This course is part of the CSN Computer Graphics Program offerings and applies toward a Computer Graphics Design degree and certificate.

GRC 140

Instructor: Ed Kanet

CSN Online Campus CE

access available Jan. 21

Office:  Room 2659G, Cheyenne

Office Hours:  Monday & Wednesday 2–4pm; Tuesday & Thursday 12–2pm; or by appointment 

Phone:  651-4159 (Office); 651-4585 (Classroom—2665)

Email: ed.kanet@csn.edu

Web: sites.csn..edu/cg/kanet/homepage     

NOTE: Online students will have the opportunity to attend some on-campus help sessions
(at least 5 times during the semeter on-campus meetings will be held)

Course Description:

Computer page design, page assembly, and typography using computer hardware with Quark XPress and Adobe InDesign software. Students will generate and import computer art work, clipart and scanned images. 

Two hours should be allocated to lecture (receiving new material) and two hours of lab (applying what you have learned via assignments) each week. 

It is highly recommended that students plan to dedicate additional time outside this requirement for 3 credits.

Prerequisite GRC 103—Introduction to Computer Graphics and GRC 104—Layout & Typography Fundamenals or permission of instructor

Course Objectives:

1. To understand and apply page design principles as related to electronic publishing.
2. To successfully operate word processing, graphic generation, page assembly, and image scanning software.
3. To understand the academic principles and practical hardware / software operations in a high enough level to be able to directly apply these skills in business and industry publication applications.
4. To learn the basics of Quark XPress and Adobe InDesign.

Course Outline:

1. Principles of Electronic Publishing
1. Traditional vs. Electronic
2. Terminology
2. Orientation to Page Layout software using Quark XPress and Adobe InDesign for Macintosh or Windows
3. Publication/Document Design Principles
1. Basic Layout Terminology
2. Layout Design & Specifications
3. Type & Graphic Usage
4. Templates, Style Sheets, Master Pages
4. Typesetting/Word Processing
1. Fonts
2. Type Terminology
3. Creating, Importing, & Manipulating Text
4. Paragraph Formatting, Tables & Lists
5. Graphics
1. Creating with Quark XPress and InDesign tools
2. Importing & Manipulating within Quark XPress and InDesign
6. Electronic Page Assembly
7. Scanning & Image/Graphic Enhancement
1. Review of Line Art Scanning
2. Halftones & B&W Continuous Tone Scans
8. Designing and Using Color
9. Outputting
1. Creating Separations & Printing
2. Service Bureau Services
3. Pre-flighting files

Course Outcomes:

Both Quark XPress and Adobe InDesign will be used in this course as the page layout software. The course will be taught with these objectives:

1. To learn the fundamentals of desktop publishing and how computer user can control every step—from idea to pre-press—of the publishing process.
2. To learn the basics of layout styles in order to produce appealing publications.
3. To learn the basics of computer typography—type specifications, units of measurement, spacing, legibility and readability, and parts of letterforms.
4. To learn the basic types of graphics a page layout program can use.
5. To be able to crop and resize graphics and add graphic elements to a page layout using the basic tools within Quark XPress and Adobe InDesign.
6. To learn to create and setup new documents.
7. To learn how to enter and edit text, including spell checking, search and replace, and find commands.
8. To learn how to place, manipulate, resize graphics and text.
9. To learn how to split text blocks, jump text, wrap copy, and otherwise manipulate and fine tune type.
10. To learn how to set up columns, grids, style sheets and use them to facilitate layouts.
11. To learn basic desktop publishing terminology.
12. To learn how to set up master pages.
13. To learn how to modify graphics.
14. To learn how to specify and use color.
15. To learn the basics of pre-flighting a file.

Required Text:

InDesign is the major software used in this course and the required text is about using this software. However, the basics of Quark XPress 7 will also be learned and so a text is recommended.

Required text to be announced.

Recommended Texts:

An InDesign reference book like this one from the Visual QuickStart Guide series by Peachpit Press, both by Sandee Cohen, US list 29.99.
InDesign CS3 for Macintosh and Windows, ISBN-10: 0-321-50306-6, 600 pages.
Available through Safari Tech Books Online (see below)

NOTE: InDesign CS2 for Macintosh and Windows, ISBN 0321322010, 582 pages. is available at half.com for less and work be just as good a reference for this course.

A Quark XPress 7.0 reference book like QuarkXPress 7 for Windows and Macintosh: Visual QuickStart Guide by Elaine Weinmann, ISBN-10: 0-321-50209-4, Peachpit Press, 592 pages .
Available through Safari Tech Books Online (see above)

NOTE: Students will be learning the basics of Quark XPress 7.

Visual Quickstart series books by Peachpit Press are the best type of book for this course: excellent as an instructional/tutorial book as well as a reference book; best value.

Required Resources:

Access to a computer with the following:

• Adobe InDesign and Quark XPress *
• Scanner with software for doing OCR scanning
• Means to backup your files (extra disk, USB thumb drive, Zip Disk) **

* The computer pod on the Cheyenne Campus has Quark XPress installed and Adobe InDesign is available all three major campuses. Students can download a 30-day free trial of each application.

** Remember if anything can go wrong, it will and therefore data can become corrupt, or may accidentally be erased, destroyed, or lost. There is no excuse for losing your work. Keep a backup of everything.

The final project must be submitted as high-quality color hard copies, outputted from a third party "service bureau" such as Kinko's or Office Depot. The student bears the cost for this.

After Reviewing this Syllabus, READ THIS FIRST The one task that will be most helpful in both successfully preparing for and completing this course (besides readingthis Syllabus) is to go over this by the end of the first wk . Online Procedures

Grading:

In order to acquire a passing grade, the student must  meet  the criteria listed on the syllabus, which includes accumulating a minimum number of points from the various categories of activity listed below.

Final grades are determined by accumulated scores (out of 515 possible points) on the exams and assignments according to the following scale
 

Because the emphasis is on doing and producing, points are apportioned as follows:

Submitting Assignments:

Details are explained in the Online Procedures section.

Basically all assignments must be submitted with its Cover Sheet and and Your Name; class listserv name, Assignment Name in the following format in the upper right (or left) corner.

EXAMPLE:

Upload files to WebCT

All files submitted with each assignment is REQUIRED to be named according to the following nomenclature: abbreviated assignment number, followed by a hyphen, following by your last name, a period and the file extension.

 EXAMPLE:

When more than one file is submitted for an assignment then they should be placed in a folder named accordingly (without the extension)

Resubmitting Assignments:

Students may resubmit each assignment or project (except the final project) with any corrections or adjustments to raise their score, however, resubmissions must be made within a week from the time the assignment or project was returned.

Only one resubmission per student per assignment.
Late assignments will not be accepted for resubmission. 

Resubmissions must include the original Cover Sheet, the original submission and the resubmission (minimum of three files)..

LATE ASSIGNMENTS:

  FIRST WEEK 10% off the total points
  SECOND WEEK 25% off the total points
  THIRD WEEK  Zero points

MISSED QUIZZES AND EXAMS: 

Quizzes are a learning experience and not so much a testing testing experience. You get to take the quizzes twice each.

The instructor will release the quizzes for any student who missed taking it, however, the student will receive only 50% of the points earned, unless the student has made arrangements beforehand or is victim to an emergency beyond his / her control.

EXTRA CREDIT:

Portfolio

Grading individual assignments does not always reflect the totality of the learning experience. To give you the opportunity to demonstrate that the sum of your knowledge is greater than the individual parts, the submission of a well organized, neat, clean professional portfolio of your classwork will be due for review at the time of the final exam..

Other Opportunities

Extra points can be earned from time-to-time throughout the course (responding to email questions or a request for some piece of informaton via the Discussion Boards). This is based on the generosity of the instructor.

No other opportunities for extra credit will be available. If you want points to make up for those you missed on your assignments, then resubmit them.

FINAL PROJECT:

Students are required to formally contact the instructor in stages to discuss their final project. The project should follow the criteria listed on the assignment's instruction page and should be well-prepared beforehand.

Dates for  contacting the instructor are listed on the Schedule page.

All final projects must utilize  the tools and techniques taught in this class. If you don't understand something, contact the instructor.

The final project also requires you to use a "service bureau" to professionally output (and assembly) your work.

This is an opportunity to obtain a professional piece of work for your portfolio. This is something that  you should be thinking about and planning from the first day of class. Projects from other classes are unacceptable.

10 Principles of Success

These rules apply no matter if you want to succeed in the classroom, in the boardroom, on the playing field, on stage, in the studio, or any other place

1. Show up (log on)
2. Pay attention (read all the materials)
3. Ask questions (use the email and Discussion Boards and Live Classroom sessions)
4. Get help before you really need it. ( email the instructor or contact Tutoring Services)
5. Willingly help others. (respond to Discussion posts)
6. "I can't" is not synonymous with "I don't want to."
7. You don't have to "like" a task to excel at it.
8. Curiosity always beats intelligence.
9. The problem isn't the problem. How you handle the problem--that's the problem.
10. Don't even think of quitting.

If you need assistance to succeed beyond following the basic wisdom these principles provide, please seek help by considering the following services provided to students at CCSN (see below):

• Tutoring Services
• TRIO
• Access Office
• Retention Office

Other Policy:

WITHDRAWALs, INCOMPLETES, FAILURES:  Students who have attended at least one-half of the course or submitted at least one-third of the assignments and then fail to complete the course will be given the grade they have earned, an F. Incompletes are only given under grave situations where the student cannot complete the course because of circumstances beyond his control, e.g. long-term hospitalization. The student is responsible to withdrawl herself in the event she cannot complete the course; the instructor will give an administrative withdrawal to those students who have not attended more than the first few class meetings. Anyone handing in a final project and/or taking the final exam will be given a grade at the end of the semester unless circumstance merit receiving an incomplete.

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY:  Please refer to the CCSN College Catalog.