
light on them, they absorb certain frequencies of the light and the reflected frequencies
create a color.

A red object subtracts green and blue (cyan) light

A green object subtracts red and blue (magenta) light
A blue object subtracts green and red (yellow) light
A magenta object subtracts green light
A cyan object subtracts red light
A yellow object subtracts blue light

3. What are the additive primaries and why are they are called additive primaries?

The additive primary colors are red, green and blue (often shortened as RGB). When
added together in equal amounts at 100% intensity, white light is created. When added
together in different proportions, all other colors can be created.

Red+Blue=Magenta
Red+Green=Yellow
Blue+Green=Cyan
Red + Blue + Green = White

When speaking of primary colors, confusion is often created because there are two
different types of primary color. Additive primaries describe the colors we see in the real
world, created by light. Subtractive primaries (cyan, magenta and yellow) are used in
print media to mix pigments.
 The subtractive primary colors also happen to be the complementary colors to additive
primaries. These are sometimes known as light secondaries or secondary colors, being
the color that is created when two primary colors are combined.

4. Discuss the use of Combination Press.

Combination presses are sometimes used in package printing, printing requiring
imprinting or addressing, and in security printing where documents must be produced
that are difficult to copy or counterfeit. Scratch-off gaming tickets, such as lottery tickets
are produced on combination presses using a multiplicity of processes such as
lithography, gravure, flexography and inkjet printing, but are not limited to this
combination of processes. These presses sometimes have as many as sixteen units
because of the number of colors printed as well as the various layers of coatings needed
to enhance security.

5. What is a raster image processor (RIP)?

The RIP (Raster Image Processor) receives PostScript files and output
streams of bits directly to a digital printer, imagesetter, or platesetter for image
rendering or to a video display to be viewed. The RIP has three main internal
functions:
Interpretation: In this stage the RIP interprets the PostScript code. It
decodes PostScript and prepares the information to the following steps, the
display list.
Creation of the display (or object) list: creation of an intermediate list of
objects and instructions before rasterizing. It is a list of objects in a page
description file that have a determined order. The order the page elements
have in this display list is the same order in which they will be displayed
or imaged. A PDF is, in essence a display list.
Rasterization: The conversion of the graphic elements into bitmaps for
rendering on a monitor, digital printer or imagesetter, in other words, the
RIP takes the display list and converts it into pixels. This stage is
necessary because every output device needs to generate spots, dots or
pixels.

6. What is a. diecutting, b. scoring, and c. foil stamping?

a. Diecutting is a process where a segment of printed document is cut into a
special shape such as a circle, triangle, or any other shape for that matter.
Diecutting is common in package printing where each final piece has a
structure of shape of its own.
b. Scoring is a process where a printed sheet is given a fine-line indentation
to aid the folding process. Similarly, a technique called perforating as the
term implies, creates a line of perforations in the substrate also to aid in
the folding process or to make it easier for the use of the printed piece to
tear out a section- such as a coupon or mail-in card.
c. Foil stamping is the process that allows the application of a metallic look
to a printed piece. Fold or silver foil is commonly used in this process.
7. What are the four major processes in postpress? Describe them.
a. Cutting-The machine typically used for cutting substrates into individual pages or
sheet is called a guillotine cutter or paper cutter. These machines are built in many
sizes, capacities, and configurations.
b. Folding largely completes postpress operations for certain products such as simple
folded pamphlets. Other products are folded into signatures of four pages or more.
Multiple signatures are then assembled and bound into books and magazines. Though
folding is generally considered a postpress operation most lithographic and gravure
web presses are equipped with folders.
c. Assembling-The assembly process brings all of the printed and non-printed elements
of the final product together prior to binding. Assembly usually included three steps:
gathering, collating, and inserting. Sheets or signatures are picked up from the stacks
in the correct order and either gathered, collated or inserted to form bindery units.
d. Binding is categorized by the method used to hold units of printed material together.
The three most commonly used methods are adhesive binding, side binding and
saddle binding. Three types cover are available to complete the binding process: self
covers, soft covers, and case bound covers.

8. What are 5 principles of design?

a. Research and development- Graphic design begins with a visual concept-the main idea
behind creating the design piece. Before coming up with a concept, you need to plan a
strategy or design objectives that meets your clients needs. You need to research
information, materials and visuals about your subject, and start writing down you ideas.
Make changes and decisions on those ideas and with the client, and then generate final
comps for the intended media or product.
b. Alignment creates a sharper, more ordered design. Aligning elements allows them to
create a visual connection with each other. It tightens the design and eliminates the
haphazard, messy effect which comes when items are placed randomly.
Aligning elements which are not in close proximity with each other, helps to provide an
invisible connection between them, alignment is one of the most basic and important
principles of design. It allows us to create order and organization among elements.
c. Repetition strengthens a design by tying together individual elements. It helps to create
association and consistency. The consistent repetition of an element is widely used in
multi-page documents and websites. Elements can be as simple as color, shapes,
typefaces or even texture.
d. Contrast allows you to emphasize or highlight key elements within your design. Contrast
is created when two elements are total opposites. This doesnt necessarily have to be
colors either. It can be achieved with fonts (classic/contemporary), lines (thick/thin) and
shapes (big/small), just to name a few. Contrast plays a crucial part in the organization of
information on a page. It will guide the reader to where they should look first or to the
most important element. For it to work successfully though, it must be strong and
obvious. It needs to make an impact.
 e. Proximity helps creates organization. By grouping similar elements together or in close
proximity, you create a relationship between those elements. It also provides a focal point
and can give the reader an idea of where they should start and finish reading.
Proximity doesnt mean that elements have to be placed together; it means they should be
visually connected in some way. This can be by use of point size, font, color etc

f. Balance provides stability and structure to a design. Its the weight distributed in the
design by the placement of your elements. The elements dont necessarily need to be of
the same size. Balance can be achieved by placing a large element on one side of your
design and several small elements on the other side. Balance can be achieved in 2 ways,
either Symmetrical or Asymmetrical. Symmetrical balance is achieved when the weight
of the elements on both halves of the design is even, given a centre line. Asymmetrical
balance is achieved by the use of contrast. A dark element would need to be balanced by
several lighter elements.

9. What is a bitmap graphic?

Bitmap graphics are sometimes referred to as digital, raster, or paint graphics. Some
popular programs that allow you to create and edit bitmap/paint graphics are Adobe Photoshop,
Jasc Paint Shop Pro, and Microsoft PictureIt!
The advantage of a bitmap over a vector is that it can represent a much more complex range of
colors and shadesphotographic detail. Bitmaps, of course, are found everywhere. The images
digital cameras and scanners produce are bitmaps, as are most of the graphics you see on the
World Wide Web.
A bitmap image is very different from a vector. Instead of connect-the-dots think paint-by-
numbers. A typical bitmap is divided into a grid of thousands of tiny rectangles called pixels
and each pixel can be assigned a different color or shade of gray.
10. Discuss the 6 printing process.
a. Letterpress is printing from the surface of a raised image. It is also called relief
printing, where the plate image is raise above the non-printing areas. In letterpress
printing, ink is placed in the press ink fountain and then is distributed onto ink rollers.
The ink rollers apply the ink onto a substrate (usually paper). In this process, the
image on the plate must be wrong reading (or a mirror image) so that the printed
image on the substrate will be right reading.
b. Lithography is printing from a flat surface on which the image area and nonimage
areas are on the same plane. The process is base on the principle that grease and water
do not mix. The image and nonimage areas are separated chemically in such a way
that the image on the plate will accept greasy ink and the non image areas will accept
water and afterward reject ink. On a typical lithographic press, there is an ink fountain
and water or dampening fountain. Ink is distributed from the ink fountain onto a set of
ink rollers. Simultaneously, the water fountain distributes a dampening solution,
primarily composed of water, to dampening rollers. The rollers dampen the plate
before ink is applied to it. The water sticks to the nonimage areas that were
chemically treated to accept the water. The ink rollers then apply ink to the plate.
 Because the water on the nonimage areas rejects the greasy ink, the ink will only stick
to the image areas.
The inked images are then transferred to a rubber-like blanket that is wrapped around
a cylinder that comes in contact with the plate cylinder. From the imaged blanket the
image is transferred to the substrate being printed.
c. The gravure process has its origins in the early seventeenth century when intaglio
printing process was developed to replace woodcuts in illustrating the best books of
the time. In early intaglio printing, illustrations were etched on metal, inked, and
pressed on paper. Gravure, still also known as intaglio printing, makes use of the
ability of ink to fill a slight depression on a polished metal plate. The basics of
gravure printing are a fairly simple process that consists of a printing cylinder, a
rubber-covered impression roller, an ink fountain, a doctor blade, and a means of
drying the ink. It is the opposite of letterpress printing (raised surface) gravure prints
from a recessed image (beneath the plate surface).
d. The Flexographic printing process is like letterpress printing, flexography involves
printing from a raised image on the plate. The difference, however, is that the
flexographic plate is typically made of synthetic rubber or a photopolymer material.
Some of the harder flexographic photopolymer plates print relatively sharp and
produce high resolution images. The softer synthetic rubber plates are not suitable for
high-quality printing. It is used for packaging and label printing.
e. Screen printing is probably the simplest of the major printing processes. The image to
be printed is formed on a screen made of synthetic fibers over which a stencil is place
that represents the nonimage areas. The area of the screen not covered by the stencil
represents the image area because it is here where ink can pass through the screen
onto the substrate. Stencils can be formed in a number of ways. One way is
photographically by exposing negative or positive film to a photographic emulsion
applied to the screen. When developed, the image and nonimage areas are defined.
Stencils can also be formed by applying pressure-sensitive stencil material on the
screen or by painting a liquid stencil on the screen. Once the stencil is formed, the
screen is brought in contact with the substrate, ink is placed on the screen, and a
squeegee drags the ink over the stencil and the entire screen. The ink that is not
blocked by the stencil will go through the screen and onto the substrate to form the
printed image.
f. Digital printing has come of age in the early part of the twenty-first century. Digital
presses now produce images that rival offset lithography and lower cost per image
pricing makes them a viable printing alternative. Digital printing presses are presses
that are able to accept jobs directly from the computer and produce a printing plate
(CTP) or image a cylinder. They allow taking on jobs and run lengths that were
previously just not cost-effective.