You must study the WAEC Printing Craft Practice syllabus in order to take the test. The Printing Craft Practice Exam’s goals, objectives, notes, and structure are all included.
You must study Printing Craft Practice in order to be prepared for the exam. You can use it as a guide to help you decide which topics to read about. Additionally, there are notes on ideas that you ought to learn carefully.
Exam preparation without the Printing Craft Practice is equivalent to visiting a farm without your farm equipment. You won’t be effective in the end.
Make sure to use the syllabus when you start your exam preparations.
This article includes the West African Examination Council’s recommended texts and Printing Craft Practice (WAEC).
Contents
WAEC Printing Craft Practice
Papers 1, 2, and 3 are the three required papers that must all be taken. Papers 1 and 2 will be taken together as a composite paper in a single sitting.
Paper 1 will include forty multiple-choice objective questions that must all be answered in 45 minutes for a total of 40 points.
There will be five essay questions on Paper 2. Candidates must respond to any four questions within 1½ hours for 60 marks.
Paper 3 will consist of a practical exam that will last an hour. Candidates must respond to one of the two practical problems for 100 points out of a total of two.
Schools must get a list of the test materials at least two weeks prior to the exam date so that they can make the necessary preparations and purchases.
Alternative to Practical Test
In the alternative, the Council may consider assessing candidates’ level of theoretical proficiency with the practical skills outlined in the syllabus in the case that materials for the real practical test cannot be obtained.
There will be two sets of questions for this alternate test, both of which must be answered within two hours for a total of 100 points.
WAEC Printing Craftt Practice Syllabus
| S/NO. | CONTENT | NOTES |
|  1 | Introduction to the Art of Printing |  (i) Art of Definition, explanation of printing. (ii) Importance, product advantages and uses. (iii) Printing in Nigeria-Survey Press, Federal Government Press, RailwayPress, Daily Timesand other Press Houses. (iv) Copyright law, History – Origin, Chinese, Johan Gutenberg.The role of Hope Waddel and Henry Townsend (1846 – 1926) and (1926 – 1960). (v)    Printing and Career – Importance, Careers, e.g. Lithography machine minders, etc. (vi) Printing Processes, description materials/tools/equipment – letter press/relief printing; offset/lithography; Gravure/intaglio, screen, stencil/flexography. |
|  2 | Workshop safety and maintenance | (i) Technical workshops for printing – types e.g. lithography and machine room. (ii) Safety in the workshop – precautions, air-conditioning, electrical and lighting, dark rooms, machine rooms. (iii) Safety in the Binding and Print finishing, safety in the hot metal composition room. (iv) Maintenance of machines, tools and equipment in the Printing workshop, Enumerate the procedures. |
| Â 3 | Letter Assembly (a) Hand Composition (b) Design for Printing (c) Mechanical Composition (d) Photo-composition |
Identification e.g. Tools and facilities. Explanation in simple Principles and terminologies, techniques, structures and parts of types. Identification of typefaces and typography. The concepts of basic design and instrument. Description and listing of differences between monotype and linotype; accessories and their uses. |
| Â 4 | Â (a) Â Print Finishing (b) Â Â Binding materials, tools and equipment (c) Â Binding (d) Â Â Pamphlet (e) Â Â Perfect binding (f) Â Â Edition binding (g) Â Â Loose sheet binding (h) Â Â Warehouse |
 (i)    Meaning, importance, etc (ii)    Types and processes e.g. Edition case binding and loose leaves. (iii)   Technical Terms. (iv)    Materials and accessories. (i)     Materials – e.g. sewing- thread and leathers. (i)    Types: book, pamphlet, padding, edition case, loose – sheet, perfect binding. Explanation. Distinguish between edition binding and others. Description, operational outline and materials, tools and equipment. (i)     Define warehouse. |
| Â 5 | Screen printing
(1) Â Frame/stencil making |
(i)     Origin of screen printing (ii)    Preparation and methods -wooden frame, mesh (silk), hand-made stencil with cardboard; stencil using block out method. (iii)   Stretching of the mesh on the frame. (iv)   Materials and tools – frame mesh, shoulder joint, glue and nails, squeegee, wax, paint, sponge, cardboard, oil base or water-free ink. |
| Â (a) Â Â Â Print (b) Â Â Â Photographic screen making (c) Â Â Image Reproduction |
Making print using stencil with attention to registration marks and different colours. (i)   Coating of the screen with a sensitized solution. (ii)   Exposure of the screen with the gelatin solution in a suitable source of light and development with water. (iii)   Identification and uses of the following materials – silk or organdie gelatin coating, dichromate, positive image, board light source, tracing paper, black light source, tracing paper, black paint (Opaque). (i)    Transferring of the image from the mesh/stencil to the substrate, e.g. paper, sticker, plastic, etc. (ii)   The use of enlarger and Kodaklith translucent printing paper. |
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|  6 | Lithography – Process Camera Work (1) Planning – (a)   Work Ticket (b)   Layout Planning |
Preparation, interpretation and uses. (i)    Definition of lithography and layout planning (ii)   The procedure and uses of the layout planning in chronological order, e.g. identification of griper margin, image area, folds and gutter margins. (iii)   Materials – Negative/Positive flats, masking tape/brown paper, etc. Tools and equipment and their uses: Light table, stripping knife, etc. (iv)   Identification of Negative/Positive e.g. emulsion and non-emulsion side. |
| (2)   Film making/Process camera  Plate making |  (i)      Definition, qualities, functions and safety rules of the darkroom. (ii)     Equipment and materials for filmmaking.  e.g. chemicals, original artwork, (different type) funnels, developing-sink/tray, mixing tools, pail. etc. Process camera; Digital Colour Separation Machine. (iii)    Types of films and their characteristics, Panchromatic films, Orthochromatic films, Laser films. (iv)    Chemicals – Developer; fixatives and stop bath; and their uses. Preparation and preservation of films. Effect of safe-light on films. Description of plate making equipment and their uses.  e.g. plate processor, developing sink, exposure/frame vacuum, etc. Materials – Pre-sensitised plates, gum, Arabic. The process of making corrections and preservation of plates and safety procedures. |
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| Â 7 | Â Machine Printing (i) Â Â Offset Machine Printing |
 (i)      Techniques of offset printing (ii)       Spare parts and maintenance procedures e.g. lubrication, bearings, rollers setting, etc. (iii)      Brief history of offset lithographic machine. (iv)      Configuration of the lithographic machine. (v)       Plate and adjustment in correcting image position on the sheet during the printing process. (vi)      Functions of the important parts of the press and its running. (vii)     Major units of a lithographic printing machine and their functions. |
| (ii) Relief Printing
(iii) Gravure Printing (Intaglio) (iv) Flexographic Printing |
 (i)        History; explanation; principles and types of relief printing. (ii)       Important parts and maintenance. (iii)      Method and schemes of imposition.(iv)      Types of image carrier. (v)       Tools and Materials- Chase, Quoin, Solvents, Oils, etc. (i)   History, explanation, principles and types of Gravure Image Carrier. (i)    Definition and concept of flexography and its image carrier. |
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|     8 | Legal Aspects of the  Printing Industry | (i)    Trade houses in the printing industry and their activities e.g. Employers Association; Professional Bodies, Training Institutions, Examination Bodies and other Foreign Trade House. (ii)    Copyright |
Facilities and Equipment
LIST OF FACILITIES AND MAJOR EQUIPMENT/MATERIALS REQUIRED
| ITEM NO | EQUIPMENT | QUANTITY REQUIRED |
| Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 1. | Vacuum Frame | 2 |
| 2. | Table | 4 |
| 3. | Screen mesh stretcher | 5 |
| 4. | Gullotine | 1 |
| 5. | Magnifier | 10 |
| 6. | Squeege | 20 |
| 7. | Stencil knife | 10 |
| 8. | Compass cutter | 2 |
| 9. | Drying Rack (Cabinet) | 1 |
| 10. | Light table | 4 |
| 11. | Pallet | 2 |
| 12. | Register scope | 1 |
| 13. | Destometer | 1 |
| Â Â Â Â Â Â 14. | Type scale | 1 |
| Â Â Â Â Â Â 15. | Printing down frame | 1 |
| Â Â Â Â Â Â 16. | Small offset machine | 1 |
| Â Â Â Â Â Â 17. | A set of Computer | 1 |
| Â Â Â Â Â Â 18. | Scanner and Printer | 1 each |
| Â Â Â Â Â Â 19. | Giant stapler | 2 |
Recommended Textbooks
SUGGESTED READING LIST
| S/N | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â TITTLE | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â AUTHOR |
| Â 1 | Printing Technology | Adams Faux |
| Â 2 | Comprehensive Graphic Art | Dr Ervin A, DenisDr John D, Jenkins |
| Â 3 | Screen Printing Techniques | Albert Kosloff M, A |
| 4 | An Approach to Printing Management | Soji Adeniyan |
| 5 | Graphic Communication in Nigeria | Abdul Rasheed Afolabi |