2016 CONTEST JOBS SHOWN BELOW
Contest Description
Contestants will participate in a seven part contest which includes the following segments described below. The job for 2016 will be a magazine in which the cover and insert pages will flow through areas of the contest. This will give the representation of what it takes to produce a printed piece from the design stages to a final product whether it is output on a Digital Press or an Offset Press with Postpress finishing equipment.
TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE TEST — the student will complete a general technical knowledge test in graphic communications. Contest development provided by GAERF
ORAL PROFESSIONAL ASSESSMENT — the student will participate in an interview exercise using their provided resume where a team of experts will work together interviewing the contestants. The contestants will be able to select from a few different types of jobs that they will interview for and be assessed by the guidelines set in place. Contest development provided by Printing Industries of America
PRODUCTION PLANNING — the student will solve a written production problem showing the cost justification between offset and digital printing. Contest development provided by Future Printers of America and Quad Graphics
DIGITAL WORKFLOW — the student will use a Mac computer with Creative Suites software to recreate and match a provided sample of a magazine cover. The insert pages will contain our contest description for each contest area. They will then preflight the job and review the overall quality of the file. This file will be saved to a storage device and then output on a Xerox Digital Press where they will view a proof of the final product. Contest development provided by RR Donnelley (Design piece to be used throughout the contest showing a product workflow)
DIGITAL PRESS OPERATIONS — the student will output various jobs on a Xerox Digital Press using EFI Fiery, including Variable Data files and a correct version of the Magazine cover used in the Digital Workflow contest area. Contest development provided by Xerox
OFFSET PRESS OPERATIONS — the student will be introduced to packaging using a Heidelberg Printmaster 46 press, a pre-mounted RSP Die Cutting system along with 3 Dies provided by Print Craft Supply and Atlas Die. During this year’s offset press area of the contest students will be performing 3 die cut pieces on the Heidelberg Printmaster 46 press. These are all items that will show marketing aspects of print along with creating a functional completed product. They will be required to set up the feeder and delivery, register the dies to the preprinted 4/0 sheet into the correct position. The students will then have the opportunity to create the final piece by hand and with the use of hte Baum Cutter.
The students will then be instructed by Bottcher USA how to take Shore/Dorometer readings of a rubber ink roller to check for the correct roller hardness followed by using a micrometer to measure blanket and packing thickness’. Contest development provided by Heidelberg, Print Craft Supply, Atlas Die and Bottcher USA
FINISHING — the student will prepare and operate a Baum paper cutter, trimming down the magazine cover that will be preprinted 2 up on a sheet along with trimming out the die cut sheets from the Offset Press area creating a final product. They will then use a table top Baumfolder for various folding exercises including folding the magazine cover, followed by a short written test. Contest development provided by Baumfolder and Heidelberg
Supporters of the SkillsUSA National Graphic Communications Contest are listed in alphabetical order as follows
- Atlas Die
- Baumfolder
- Bottcher USA
- EFI
- Future Printers of America
- Graphic Arts Education Research Foundation
- Heidelberg
- National Council For Print Industry Certifications
- Print and Graphics Scholarship Foundation
- Print Craft Supply
- Printing & Graphics Association MidAtlantic
- Printing Industries of America
- Quad Graphics
- RR Donnelley
- Xerox
Equipment Used for the 2016 National SkillsUSA Graphic Communications Contest
- Heidelberg Printmaster PM 46-2
- Heidelberg Saphira Pressroom Ink and Chemistry
- Print Craft Supply RSP Die Cutting System
- Atlas Dies
- BaumCut 31.5
- Baum 714XLT Folder
- Xerox Digital Presses
- Xerox Digital Proof Press
- Mac Computers with CS6
Select this link for an overview of the 1012 SkillsUSA Graphic Communications Contest
Current files from the 2015 National Contest are currently available for download by your State Director
SkillsUSA Graphic Communications 2015
Based off of the suggestions from our technical team, the key element of change for the Graphic Communications Contest this year will be Workflow, from the layout of the contest floor, to the contest piece itself. We hear the term Workflow used a lot in production environments, now we are bringing this element into our contest in two elements. Workflow of a printed piece is just as important as the Workflow of how the job moves throughout a print shop. In past each station used a totally different design job. This year we have a magazine that will be incorporated into each contest area.
Purpose
To assist in preparing along with evaluating each contestant for real world employment, while recognize outstanding students for excellence and professionalism in the field of graphic communications.
Floor Layout
The contest areas and equipment will be strategically placed to show the Workflow of a job being produced from beginning to end with different types of technology. In our floor layout you’ll notice that at one end we will begin with Production Planning. The next station will be a combination of what was Electronic Prepress and Preflight. This new area will be called Digital Workflow which will contain the computer stations for recreating the magazine cover and then outputting the saved file to a Digital Proof Press. The next station will be Digital Press, followed by Offset press and then Finishing.
Contest Description
Contestants will participate in a seven part contest which includes the following segments described below. The job for 2015 will be a magazine in which the cover will flow through each area of the contest. This will give the representation of what it takes to produce a printed piece from the design stages to a final product whether it is output on a Digital Press or an Offset Press with Postpress finishing equipment.
TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE TEST — the student will complete a general technical knowledge test in graphic communications. Contest development provided by GAERF
ORAL PROFESSIONAL ASSESSMENT — the student will participate in an interview exercise using their provided resume where a team of experts will work together interviewing the contestants. The contestants will be able to select from a few different types of jobs that they will interview for and be assessed by the guidelines set in place. Contest development provided by Printing Industries of America
PRODUCTION PLANNING — the student will solve a written production problem showing the cost justification between offset and digital printing. Contest development provided by Future Printers of America
DIGITAL WORKFLOW — the student will use a Mac computer donated for use by Ricoh along with Creative Suites software to recreate and match a provided sample of a magazine cover. The insert pages will contain our contest description for each contest area. They will then preflight the job and review the overall quality of the file. This file will be saved to a storage device and then output on a Xerox Digital Press where they will view a proof of the final product. Contest development provided by RR Donnelley
DIGITAL PRESS OPERATIONS — the student will output various jobs on a Ricoh Digital Press including Variable Data files and a correct version of the Magazine cover that they recreated in the Digital Workflow contest area. Contest development provided by Ricoh
OFFSET PRESS OPERATIONS — the student will use a Heidelberg Printmaster 46 press where they will be imprinting a single color logo onto the preprinted magazine cover. They will be required to set up the feeder and delivery, install plates, register a single color logo into the correct position creating a final product on an offset press. The students will then be provided with printed samples where they will identify print issues and take density readings. Contest development provided by Heidelberg
FINISHING — the student will prepare and operate a Baum paper cutter, trimming down the magazine cover that will be preprinted 4 up on a sheet. They will then use a table top Baumfolder for various folding exercises including folding the magazine cover, followed by a short written test. Contest development provided by Baumfolder
Supporters of the SkillsUSA National Graphic Communications Contest are listed in alphabetical order as follows
• Baumfolder
• Future Printers of America
• Graphic Arts Education Research Foundation
• Heidelberg
• National Council For Print Industry Certifications
• Print Craft Supply
• Printing Industries of America
• Quad Graphics
• Ricoh
• RR Donnelley
• Xerox
get back in the game
Have your State Coordinator contact us for information on getting your State Graphic Communications Contest to the next level...
Equipment Used for the 2015 National SkillsUSA Graphic Communications Contest
- Heidelberg Printmaster QM 46-2
- Heidelberg Saphira Pressroom Ink and Chemistry
- BaumCut 31.5
- Baum 714XLT Folder
- Ricoh Digital Presses
- Xerox Digital Press
- Portable Spectrodensitometer
- Mac Computers
The National Graphic Communications Contest is Available for your State Competition
SkillsUSA has emailed every State Director with directions on how to download files from the 2015 National Contest
Offset Press - Includes press job, instructions and score sheets per your equipment
Digital Press - Includes files used during the 2014 National Contest
Digital Workflow - Includes design file, preflight file, instructions and score sheet
Production Planning - Includes instructional materials, test and answer key
Finishing Folding Job - Includes recommended outline along with instructions and score sheet
Finishing Cutting Job - Includes recommended outline along with instructions and score sheet
Select this Link for a Regional/State Competition for your classroom
Sponsored by PGAMA Printing & Graphics Association MidAtlantic/Paul Foster
Regional versions of the competition will not be the same as, but will be within guidelines of the national contest
Like us on Facebook to get all current updates
GET BACK IN THE GAME
DO IT FOR YOUR STUDENTS - DO IT FOR YOUR STATE - DO IT FOR YOUR INDUSTRY
DO IT BECAUSE YOU CAN - WITHOUT U THERE IS NO US