Graphic Products
Materials
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LEARNING OBJECTIVE- To learn about
materials used in Graphic Products
• All- will be able to read through the power
point and understand a range of materials and
their properties
• Most-will understand their uses in products
• Some- will complete the exam questions on
paper and uses.
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Learning Objectives
Learning objectives
To learn about the properties of a range of
materials:
paper, card and board
plastics
modelling materials
inks
smart materials
fixatives.
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Paper and boards
Paper is made from pulped wood. There are many
different types.
When you are selecting a paper, there are two main aspects
you should consider:
Weight
All papers and boards have a
weighting measured in g/m2
(sometimes written gsm). This is the
weight in grams of one square metre.
Surface finish
The finish of the paper or board is important to the overall
look of a product once it has been printed. The finish affects
the texture of the paper and the way it absorbs ink.
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Paper, card and board
Most paper used in schools weighs about 80 g/m2.
This is fairly thin.
Paper is usually classed as card when it weighs more than
220 g/m2.
Very thick card is called board. Board is usually made from
more that one sheet (ply) of card. The thickness of board is
sometimes gauged by the number of sheets it consists of.
The thickness of card and board can be measured in
micrometers (or microns for short). Mountboard can be more
than 1000 microns thick.
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Types of paper
Anything weighing less that 220 g/m2 is classed as a paper.
Complete the following table to identify a number of papers,
their properties and their uses.
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Types of card and board
Anything weighing more that 220 g/m2 is classed as a card
or board. Complete the following table to identify a number
of cards and boards, their properties and their uses.
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Uses of paper
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Paper size
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Plastics
There are two categories of plastic:
Thermoplastics
A thermoplastic can be repeatedly
heated and shaped.
HEATED
SHAPED
COOLED
Thermosetting plastics
HEATED
A thermosetting plastic can only be heated
BURN SHAPED
and shaped once. If you try to heat a
thermosetting plastic again, it simply burns. COOLED
At a molecular level, a thermosetting
plastic has more bonds holding it together.
A thermoplastic has fewer bonds, allowing
the plastic to be reshaped several times.
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Thermoplastic
Graphic products mainly use thermoplastics. Thermoplastics
are more versatile because they can be reshaped. They can
also be recycled, making them ideal for use in packaging.
There are many different types of thermoplastic but we are
only going to concentrate on the following four:
Acetate
A flexible, transparent
plastic that is easily cut.
Polystyrenes
Light, cheap, easily
shaped and dyed plastics.
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Polyethylenes
Shatter-proof, lightweight
plastics, used for drinks bottles.
PVC (polyvinyl chloride)
A very versatile plastic that
can be flexible or rigid.
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Thermoplastic
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Plastic
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Modelling materials
When you need to manufacture a three-dimensional model,
there are a range of materials available to you.
Sheet modelling materials, such as:
corrugated sheets (plastic and card)
foam board.
Block modelling materials, such as:
clay
Sheet materials can
be glued together to
make 3D shapes.
modelling foam (styrofoam).
Other modelling materials like plaster bandage.
You need to pick the one best suited to the job in hand.
The next slide has more information about the
properties of some of these materials.
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Modelling materials
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Modelling finishes
Once you have made your basic model, it will often
need a ‘finish’ to give it colour or an appropriate texture.
The finish you need to use depends on the modelling
material you chose.
Corrugated sheet (paper)
Water-based paint
Corrugated sheet (plastic)
Foam board
Acrylic or other
solvent-based paint
Plaster bandage
Clay
Modelling foam
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Glaze or solventbased paint
Filler and waterbased paint
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Pigments
For an ink to function properly it must
remain in a liquid state so that it can be
applied easily. However, once on the
surface of the product it must dry as
quickly as possible.
Ink is made up of a solid
pigment that is dissolved or
suspended in a liquid, called a
vehicle. Once applied to the
surface, the vehicle is either
absorbed or evaporates,
leaving the pigment behind.
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Pigment + Vehicle = Ink
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Smart pigments
Some materials are referred to as SMART materials – these
materials have additional, and often surprising, properties.
For example…
THERMOCHROMIC INK
Thermochromic ink and pigments change
colour when the environment becomes either hotter or colder.
E.g. A child’s
plastic spoon can
be made that
changes colour
from red to yellow
if the food is too
hot.
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These pigments
can be used in
products like
clothing for
aesthetic, as well
as functional
purposes.
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Fixatives
You can present a final design through a presentation drawing.
Depending on the medium used, the image may need fixing.
This term does not mean to fix something that is broken – it
means to apply a fixative to protect the surface of the image.
Presentation drawings
done in soft pencils or
pastels must have a fine
layer of fixative sprayed
onto them to stop the
drawing from smudging
on contact.
You can also fix work with hairspray.
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Encapsulation
Encapsulation (also
known as laminating) is
when an image is put
between two layers of
plastic.
The plastic is heat sealed
around the edges, and to
the image.
You can also get cold
laminate. The glue is
covered by a liner which is
peeled off when it is
applied to the image
HOT
LAMINATE
COLD
LAMINATE
Lamination creates a tough, durable, high gloss finish.
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Key points
Key points
There are many different types of paper and card.
The correct type must be selected for each graphic
product.
Plastics can be either thermoplastics or thermosetting
plastics. The properties of plastics vary greatly.
There are many different types of modelling material.
Inks consist of pigment and vehicle.
There are a growing number of smart materials on
offer.
Fixatives and encapsulation can be used to preserve
images.
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