GRAPHIC PROCESSES
I. Introduction
A. The actual production of images is image generation.
1. also referred to as composition
2. represents a creative process
B. Image generation is sometimes divided into hot and cold composition.
1. hot composition uses – has a history of using metal type
a. flexography
b. letterpress
c. foundry type
d. rubber stamp
e. hot stamping
2. cold composition – methods that do not use metal types
a. manual image generation
b. impact composition
c. microcomputer composition
d. photographic composition
e. electronic publishing systems
II. Flexography
A. A popular form of relief printing using an image carrier (plate) made
of flexible rubber or plastic.
1. most popular form of relief painting
2. primarily used for printing on packaged materials
3. average quality
III. Letterpress
A. Letterpress printing, the oldest of the relief methods, is primarily done with
cast metal type or plates as the image carrier.
1. platen press
2. flatbed cylinder press
3. rotary press
IV. Foundry Type
A. Foundry type consists of individual metal characters that can be assembled
to form an image carrier
1.seldom used today
2. slow and costly
V. Rubber Stamping
A. The rubber stamp represents a relief printing image carrier made of rubber.
1. small images
2. below average quality
3. low cost / can be messy
VI. Hot Stamping
A. A form of relief printing used primarily for decoration.
1. Instead of ink, the type form presses a metallic foil on the surface
to be printed.
VII. Manual Image Generation
A. Manual image generation refers to producing images without the
use of machines.
1. inked illustrations
a. freehand illustrations
b. traced on vellum with ink
c. templates also used (lettering)
2. clip art
a. a copyright-free artist illustration
3. transfer images
a. carbon or adhesive images
VIII. Impact Composition
A. Impact composition is a method of creating an image by striking a substrate
such as paper.
1. typewriter
2. dot matrix printer
IX. Microcomputer Composition
A. Microcomputers, with the appropriate software, provide an effective way
to compose images.
1. word processing program
2. graphic programs
3. printers
a. dot matrix (poor resolution)
b. laser
c. ink jet
X. Photographic Composition
A. Photographic composition uses light to expose a light-sensitive paper or film.
1. headline machines
2. phototypesetters
B. Photographic composition must be processed to bring out the image.
1. stabilization paper
a. chemical activator
b. chemical stabilizer
2. conventional photographic papers
a. developer
b. fixer
c. water
C. The newest generation of phototypesetters has the capability of imaging both
text and graphics.
1. called imagesetters
a. can output complete pages
XI. Electronic Publishing Systems
A. An electronic publishing system means that all text and illustrations can be
composed in page form on computer screen.
1. What You See Is What You Get! (WYSIWYG)
2. high resolution
a. 1200 to 2400 dots per square inch (dpi)
3. color pages can be produced
4. desktop publishing system
a. microcomputer
b. resolution improves everyday
XII. Printing Process
A. There are a number of printing processes, which include:
1. offset
a. image is offset, or transferred, to the blanket of a lithography
press before printing occurs
2. screen
a. printing done with a stencil on a screen
3. relief
a. a printing from a raised surface
4. gravure
a. printing from a recessed surface
5. electrostatic
a. using powder that is fused to the paper by heat to form the image
6. ink jet
a. process in which drops of ink are sprayed onto substrate surface
7. duplication
a. smaller version of lithography
b. short runs/ cheaper
XIII. Factors to Consider
A. The factors to consider when selecting a graphic medium include:
1. length of run
2. required quality
3. cost
4. time
XIV. Conclusion
A. The choosing of a graphic medium, while only the initial stage of the graphic
arts process, nevertheless it represents a very important stage of the process.
B. Errors at this stage means valuable resources will be wasted later in the actual
production of the graphic product and will ultimately need to be corrected.