Pancyprian TS Graphic Arts III Π.Κ. study plan
Pancyprian TS Graphic Arts III Π.Κ. · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Prepress and digital file preparation (image capture, colour management, imposition, PDF output)
Map the prepress workflow from image capture to imposed PDF output, describing what each stage produces and what it hands to the next stage
Convert between resolution, physical size and pixel dimensions for scanned originals and placed images, and calculate the effective resolution of a scaled image
Explain the difference between RGB and CMYK working spaces and justify which space to assign at capture, at retouch and at output
Build a preflight checklist covering bleed, trim, safe area, image resolution, fonts, overprint and spot colours, and apply it to a supplied job description
Your checkpoint
A one-page preflight checklist plus a worked calculation sheet showing effective resolution for three scaled images
Prepress and digital file preparation (image capture, colour management, imposition, PDF output)
Construct an imposition layout for a 16-page signature, stating page positions, creep allowance and gripper margin
Describe the purpose and correct settings of PDF/X output intent, trim and bleed boxes, and output condition identifier
Diagnose five common prepress failure modes (missing bleed, low-resolution image, unembedded font, wrong colour space, unflattened transparency) and state the corrective action for each
Explain how trapping and overprint settings prevent misregistration gaps on a two-colour job
Your checkpoint
A hand-drawn or digital 16-page imposition diagram with page numbering, creep and gripper margin annotated, plus a five-row fault-diagnosis table
Printing processes and press operation (offset, digital, screen, flexography; make-ready and quality control)
Compare offset lithography, digital toner, screen printing and flexography on plate or screen type, ink transfer mechanism, typical run length and substrate suitability
Sequence an offset make-ready from plate mounting through inking, registration, ink-water balance and colour approval, naming the check performed at each step
Explain the offset dampening system and how ink-water balance affects scumming, emulsification and dot gain
Identify the main press controls that affect print quality (ink keys, dampening, cylinder pressure, registration, drying) and state the symptom of each being out of adjustment
Your checkpoint
A comparison table of the four printing processes with at least six criteria, plus a numbered offset make-ready procedure with a check at every step
Printing processes and press operation (offset, digital, screen, flexography; make-ready and quality control) & Colour theory and colour reproduction (colour models, measurement, proofing, colour deviation control)
Explain how a densitometer and a spectrophotometer differ in what they measure and when each is used on press
Interpret solid ink density, dot gain, trap and print contrast readings to decide whether a press sheet is acceptable
Describe how a proof is validated against the printed sheet and what constitutes an acceptable colour deviation
Explain colour models (RGB, CMYK, CIELAB), the reason for metamerism, and how illuminant choice affects visual colour matching
Your checkpoint
A press-sheet evaluation report scoring a described set of density and dot-gain readings against tolerances, with an accept or reject decision and reasons
Materials and consumables (paper and substrates, inks, toners, plates, blankets, adhesives)
Classify paper and board by grade, grammage, bulk and finish, and match the correct grade to four described jobs
Explain how grain direction, moisture content and dimensional stability affect registration, folding and curl
Distinguish the composition and behaviour of offset, UV, solvent-based screen and flexographic inks, and state the drying mechanism of each
Describe plate, blanket and adhesive selection criteria and the failure symptoms of a worn blanket or a wrongly tensioned plate
Your checkpoint
A substrate and consumable selection sheet matching four job briefs to paper grade, ink type, plate or screen and adhesive, with a one-line justification for each choice
Finishing and post-press (cutting, folding, binding, laminating, die-cutting, packaging)
Calculate cutting layout and sheet yield for a job, including gripper allowance and trim waste
Describe the folding sequence and state how fold direction, scoring and grain direction interact to prevent cracking
Compare saddle-stitch, perfect binding and case binding on page capacity, spine behaviour and typical application
Explain the die-cutting process from die design through make-ready, stripping and waste removal, and the role of laminating before or after printing
Your checkpoint
A finishing specification for a 32-page saddle-stitched booklet covering cutting plan with yield figures, fold sequence, binding method and cover lamination
Health, safety and environmental protection in the print workshop (machinery guarding, chemicals, waste management) & Workshop organisation, production planning and cost estimation
Identify the guarding requirements for the main workshop hazards: rotating cylinders, cutting blades, folding rollers and die-cutting platens, and state the purpose of an interlock
Classify the chemicals used in plate making, blanket washing and screen reclaiming, and describe safe storage, labelling and disposal for each class
Outline a waste-segregation scheme for paper, plates, ink residues, solvent and cleaning rags, and state which streams are hazardous
Estimate the cost of a short-run job by breaking it into substrate, ink, plates, make-ready time, run time and finishing, then apply a markup
Your checkpoint
A workshop risk and waste assessment covering at least eight hazards with controls, plus a cost estimate for one described job showing each cost line
Professional practice, quality assurance and technical documentation & Colour theory and colour reproduction (colour models, measurement, proofing, colour deviation control)
Assemble a quality assurance plan naming the inspection point, the measured parameter, the tolerance and the record kept at each stage of production
Write the technical documentation set for a job: job ticket, proof approval record, press sheet sign-off and delivery note
Review the whole syllabus, listing every domain and rating personal confidence, then target the two weakest areas with focused revision
Complete a timed mixed-domain practice set and analyse every error by root cause rather than by topic
Your checkpoint
A complete QA plan and job documentation pack for one job, plus an error log from the timed practice set with a corrective action for each mistake
Milestones
Week 2: Can produce a correct 16-page imposition and pass a self-written preflight checklist against an unfamiliar job description without referring to notes
Week 4: Can explain the offset make-ready sequence from memory and correctly accept or reject a press sheet from density and dot-gain readings against stated tolerances
Week 6: Can calculate sheet yield for a cutting layout and justify a full finishing specification, including binding and lamination, for a described booklet
Week 8: Scores at least 75 percent on the timed mixed-domain practice set and has a written corrective action for every error, with no domain left unrated