European Digital Print Media (EDPM)
Intensive Program
1. Background and goals of the European Digital Print Media (EDPM) Intensive Program
Printing and graphic media face their biggest challenges ever since Gutenberg. They meet hard competition with digital media and other changes in the publishing world. In this change the branch has to compete also about the labour force and students. It has to find ways to make the field attractive in the eyes of young internet and mobile heavy users. The professionals in the field have also to be more and more aware of restricting environmental regulations. They have to be able to apply sustainable technologies in printing processes.
On the other hand, the graphic branch has been quite innovative in developing new technologies and processes to meet these challenges. Digital printing is one thing. Digital workflow systems have been applied also in traditional processes to make them more efficient and also more environmentally friendly. New publishing platforms have been developed. In those digital and printed media are integrated in a new innovative way. We talk about hybrid media technologies, functional printing and intelligent printed products. New technologies i.e. digital printing enable also new product development approaches. Variable data printing and personalized printed products are examples of that.
Besides the internet, digital TV and 3rd generation mobile communication, the role of digital printing is less emphasized. There is a considerable demand for creative printed media products and personalized documents. Today at least a quarter of printed products contain personalized or variable data.
These products can be produced using digital printing technologies which caused revolutionary changes about 30 years ago. Production times tend to decrease; it is expected in the near future that customers will demand their products within 24 hours.
In Hungary digital technologies are spreading more intensively than in the European average, because of smaller production runs.
Novel technologies of the print industry put an easier load on the environment and support sustainable development; on the other hand, they create new challenges in the field of handling and management of environmental impacts. These technologies increase the effectiveness of information transfer, allow for innovation and individual initiatives. Evolving niche markets are important opportunities for medium and small size enterprises. Today’s globalized environment increased the demand for experts with reliable knowledge of foreign languages and international experience.
The European Digital Print Media (EDPM) Intensive Program is aimed at these challenges. The goal of the program is to improve the competences of students and to emphasize the environmental approach to production methods in order to enable them to meet the demands of the labour market. Another aim of this course is to bring together students and teachers from different specialization areas (printing, digital media, publishing, visual design) to communicate, change views and ideas about new products, applications and innovations of print media.
The 19 day program will be organized in 3 consecutive years by 9 well-known European higher educational institutions of the print and media industry. The collaboration of the partner institutions has been going on for years.
The EDPM program is shorter than the previous EDMM IP, with contextual changes. It fits the vocational program of the partner institutions, and provides a high level innovative international aspect.
A preparatory work at the students’ home institutes became part of the program; at the beginning of the EDPM IP the students will introduce the media industry of their home country in the form of a presentation.
During the courses they will be introduced to environmental friendly digital printing technologies and future trends of the European printed media market. Students will have to prepare prepress tasks in creative team work using novel computer aided workflows, application software and digital printing presses.
The program will include practical work at companies and field work, where participants will visit environmental investment projects. We will also offer an opportunity to study the applicability of sustainable energy sources in an industrial environment and as a part of the city infrastructure.
The multidisciplinary program includes the following 3 courses:
- Digital Printing (DP) (2 ECTS)
- Creative Surface design (SD) (2 ECTS)
- International media and environmental management (PMEM) (2 ECTS)
Six credit points will be given to students who take part in the above courses and pass the relevant exams. For the first year, 11 foreign lecturers and 42 foreign students (from the fields of media engineering, management and arts) will participate in the EDPM IP on the BSc level. The international context of the program is based on the long ongoing cooperation of the partners. The program brings together the strengths of the partners, assuring mutual benefits for all participants. Contact courses will take place for 2 weeks (7-8 hours/day). Training will be composed of lectures, computer and other lab work, teamwork and presentations. An outstanding value of the IP is the one day company visit during the making of the project work. It is a real challenge, that the project work has to be prepared in a short time frame, in a multicultural environment, and the students will have to arrange an exhibition of their results.
Participants:
- Metropolia - 2 teachers, 5 students
- LCC - 1 teacher 5 students
- HdM Stuttgart (HdM) - 2 teachers, 7 students
- Wuppertal (WUP) - 1 teacher, 5 students
- Artevelde (AR) - 1 teacher 5 students
- Avans (AV) - 1 teacher, 5 students
- HTWK Leipzig (HTWK) - 2 teachers, 5 students
- Ljubljana University (LJ) - 1 teacher 5 students
- Budapest Polytechnic (BMF) - 3 teachers, 6 students
Language: English
Duration: 22. 08. 2009 – 09. 09. 2009
| Course codes | Title of courses | Contributed partners | indicative learning hours | ECTS credit |
| DP: | Digital Printing | (Metropolia, HTWK, AR) | 30 | 2 |
| SD | Creative Surface design | (LCC, HdM, LJ, BMF) | 30 | 2 |
| PMEM | International Media and Environmental management | (HdM, , Metropolia, WUP, AV) | 30 | 2 |
| total | 9 | 90 | 6 |
Academic recognition: 6 ECTS credit
| hours | |
| Teaching hours + practical works, guided study | 70 |
| ( Included projectwork in Print Company) | |
| Acces to facilities | 45 |
| Self study (incl. preparatory work at home) | 65 |
| together | 180 |
Course schedule
| date | day | activities | contributors | |
| 1 | 22/8 | Saturday | Arrival, welcome evening | all |
| 2 | 23 | Sunday | Cultural program | all students and present teachers |
| 3 | 24 | Monday | Lectures and presentation | Partners for DP |
| 4 | 25 | Tuesday | Lectures and labs | Partners for DP |
| 5 | 26 | Wednesday | Lectures and labs | Partners for DP |
| 6 | 27 | Thursday | Lectures and labs | Partners for DP and SD |
| 7 | 28 | Friday | Lectures and labs | Partners for DP and SD |
| 8 | 29 | Saturday | Lectures | Partners for DP and SD |
| 9 | 30 | Sunday | free | |
| 10 | 31 | Monday | Lectures and labs | Partners for SD |
| 11 | 01/9 | Tuesday | Lectures and labs | Partners for SD |
| 12 | 02 | Wednesday | Lectures and labs | Partners for SD |
| 13 | 03 | Thursday | company | Partners for SD |
| 14 | 04 | Friday | Lectures and labs | Partners for PMEM and SD |
| 15 | 05 | Saturday | Field work | Partners for PMEM and SD or DP |
| 16 | 06 | Sunday | free | |
| 17 | 07 | Monday | Test, installation | Partners for DP, PMEM and SD |
| 18 | 08 | Tuesday | Test, exhibition | all |
| 19 | 09 | Wednesday | departure |
The EDPM IP is composed of the following chapters:
- Digital Printing (DP):
- Intercultural communication (IC), as a supplementary element
- Digital printing technologies, personalized documents
- Finishing operations
- Project work
In the digital printing course an overview on digital printing technologies and production concepts will be given. The principles of NI-printing technologies, system concepts and recent development will be studied. Special emphasis will be given on integration of digital printing to digital media platforms, multi channel solutions and hybrid media. Variable data printing and personalized print job will also be examined.
In the finishing part of the course binding methods in the context of digital printing will be studied. In the finishing stage of the process special added value can be given to the product. Key technologies are varnishing, spot-varnishing, laminating, decorations, special binding technologies etc. These among binding-related technologies will be introduced in order to promote innovative product development thinking among the students.
The aim of intercultural communication is to introduce the student to practical knowledge, which is essential to fit oneself efficiently to different social, cultural or multicultural working communities.
Students have to choose a project task: a personal media product in PDF format (e.g. direct mail, greeting card, company giveaway) or a digital printed product (e.g. advertisement, poster, prospectus, other giveaways). Students create a schedule of the project work, harmonize the tasks with the participating printing company, design the typography, appearance and content. To do this they have to take into account information on the intercultural peculiarities of the relevant country. The next steps are phases of digital technology and verification of the product. Individual designs will be expected regarding binding and processing (choice of different techniques, etc.).
Project work is a simulation of real printing and publishing activities, during which jobs often have to be completed in a short time. Project works will be evaluated by the group of lecturers, as part of the general evaluation. To earn credit points students must complete and present the project work and pass the test at the end of the program.
The students will be encouraged to apply some of the technologies introduced in the theoretical part of the course to create an innovative design, content or structure for the product.
- Creative Surface Design (SD):
- Design
- Image editing and typography
- Colour management
- Project work
Creative Surface Design is a course that introduces students to the different modes of appearance of printed media design with regard to communication. To do this, they have to apply their knowledge of art and technology, particularities of European visual communication, image editing, typography and colour management. During the project work they design planar or 3 dimensional pattern on different surfaces (textile, paper, leather, ceramics, etc.). Special computer software is used for the visualization of the simulated product; the designs may be implemented at school labs or participating companies. Project work is a simulation of real designing activities, during which jobs often have to be completed in a short time. Project works will be evaluated by the group of lecturers, as part of the general evaluation. To earn credit points students must complete and present the project work and pass the test at the end of the program.
- International Print Media and Environmental Management:
- Intercultural communication II. (IC II.), as a supplementary element
- The future of digital media, multimedia (case study)
- Positioning of future-oriented printing enterprises on the media market
- Enterprise and financial management
- Sustainable development in the media industry
The International Print Media and Environmental Management course is about
managing the economics and environmental impact of printing companies.
Due to the digital communication technologies companies are capable of creating
new products and services; thus it is important that the students learn modern
computerized design and analysis methods in the field of management. The course
includes the problems of sales on the global market, models the impact of print
and media industry on the human environment. The students will receive the
preparatory task prior to the program. They will have to prepare a study and
presentation about the media industry and trends on the digital media market in
their home countries. These case studies will be presented in the beginning of the
IP, thus contributing to the international aspect of the program.
The presentation will be a good occasion for introducing themselves, which would
be beneficial later when forming work-groups. Case studies will be evaluated by
the international jury composed of the invited lecturers, as part of the general
evaluation. The other criteria for obtaining credit points is the successful
completion of the test at the end of the program.
Regarding the environment, the program will introduce and explain the concept of
sustainable development in general and then emphasize the environmental
“column” of this over-arching idea, using some more general examples. Specialist
topics will include the environmental politics of the European Union and their
transformation into national law as well as practical applications in the fields of
the materials employed in the printing process (e.g. paper, inks, …), of material
recycling and of energy production and use as well as effluent treatment (waste
gases, waste water, waste disposal).
