Graphic Design Printing Technology
Technology has historically been an agent of change. Throughout the relatively short history of graphic design, new technology has spurred and fostered writings and ideas to spread farther and faster than previously thought possible. Each great, innovative designer or engineer has studied the past in order to improve upon what has come before. In this blog post, we will specifically focus on the technological development of printing and how it has affected the evolution of graphic design and branding.
Graphic Design Printing Technology
The next big step in graphic design that is important to note is the development of Lithography. In 1790 Alois Senefelder, German actor and playwright, developed a new technique of transferring oil-based ink from a stone, later a metal plate, onto paper. This is accomplished by etching areas into the stone, then moistening the stone to retain water in the etched areas. The ink is then applied and repelled by the water, sticking only to the original drawing. The ink would then be transferred onto a sheet of paper. This process allowed complex images to be printed on multiple sheets of paper quickly and at a fraction of the cost. Graphic designers could now quickly and affordably reproduce text and images.
Offset printing was developed over the course of 29 years by Robert Barclay and Ira Washington Rubel. Barclay, an Englishman, developed an offset press that worked for printing on tin in 1875. Then, in 1904 Rubel, an American, reworked the offset press to print on paper. Offset printing is a sped-up version of Lithography and it made the mass production of printed works extremely fast and economical. Offset printing is best suited for economically producing large volumes of high-quality prints in a manner that requires little maintenance. Graphic designers could now print thousands of pieces of paper that looked almost identical. Consistency across printed work became effortless for large scale production.
While not a printing technique or process, the internet is a tool that has changed graphic designers possibly as much as the printing press. Instead of waiting days for proofs to come through the mail, now they can be emailed immediately. Need to know what color, material, typeface, or other important information? That question now only takes a minute to look up. The internet is the biggest informational tool available to anyone with access. The internet has given freedom to an individual graphic designer to brand and identify themselves in whatever way they see fit. Beginning in the mid-1980s and extending to now, the internet has evolved and continues to evolve into something we are still just now trying to understand.
We share with you some of the most popular printing techniques that all graphic designers should be aware of today. It will not merely aid you to improve your skills but equally inspire a successful project beginning from design conception and ending with the final printed product.
If you think that developing an exceptional design is enough for a project to succeed, you are mistaken. Pioneering the appropriate printing method is of substantial importance too. Furthermore, your clients will be more than satisfied as you will be able to resolve all their questions concerning everything about the printing process, the costs and limitations.
Screen printing is considered to be a short-run printing technique. Currently, it is frequently employed by many artists for designing various posters, T-shirts, art prints, and record covers. As for the cost of creating this printing technique, a screen printing kit and ink is comparatively cheap. Furthermore, it is not challenging to grasp it and then use it in alternative ways, as screen printing is an incredibly flexible technique.
The first thing you should do is to think of a design and choose the most suitable typeface. After that, you need to arrange and proofread the type before printing. Subsequently, place it in a metal frame. And finally, choose the color and size of the print.
As usual, this printing technique is used for designing business cards and other business stationery. Some people also prefer it for their report covers, greeting cards, wedding invitations, and other printed pieces. If you want to acquire a unique printed item, you can employ various colors of powder. For instance, not only dark or white but also copper, gold, silver, and even glow-in-the-dark.
Foil printing is a particular application of gold or silver pigment foil (in most cases) for inspiring radiant and innovative designs. Gold and silver colors are used because it is impossible to establish such an effect with other customary colors.
Taking everything into consideration, it is essential to possess an unrivalled knowledge of printing techniques for designers if they want to create a perfect graphic design project. It shows their expertise and competence, and clients often choose professional designers.
Web and print design is about effectively communicating information through the strategic use of graphic design and print technology. DLAS brings over 10 years of experience in creating design solutions that build identity, articulate mission and message, and educate readers. Our printing facilities, website hosting technology, and consulting services give the General Assembly and its agencies a comprehensive solution for all of its website and publication needs.
DLAS offers website re-design and enhancement services based on current web standards to improve user experience. Websites designed by DLAS feature visually organized information with colorful and professional web graphics. We take our own photos and procure rights to stock photography and graphics, as needed. And since DLAS hosts websites, we take design projects from concept to the web.
Dynamic graphics, succinct writing, and strategic presentation of text determine the impact and readability of print publications. DLAS has the experience and skill to help agencies create effective and eye-catching printed publications. To keep cost and waste down, DLAS utilizes on-demand printing technology to print only the minimum number of copies needed, when needed. Another advantage of using DLAS in-house printing capabilities is that we are able to take print design jobs from concept to final product.
Because DLAS focuses exclusively on the legislative process, we can collaborate to create solutions that produce meaningful results. Our shared experience means we understand the needs and expectations in the legislative environment. Depending on the project, our interaction can range from a little to a lot, from simply creating graphics for a publication cover to reworking a website or publication layout and design.
Technology makes it easy to reach an audience, but more often than not, the message is lost in a sea of information. DLAS can help create meaningful content that preserves the message and educates readers. Using professional graphic design and modern print technology, DLAS designs and delivers web and print products that reflect the high quality and valuable work produced by the General Assembly and its staff.
The Graphic Communications and Print Technology program is designed to prepare you for a career in these exciting fields. You will acquire industry-specific skills in electronic file management, print management and production, print administration, estimating, printing service coordination that ensure your success in the industry.
Graduates may pursue job opportunities at commercial printing and publishing companies, private and industrial printing plants, paper and ink distributors, screen process companies, printing equipment distributors, advertising agencies, digital printing facilities and other graphic arts firms. Potential positions include:
Print design, a subset of graphic design, is a form of visual communication used to convey information to an audience through intentional aesthetic design printed on a tangible surface, designed to be printed on paper, as opposed to presented on a digital platform. A design can be considered print design if its final form was created through an imprint made by the impact of a stamp, seal, or dye on the surface of the paper.[1]
There are several methods used to create print design artworks, spanning more than five hundred years. Printing technologies available throughout history heavily influenced the style of designs created by graphic designers at the time of production, as different methods of creating print design offer varying features.[2] Before the emergence of the design and printing technologies of the twentieth and twenty-first century such as the inkjet printer, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe InDesign, print design relied on mechanical technologies such as the letterpress and lithography.
The letterpress, perfected in the mid fifteenth century by Johannes Gutenberg (1398-1468) through the combined use of the printing press, oil-based inks, and cast metal type, remained the most common and efficient method of printing until the 1960s.[3] Used frequently with typography design and type layout, the letterpress operates through the stamping of type and photo-engraved metal blocks on paper. The metal blocks are arranged in a frame by the printer, and the text columns and etchings are separated by vertical or horizontal metal bars; it is even possible to arrange the blocks at an angle using a letterpress.[4] With the letterpress, print design and graphics remained black and white print on paper until the late nineteenth century.[2] The letterpress was the first technology that allowed for mass production and distribution of printed material at a large scale, and because of this, quickly replaced the slow processes of woodblock printing and hand copying of print design.[3]
Wages: Digital graphic designers can earn $67,568 yearly or $32.48 per hour. Print/ Multi Media Graphic Designers yearly can start at salaries between $42,000 and 55,000+ upwards thru 70,000+ depending on specialization. Digital/ Traditional Printers 48,000+. 041b061a72