Teaching Print Production: An Approach for VCE Units 3 and 4

Sometimes I pause at the start of the VCE Print Production unit and worry that I'm again plunging my students into a labyrinth laden with traps and conundrums. In the space of a few short weeks they'll have to dash through the maze, filling their swags with concepts of audience, principles of design and the laws of layout. They must quickly master an arsenal of digital hardware and design packages, carefully plot a course and complete their quest by learning new tricks at every turn. All the while the deadline lurks close behind. Yes, it sounds scary, but if all goes to plan we should be able to stroll through, marking out a few guidelines and making sure the stragglers don't lose their way ...