Last Review/Revision Date by Maine DOE: August 2017

Graphic Arts Standards and Competencies

Commercial and Advertising Art (50.0402), Prepress/Desktop Publishing and Digital Imaging Design (10.0303), Graphic Design (50.0409), Graphic and Printing Equipment Operator, General Production (10.0305), Graphic Communications, General (10.0301)

Industry Standard(s): Graphic Arts Education and Research Foundation (GAERF) Graphic Communications Skills Competencies – Graphic Design (2014)

Note: As of April 2010, GAERF has partnered with the SkillsUSA Work Force Ready System to administer the “PrintED” co-branded assessments.

Framework, Duties and Tasks:

  1. Introduction
  2. Identify occupations that are related to graphic design
  3. Discuss the typical roles and responsibilities of graphic designers
  4. Interview an experienced graphic designer to determine:
  5. Why they chose their profession
  6. Educational and professional training required
  7. Types of communications used on the job, e.g., print, digital, large format, point of sale
  8. Additional career information
  9. Tools and software used
  1. Principles and Elements of Design
  2. Describe the basic principles of design:
  3. Unity
  4. Contrast
  5. Proportions
  6. Balance
  7. Emphasis
  8. Rhythm
  9. Discuss the basic principles of design from an instructor specified graphic design example:
  10. Unity
  11. Contrast
  12. Proportions
  13. Balance
  14. Emphasis
  15. Rhythm
  16. Describe the basic elements of design:
  17. Line
  18. Shape
  19. Direction
  20. Size
  21. Texture
  22. Value
  23. Color
  24. Discuss the basic elements of design from an instructor specified graphic design example:
  25. Line
  26. Shape
  27. Direction
  28. Size
  29. Texture
  30. Value
  31. Color
  32. Discuss the following elements of an instructor specified graphic design concept example:
  33. Message
  34. Color
  35. Typography
  36. Images
  37. Layout
  38. Explain the “design thinking” six step process: 1. Understand, 2. Observe, 3. Define, 4. Ideate, 5. Prototype, and 6. Test
  39. Use brainstorming techniques to develop ideas for a design concept based on specified client need and target audience
  40. Explain design rationale for the creative choices implemented during the design process, e.g., thumbnails, roughs, mock up, comprehensive layout (comp)
  41. Develop a range of design concepts by sketching digital or physical examples
  42. Discuss the relationship between message, color, typography, images, and layout
  43. Describe primary, secondary, and tertiary colors including hue, tint, value and shade
  44. Describe the effect of light and distance on color
  45. Discuss additive (Red, Green, Blue) and subtractive (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black) color
  46. Discuss how a monitor and other visual technologies (printing, billboard, smartphone) affect color representations and perceptions
  47. Explain spot color / Pantone Color System (PMS)
  48. Demonstrate color balance by adjusting intensity of color to render specific colors, the method often referred to as gray balance, neutral balance, or white balance
  49. Describe color relationships:
  50. Complementary
  51. Split-Complementary
  52. Double-Complementary
  53. Analogous
  54. Monochromatic
  55. Discuss color relationships using an instructor specified example that can be found in a popular magazine
  56. Critique an instructor supplied layout and suggest improvements
  57. Explain the concept of corporate branding
  58. Discuss a corporate style guide example
  59. List the elements of corporate branding
  60. Discuss how corporate branding affects customer recognition and behavior
  61. Discuss a time-based concept
  62. Create a storyboard to demonstrate a time-based concept, e.g., infographic
  1. Type
  2. Identify the five classic typefaces, their classifications and uses to include: Garamond, Baskerville, Bodoni, Century, and Helvetica
  3. Define Points and Picas
  4. Identify:
  5. X-height
  6. Meanline
  7. Baseline
  8. Ascenders
  9. Descenders
  10. Serifs
  11. Leading (spacing)
  12. Discuss the roles of x-height, meanline, baseline, ascenders, descenders, serifs and leading or spacing in measuring and designing with type
  13. Illustrate sample paragraph(s) using x-height, meanline, baseline, ascenders, descenders, serifs, leading
  14. Identify:
  15. Caps
  16. Lowercase
  17. Uppercase
  18. Small Caps
  19. Ligatures
  20. Illustrate sample paragraph(s) using caps, lowercase, uppercase, small caps, and ligatures
  21. Identify:
  22. Dingbats
  23. Bullets
  24. Rules
  25. Glyphs
  26. Symbols
  27. Discuss the use of dingbats, bullets, rules, glyphs and symbols in publications
  28. Distinguish between display (headline) type and body (text) type by their point sizes, styles, and uses
  29. Identify type styles within a type or font family:
  30. Roman
  31. Bold
  32. Italic
  33. Condensed
  34. Identify letter:
  35. Spacing
  36. Tracking
  37. Kerning
  38. Baseline shift
  39. Horizontal Scale
  40. Identify:
  41. Flush left – ragged right
  42. Flush right – ragged left
  43. Centered
  44. Justified
  45. Force justified
  46. Widows
  47. Orphans
  1. Page Layout
  1. Identify within an instructor specified project examples of:
  2. Text blocks
  3. Graphics
  4. Frames
  5. Headings
  6. Drop caps
  7. Text wraps
  8. Design a document using specified text blocks, graphics, frames, headings, drop caps and text wraps
  9. Identify within an instructor specified project examples of:
  10. Margins
  11. Formatting
  12. Gutters
  13. Register marks
  14. Trim marks
  15. Fold lines
  16. Describe trim size; bleed size; and live, and safety area of a page
  17. Set page of text with specific margins, formatting, gutters, and leading
  18. Prepare multi-page layout incorporating specified register marks, trim marks and fold lines
  19. Design a document using specified fonts, styles, margins, indents, tabs, and colors
  20. Proofread and edit an instructor supplied document using graphic design industry accepted methods. Make corrections/adjustments as specified by instructor
  21. Describe:
  22. Grids
  23. Templates
  24. Master pages
  25. Paragraph style sheets
  26. Character style sheets
  27. Create multi page document using specified grids, templates, master pages, paragraph style sheets, and character style sheets
  28. List the advantages/disadvantages of hard proofing versus soft proofing
  29. Demonstrate the proper procedures for printing a black/white proof or a color proof to a laser or inkjet printer
  30. Define a native (source) file
  31. Preflight and package a native file
  32. Produce a print-ready Portable Document Format (PDF) using page layout software
  33. Review United States Postal Service (USPS) design requirements
  34. Discuss United States Postal Service (USPS) design requirements
  35. Collect examples of standard ad sizes (full-page, half-page, and quarter-page ads) from publications
  36. Demonstrate the use of appropriate page layout software for an instructor specified print or digital project
  37. Create a design concept that can be used in various media:
  38. Web
  39. Digital distribution
  40. Print
  1. Image Capture
  1. Describe types of graphics:
  2. Raster (bitmap)
  3. Vector
  4. Line art
  5. Compare examples of various graphic file formats and their extensions:
  6. TIFF (Tagged Image File Format)
  7. EPS (Encapsulated PostScript)
  8. BMP (Bitmap)
  9. PSD (Native Adobe PhotoShop)
  10. PNG (Portable Network Graphic)
  11. INDD (Native InDesign file)
  12. JPG (Joint Photographic Experts Guild)
  13. AI (Native Adobe Illustrator)
  14. Capture instructor specified digital images using a scanner and/or digital camera
  15. Demonstrate using an image editing software program:
  16. Scaling
  17. Resolution
  18. Tone control
  19. Cropping
  20. Color correction
  21. Describe minimum resolution requirements for different reproduction devices:
  22. Screen display
  23. Digital Press
  24. Offset Press
  25. Wide Format Inkjet Press
  26. Scale a raster image using the proper settings in order to maintain the appropriate resolution for print or digital media
  27. Evaluate high and low resolution images on an instructor specified printed page
  28. Select and download a digital image from a stock photography website or other media that has appropriate resolution for intended output
  29. Demonstrate the use of Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software to make text editable
  30. Discuss digital asset management
  31. Describe file naming conventions
  1. Digital Illustration
  1. Examine, using a magnifying glass, the differences between printed raster and vector graphics
  2. Discuss the uses of:
  3. Rotated
  4. Circled
  5. Extended
  6. Tints and fills
  7. Use an appropriate graphics program to manipulate type (rotated, circled, extended, tints and fills)
  8. Create an instructor specified design using a vector illustration program
  9. Trace a raster drawing/photograph using a vector illustration program
  10. Create or edit images in a raster based program using all layers:
  11. Transparencies
  12. Layer modes
  13. Masks
  14. Selections
  15. Create a spot color illustration or logo using Pantone Matching system (PMS) or other color matching system
  16. Demonstrate how to view in a graphics software program or print separations of a logo created with spot colors
  17. Demonstrate compositing or composing images
  1. Business Skills
  1. Collect needed information and complete necessary steps to complete a project from design to delivery by actively interacting with a client or instructor include:
  2. Project initiation (determine the client’s needs)
  3. Research (explore information provided at the initial client meeting)
  4. Strategy (analyze the research gathered and decide on design and functionality criteria)
  5. Development (mind mapping, storyboarding, free writing, layout creation)
  6. Presentation (review with client; make changes)
  7. Production/launch (implement finished piece across all deliverables)
  8. Completion (turn over completed project to client)
  9. Explain time-based, fixed fee and value-based pricing of a graphic design project
  10. Create a written quote for a design project
  11. Produce an invoice for an advertising design project, identifying terms of payment
  12. Identify potential high-risk clients who might constitute a higher financial risk for non-payment of an invoice (new businesses, political campaigns, family/friends)
  13. Formulate courses of action when faced with issue of non-payment of invoices
  14. Determine the positives/negatives of accepting/declining prospective high risk clients who may have trouble paying for work provided
  1. Portfolio
  2. Create a digital portfolio to showcase your work
  1. Math and Measurement
  2. Demonstrate the measurement of type in points and line length in picas
  3. Convert points and pica measurements to inches
  4. Convert 3.5 inch length to Picas
  5. Solve various problems that require dividing a given dimension in half
  6. Calculate center point of page if it is 18.1875 inches wide
  7. Solve percent to decimal conversation problems
  8. Calculate final size of a 12 inch image if it is reduced 25%
  9. Solve basic linear measurement problems
  10. Calculate the number of inches in a poster that is 2.4 foot long
  11. Solve addition of decimal problems – two and three digits
  12. Calculate total time to proofread 5 pages if pages 1 to 3 take 5.75 minutes each and pages four and five take 6.25 minutes each
  13. Calculate total cost of a copy job if printing is $76.23, heavy paper is an additional $22.98 and drilling costs $12.00
  14. Solve for the cost of an estimated job
  15. Calculate selling price of a job if production is $500, material cost is $350 and markup is 15%

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