Materials and components Flashcards
What is a grid?
A boxed framework to help draw shapes
What is an underlay?
A ruled pattern that assists when drawing 3D shapes
What are the main factors to consider when choosing paper and board?
Cost, finish, strength, brightness, thickness
How do you achieve different properties of paper and card?
Coating the surface, using a sizing agent, laminating thinner layers of card to achieve a board
What is a sizing agent used for?
It improves the ability of the paper or card to accept ink by sealing the absorbency of the paper’s surface
What is paper thickness measured in?
gsm (weight in grams per square metre)
What is card thickness measured in?
microns (1/1000th of a millimetre)
What is virgin paper?
Paper made from 100% wood pulp (doesn’t contain any recycled paper)
Name 4 advantages of cartonboard.
Is mechanically strong (good at protecting products), can easily be cut, folded, creased and glued, can be printed on easily using the main printing techniques, can be embossed and hot-foil stamped
What is cartonboard used for?
External packaging, food & drink packaging, cosmetics packaging and books
How many layers does cartonboard have?
3
What are the four main types of cartonboards?
Solid bleached board, solid unbleached board, folding boxboard, white lined chipboard
What are the characteristics of solid bleached board?
It is the highest quality white top printable surface
What are the characteristics of solid unbleached board?
It is brown and very strong
What are the characteristics of folding boxboard?
It has a white top layer with a cream bottom layer
What are the characteristics of white lined chipboard?
It is a recycled board with a white top surface
What are the types of coatings and what are they used for?
Aluminium foil for insulation or bacterial barrier, plastic (e.g. polyethene) for waterproofing, greaseproof paper for backing cups for cupcakes, wax coating for waterproofing, polystyrene to make it stiff but lightweight
What are thermoplastics?
Plastics that can be reshaped many times when heated
Why are plastics used for packaging?
It is tough, lightweight, clear (i.e. allows people to see through it), economical/readily available and aesthetically pleasing
Why is plastic packaging bad for the environment?
It takes too long to degrade
What are biodegradable materials?
Those normally based on animal or vegetable matter and can be broken down by other living organisms into harmless waste
What are bioplastics?
Biodegradable plastics
What are the properties and uses of bioplastic?
Biodegradable, based on plants, clear or coloured (used for all sorts of food packaging)
What are the properties and uses of cellulose acetate?
Partially biodegradable, based on plants but with added chemicals, clear but not tough (used as photocopiable clear film and film for cameras)
What are the properties and uses of acrylic?
Stiff but brittle, can shape and polish edges to high gloss, wide variety of colours (used for POS stands)
What are the properties and uses of PET (polyethylene terephthalate)?
Tough, very good at keeping fizz in (used for fizzy drink bottles)
What are the properties and uses of PS (polystyrene)?
Not tough, can be vacuum formed (used as shell forms for packaging, CD jewel cases, yoghurt pots)
What are the properties and uses of expanded polystyrene styrofoam?
Very light, impact absorbing (used for protective packaging, block modelling)
What are the properties and uses of polyvinyl chloride?
Tough, resists scratching (used for blister packs and game pieces)
What are the properties and uses of PP (polypropylene)?
Flexible (used for crisp packets)
What are most plastics made of?
Oil
Are thermoplastics recyclable?
Yes
What is vacuum forming?
A process in which a simple hollow shape is created by sucking air from underneath a heated thermoplastic sheet draped over a mould
What is injection moulding?
A process in which hot liquid plastic is injected by force into a mould
What is blow moulding?
A process for making hollow plastic forms by blowing air into a heated thermoplastic
What is line bending?
A process used to bend straight lines in a heated thermoplastic
What are smart materials?
A material that responds to a stimulus like heat or light and then returns to its original state when the stimulus is removed
What are thermochromic materials?
Materials that change colour depending on their temperature (e.g. thermometers placed on the head)
What are photochromic materials?
Materials that change colour in response to light (e.g. light sensitive sunglasses)
What are electrochromic materials?
Materials that change colour depending on the amount of electricity applied (e.g. liquid crystal displays on clocks)
What are hydrochromic materials?
Materials that change colour depending on the amount of water applied (e.g. plant pots which show when the plants need watering)
What are phosphorescent materials?
Materials that absorb light energy during the day and give out the energy at night (e.g. fire exit signs)
What are modern materials?
A material that does not respond to its surroundings but have been created in the last 50 years
What are cornstarch polymers?
Alternatives to oil based thermoplastics made from vegetable starch (not as hard wearing or versatile but environmentally friendly)
What is paperfoam?
A combination of cornstarch polymers and paper fibres (used to make scratch resistant inserts for packaging products)
What is lyocell?
A high strength paper fibre produced from wood pulp
What is polymorph?
A special plastic often used for modelling
What is PMC?
Precious metal clays that are made of 99.9& metals (e.g. gold or silver) and 0.1% clay (can be shaped at room temperature but very expensive)
What is nano technology?
A method of changing the atomic structure of materials in order to make them better (can make materials less expensive, lighter, stronger and more precise, e.g. if you manipulate the atomic structure of carbon you can create a diamond)
Who is Harry Beck?
A graphic designer who designed the London Underground map, which is based around a simple electrical wiring diagram so it is simple and easy to understand and his ideas are used all over the world
Who is Alberto Alessi?
A manufacturer who markets metal kitchenware and he wanted to combine mass-production with creativity (he isn’t a designer himself but encourages those who are)
Who is Jock Kinnear and Margaret Calvert?
Graphic designers who developed a typeface in Sans Serif called Transport and pictograms which are used in road signs because they are clear, uncluttered and easy to read while travelling at speed
Who is Wally Olins?
A brand consultant who creates logos for businesses (e.g. BT) and events e.g. 2012 Olympics) and his approach is that the logo has to include an organisation’s brands, values and relationship to the public
Who is Robert Sabuda?
An author, illustrator and pop-up book designer whose books use clever paper engineering for the enjoyment of both children and adults
What are the characteristics and uses of newsprint?
Used in newspapers, cheap, lightweight, uncoated, very cheap
What are the characteristics and uses of layout paper?
Used for paper sketches and tracing, thin, slightly translucent, cheap
What are the characteristics and uses of tracing paper?
Used to trace one design onto another, transparent, cheap
What are the characteristics and uses of sugar paper?
Used for cheap mounting up of work, cheap, uncoated, comes in a variety of colours, fades in the sunlight, very cheap
What are the characteristics and uses of photo paper?
Used for photos/presentations, has special gloss or matt coating, quick dries ink, very expensive
What are the characteristics and uses of board?
Used in model-making, more rigid surface that can easily be printed on, relatively cheap
What are the characteristics and uses of cartonboard?
Used in packaging, made of different layers (e.g. with foil for drinks packaging), many different types for different packaging types, high quality printing surface, quite expensive
What are the characteristics and uses of mount board?
Used in model-making and high quality picture mounting, thick, coloured, rigid, very expensive
What are the characteristics and uses of corrugated card?
Used for packaging protection or POS stands, string, lightweight, fairly cheap
What are the characteristics and uses of foam boards?
Used in POS stands or presentation boards, composite boards consisting of two outer layers of high-quality card and a central layer of foam, very expensive
What are the characteristics and uses of spiral wound tubing?
Used in packaging, high strength, 3D printable surface, very expensive
What are the 11 types of boards?
(In order of increasing paper thickness) newsprint, layout paper, tracing paper, sugar paper, photo paper, board, cartonboard, mount board, corrugated card, foam boards, spiral wound tubing
