Technology Cluster - - Greater Lowell Technical High School

The Graphic Communications course offers students to learn all aspects of this high demanding field. From thinking of an idea, designing it, and then making the final product. By the time of graduation, students will be ready for a career in the Graphic Design field. Students will study Graphic Design, Illustration, Air brushing, Printing, Web page design and many more!

Freshmen Year

Graphic Communications Technology Exploratory presents a broad overview of the graphic arts industry. Students explore their talents in graphic design, desk-top publishing, pre-press, printing, silk-screening, vinyl sign design and drawing. Employment opportunities in the area of graphic communications are reviewed. This exciting curriculum takes a hands-on approach to complete a number of projects such as: creating a sketchbook/journal, designing and printing a notepad, completing a T-shirt design, multiple Desktop Publishing Projects and an introduction to silk-screening and drawing. The students are encouraged to express themselves creatively.

The exploratory returnee is provided with a more extensive overview of the graphic communications technology field and its many opportunities. A program in desktop publishing, graphic design, printing, silk screening, and illustration is offered. This in-depth curriculum takes a hands-on approach to complete a number of projects in the shop setting. The projects include desktop publishing, introduction to the powerful imaging tool, Adobe PhotoShop, and learning scanning and digital camera use. An introduction to web page design and animation is explored utilizing Macromedia, Dreamweaver MX and Flash MX. Students will have the opportunity to design and silk-screen t-shirts. Students also spend time in each shop area to help them become more aware of career opportunities in the graphic arts field. The students are encouraged to express themselves creatively.

Sophomore Year

In the Level I graphic communications technology program, students spend ½ year in the commercial art area of the program and ½ year in the printing production area. Students study pencil, pen and ink, line and tone drawing, lettering, sign painting, introduction to typography, reproduction and basic line art, camera work and reproduction, along with general illustration, cartooning and power art. Students begin study in the following areas: offset preparation, layout, stripping, plate making, paste-up, offset press operator, collating, folding, type layout and design, copy layout and design and copy fitting. Graphic communications students will learn to enhance and apply their organizational skills. Students will learn to demonstrate effective pre-production, production and post-production, publication practices. Students will be required to define computer platforms and operating systems. Graphics students will also learn to correctly scan images from different digital sources for a variety of uses. Students will be required to apply photographic principles, lay-out and design pages using page layout software and integrate edited digital images. Students will demonstrate basic design & layout for a sign. Students will demonstrate the use of a vinyl cutter/plotter. Students will describe & demonstrate basic level methods of transferring graphics and lettering for a sign. This program is designed to prepare the student for more demanding work and assignments which will prepare him/her to be able to produce work that meets the standards of a professional graphic communications person.

Students will examine the major areas of specialization in the graphic communications industry. Students will be able to identify the personal traits and organizational skills important for successful graphic careers. They will describe effective workflow and production practices. Students will review and apply mathematical knowledge and methods of measurement to Visual Design, Pre-press, and printing problems. They will be able to explain color theory, define principles and elements of design, identify major printing processes, explain the use of scanners and platemaking equipment , and understand the fundamentals of typography. Students will review instructional material that will prepare them to pass the Certification Exam for the PrintEd National Accreditation Program.

Students in Level II are given a choice of specializing in layout and graphic design or printing/production. Students may specialize in layout and graphic design or printing/production. Students may specialize in layout, graphic design, commercial illustration techniques, and professional procedures for completing jobs from thumbnail sketches to comprehensive layouts. In the printing/production area, emphasis is placed on production procedures that encompass typesetting and copy preparation facilities of the printing department. Students are given experience in the form of integrated computer graphic systems, offset press, bindery, pre-press, and proofreading, screen printing, high speed digitized imaging processes and vinyl sign production. Graphic communications students in level ii will learn to apply organizational skills. Students will be given the opportunity to demonstrate pre-production, production effective post—production practices. Students will learn to correctly scan images from different sources for a variety of uses, will learn to describe and apply photographic principles and will learn to layout a page using desktop publishing software and will learn to edit and create digital images using digital imaging software. Students will have the opportunity to create, design and layout websites, create web graphics, and create web animations. As well as apply principles of video production while producing a video project. Graphic communications students will demonstrate proper design & layout for a sign. Students will demonstrate the use of a vinyl cutter/plotter. Students will describe & demonstrate various methods for transferring graphics, demonstrate use of a stencil, and demonstrate methods of producing lines & stripes. Students will apply vinyl vehicle lettering, will apply vinyl lettering to various substrates, will apply freehand artwork to signs and install various types of signage.

The related II program begins with a review of the topics covered in related I. Basic graphic design skills; page design; layout; importing and exporting of graphics; computer illustration and typography are now advancing the students’ skill level. Animation is explored using the powerful Macromedia Flash software. Students are prepared for solving more demanding assignments in the graphic communications field. The students begin to evaluate his/her “Professional Output” and will update their personal portfolio.

This course is given in a Graphic Arts/Director/Client atmosphere. Professional level problems will be stressed and solved with a concentration on layout, design, and the preparation of production. The course content will provide for a realistic development of job phases with respect to printing, typesetting requirements and electronic graphic design. Emphasis is placed on production in the form of electronic page preparations. This course will give students hands-on experience with a computer generated graphic, page layout and typesetting network. In the Level III Graphic Arts Program, the student continues in his/her area of expertise, working on jobs that increase in levels of difficulty. The student will be exposed to advanced black and white as well as printing on demand multicolor and four color process printing. Students will be responsible for completion of jobs from thumbnail sketches, layout and design, type face selection. In most instances, the students acts as a journeyman’s apprentice and works with Level I and Level II students. Level III students will also learn to enhance and apply their organizational skills. Students will learn to demonstrate effective pre-production, production and post-production, publication practices. Students will be required to apply photographic principles, layout and design pages using page layout software and integrate edited digital images. Students will also be required to Digital Design using electronic drawing software’s which are used in applications to layout and design web-sites, and various web-graphics. Level III students will also be required to apply the principles of video production by producing a video project that will apply created web animations. Graphic communications level III students will demonstrate advanced design & layout for a sign. Students will demonstrate the use of a vinyl cutter/plotter. Students will describe & demonstrate various methods of transferring graphics, demonstrate use of a stencil, and demonstrate methods of producing lines & stripes. Students will apply vinyl vehicle lettering, will apply vinyl lettering to various substrates, will apply freehand artwork to signs and install various and types of signage. The graphic communications program is designed to prepare the student for more demanding work and assignments which will prepare him/her to be able to produce work that meets the standards of a professional graphic communications person.

The student will maintain an ongoing sketch/notebook. The student will develop, assemble, and maintain a personal portfolio for presentation; render a personal perspective and also the human figure; understand color theory applied to design; demonstrate the appropriate use of space; define principles and elements of design; produce draft quality drawings including thumbnail drawings and rough sketches. The student will learn considerations necessary for print and web-based audiences. The student will produce a comprehensive layout in full color.