Digital Printing and Imaging Communications - Drumright
Digital Printing and Imaging Communications is a highly sophisticated, vibrant industry at the cutting edge of innovation, including the combination of new digital and traditional press technologies. The historic role – putting ink on paper – is just one of a broad spectrum of client services provided. Nevertheless, printing holds, and will continue to hold an important role in our culture’s communications structure for many years to come.
America’s digital printing and imaging industry offers an exciting career that combines good pay with plenty of challenge and growth, all in a vital industry that has been central to our society and our way of life. Today’s printing industry is a competitive, innovative business in which technology savvy and diverse job skills are in high demand. A career in Digital Printing and Imaging Communication provides an opportunity for expression of creativity along with a sense of pride seeing a project evolve into a unique product.
Career Majors in Digital Printing and Imaging Communications
Career Major: Electronic Publishing Technician
Electronic Publishing Technician, using computer software, format and combine text, numerical data, photographs, charts, and other visual graphic elements to produce publication-ready material. This material includes books, business cards, calendars, magazines, newsletters and newspapers, packaging, slides, and tickets.
Career Major: Finishing Operator
The focus of this career major will be that of utilizing various binderies and finishing methods to printed materials, calculating and cutting paper, operating various folding equipment and apply various packaging, delivery and shipping procedures.
Career Major: Graphic Illustrator
Graphic Illustrators plan, analyze, and create visual solutions to communications problems. They find the most effective way to get messages across in print, electronic and film media using a variety of methods such as color, type, illustration, photography, animation, and various print and layout techniques. Graphic designers develop the overall layout and production design of magazines, newspapers, journals, corporate reports, and other publications. They also produce promotional displays, packaging, and marketing brochures for products and services, design distinctive logos for products and businesses, and develop signs and signage systems – called environmental graphics – for business and government. An increasing number of graphic designers also develop material for Internet web pages, interactive media, and multimedia projects. Graphic designers also may produce the credits that appear before and after television programs and movies.
Career Major: Press Operator
Printing press operators set up, operate, and maintain printing presses. Millions of sheets of printed paper are generated by printing presses everyday. Press operators perform a variety of duties from reading work orders, choosing the type of ink and print materials, blending ink, filling ink reservoirs, selecting and installing rollers, screens, or printing plates, inking the presses, loading the paper, and adjusting the press to the paper size. Press operators monitor computer-controlled presses on a control panel to start the presses. Activities and functions of press operators will vary with the size and nature of the print shop.
Career Major: Graphic Design-Production Technician
Graphic designers prepare sketches or layouts-by hand or with the aid of a computer – to illustrate their vision for the design. They select colors, sound, artwork, photography, animation, style of type, and other visual elements for the design. Designers also select the size and arrangement of the different elements on the page or screen. They may create graphs and charts from data for use in publications, and they often consult with copywriters on any text that accompanies the design. Designers then present the completed design to their clients or art or creative director for approval. In printing and publishing firms, graphic designers also may assist the printers by selecting the type of paper and ink for the publication and reviewing the mock-up design for errors before final publication. Graphic designers use specialized computer software packages to help them create layouts and design elements and to program animated graphics.
Career Major: Printing Design Technician
Modern printing is a highly sophisticated, vibrant industry at the cutting edge of innovation, including the combination of new digital and traditional press technologies. Designers prepare sketches or layouts—by hand or with the aid of a computer—to illustrate their vision for the design. They select colors, sound, artwork, photography, animation, style of type, and other visual elements for the design. Designers also select the size and arrangement of the different elements on the page or screen. Instruction and hands-on activities will focus on finishing operations, graphic imaging, proofing and printing principles, drawing, illustration, along with vinyl and screen printing.
Career Major: Image Print Designer
Printing and graphic communications are everywhere. Documents, brochures, books, magazines, decals, labels, and signs utilize creative techniques effective way to get messages across in print, electronic, and film media using a variety of methods such as color, type, illustration, photography, animation, and various print and layout techniques. Instruction and hands-on activities will focus on graphic imaging, computer fundamentals, proofing and printing principles, digital photography, image capture, scanning black/white and color, image editing, digital image manipulation, digital photography, photo software and digital images, along with vinyl signage and screen printing.
Earn college credit while attending Central Tech through our cooperative alliance agreement with the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. College credit is awarded by appropriate higher education institutions through Articulation and/or Cooperative Alliance Agreements. Get specific details governing college credit at Central Tech from a counselor or recruiter.
