UPMSP Vocational Printing study plan

Sequence the eight main printing processes (offset lithography, letterpress, flexography, gravure, screen, pad, inkjet, electrophotography) and state one product each is used for

Explain the offset cylinder arrangement - plate, blanket, impression - and describe what happens at each nip

Distinguish dampening from inking and describe how fountain solution balance affects scumming and tinting

List the main press controls (registration, impression pressure, ink keys, speed) and state what each one changes on the sheet

Compare sheetfed and web presses on substrate, drying, and speed

Match the four major ink drying mechanisms (oxidation, evaporation, penetration, UV/radiation curing) to suitable substrates

Describe ink tack, viscosity, and pigment-to-vehicle ratio and predict what happens when each is out of range

Relate substrate properties (absorbency, smoothness, coating, grammage) to ink setting, dot gain, and picking

Diagnose four press faults (set-off, ghosting, hickies, misting) and state a corrective action for each

Convert between pixel dimensions, resolution, and printed size at a given dpi

Explain halftone screening, line screen ruling, and how dot gain changes tonal reproduction

Distinguish RGB and CMYK colour models and describe when spot colours are required

Outline a colour-managed workflow from scan to PDF, naming the role of the source and output profiles

Preflight a supplied file and list the checks (bleed, fonts, resolution, colour space, overprint) it must pass

Classify typefaces by historical group (old style, transitional, modern, slab, sans) and name a defining feature of each

Measure and specify type in points and picas, and calculate lines per page for a given leading and column depth

Explain kerning, tracking, and leading, and identify one bad example of each

Trace the shift from hand composition to hot metal to photocomposition to digital type

Summarise the sequence from manuscript to imposed forme in a letterpress shop

Distinguish the main binding methods (saddle stitch, perfect, spiral, case) and select one for a stated page count and lifespan

Calculate spine width from paper bulk and page count

Sequence finishing operations (cutting, folding, collating, stitching, trimming) and explain why order matters

Describe common post-press effects (lamination, varnish, spot UV, foil, emboss) and their effect on the substrate

Identify packaging-specific requirements: dieline, crease, bleed, and board grain direction

Build a job estimate covering substrate, ink, plate/make-ready, press time, and finishing

Explain make-ready, spoilage allowance, and how each inflates the sheet count

Define measurable quality targets (densitometry, dot gain, register tolerance) and describe how to check them on a press sheet

Describe a colour bar and what density readings reveal about ink film thickness

Draft a simple production schedule for a multi-stage job and identify the bottleneck

Compare inkjet and electrophotographic digital presses on run length, substrate freedom, and variable-data capability

Explain variable data printing and one workflow that personalises a direct-mail piece

List emerging areas (UV-LED curing, water-based flexo inks, automation/robotics in finishing) and one benefit of each

Identify workplace hazards in a pressroom (solvent vapour, noise, guarding, manual handling) and the control for each

Outline waste hierarchy and regulatory duties for ink, solvent, and waste-paper disposal

Draft the core sections of a small print-shop business plan: service offering, equipment, costing, and break-even

Retrieve and self-test every domain using spaced recall, logging weak areas

Re-derive the key calculations (resolution, spine width, spoilage, break-even) from memory

Re-explain the offset process, ink drying, and binding selection aloud without notes

Complete two full timed mock papers and review every wrong answer to its root cause