Printing and Graphic Communications (5405)

Last Updated: 10 Nov 2017
These qualifications in printing and graphic communications will equip the learner with the essential skills and knowledge in order to gain employment or progress within the printing sector.
Anyone wishing to work, or to progress in their career, in printing and graphic communications.
Available to deliver in the following:
  • England
  • Wales – please check QiW website for available funding
  • Scotland
  • Northern Ireland

Interested in delivering this qualification?

Find out more about how to become an approved City & Guilds centre or fill out our online customer application form. 

General Information

What Is Involved In Studying This Course?

As well as learning about the printing and graphic communications industry. You'll learn skills for specialist roles such as machine printing, print finishing, mechanised binding, desktop publishing and carton manufacture.

You will learn on the job in the work environment.

Assessment will include multiple choice online examinations and short answer tests.

Which Level is right for me?

Level 2
You are working, or looking to work, in printing and graphic communications and have some relevant knowledge and skills, usually from a role where you've been supervised.

Level 3
You are working in printing and graphic communications, and have a great deal of technical skills and knowledge. You work with minimum supervision and have a good record of safety, fault correction and ensuring work meets the required standard.

What Careers Can This Lead To?

These qualifications can help you to progress in a wide range of roles within the printing and graphic communications sector:

  • Operators
  • Machinists
  • Team Leader and Manager in Digital Pre-press
  • Machine Printers
  • Print Finishers, Mechanised Binder, Desktop Publisher
  • Carton Manufacturer.
What Is Involved With Delivering This Course?

You will need suitably qualified staff to carry out training and assessment - you can train internal members of staff or recruit specially.

You will also need suitable facilities to carry out the required training to enable learners to achieve industry standards.

Centres currently offering the Level 2 Certificate in Printing and Graphic Communications (5261) can gain automatic approval.

There are no eligibility requirements. To find all the resource requirements, download the qualification handbook from the centre documents section.

Level 3

Level 3 is ideal if you are working in printing and graphic communications, and have a great deal of technical skills and knowledge. You work with minimum supervision and have a good record of safety, fault correction and ensuring that work meets the required standard.

There are five qualifications available at this level. These comprise mandatory and optional units, including:

  • Productivity, quality assurance and maintenance in machine printing and print finishing
  • Digital pre-press processes
  • Desktop publishing
  • Machine printing (sheet fed lithography)
  • Machine printing (web fed lithography)
  • Machine printing (flexography)
  • Machine printing (gravure)
  • Machine printing (screen)
  • Mechanised print finishing and binding
  • Carton manufacturing processes.

For a full list of units, download the qualification handbook from the centre documents.

What Careers Can This Lead To?

These qualifications can help you to progress in a wide range of roles within the printing and graphic communications sector:

  • Operators
  • Machinists
  • Team Leader and Manager in Digital Pre-press
  • Machine Printers
  • Print Finishers, Mechanised Binder, Desktop Publisher
  • Carton Manufacturer.
Level 3 Certificate in Printing and Graphic Communications - PrePress (5405-30)
Last Registration Date: 31 Dec 2019

Level 3 Certificate in Printing and Graphic Communications - PrePress

  • Accreditation No: 600/1931/1 This is a reference number related to UK accreditation framework
  • Type: Credit based qualification This is categorisation to help define qualification attributes e.g. type of assessment
  • Credits: 14 Credits are a measure of the size of the qualification
  • Guided Learning Hours: 107 - 114 This is the average contact time a centre would typically commit
  • Total Qualification Time: 140 The total time for the qualification
  • Key Stage: Data unavailable This shows the equivalent Key Stage level.
  • Last Certification: 31/12/2022 This is the last date that a certificate can be issued
  • Qualification fees in the UK: TBC, please speak to your Account Manager for further information Our typical price is the one that is most often paid by a centre for a completed learner. Some prices are made up of multiple charging points so action like taking difference units or specialisms to complete and resitting assessments may mean the cost for some learners differs.
Level 3 Certificate in Printing and Graphic Communications - Desktop Publishing (5405-31)
Last Registration Date: 31 Dec 2019

Level 3 Certificate in Printing and Graphic Communications - Desktop Publishing

  • Accreditation No: 600/1931/1 This is a reference number related to UK accreditation framework
  • Type: Credit based qualification This is categorisation to help define qualification attributes e.g. type of assessment
  • Credits: 14 Credits are a measure of the size of the qualification
  • Guided Learning Hours: 107 - 114 This is the average contact time a centre would typically commit
  • Total Qualification Time: 140 The total time for the qualification
  • Key Stage: Data unavailable This shows the equivalent Key Stage level.
  • Last Certification: 31/12/2022 This is the last date that a certificate can be issued
  • Qualification fees in the UK: TBC, please speak to your Account Manager for further information Our typical price is the one that is most often paid by a centre for a completed learner. Some prices are made up of multiple charging points so action like taking difference units or specialisms to complete and resitting assessments may mean the cost for some learners differs.
Level 3 Certificate in Printing and Graphic Communications - Machine Printing (5405-32)
Last Registration Date: 31 Dec 2019

Level 3 Certificate in Printing and Graphic Communications - Machine Printing

  • Accreditation No: 600/1931/1 This is a reference number related to UK accreditation framework
  • Type: Credit based qualification This is categorisation to help define qualification attributes e.g. type of assessment
  • Credits: 14 Credits are a measure of the size of the qualification
  • Guided Learning Hours: 107 - 114 This is the average contact time a centre would typically commit
  • Total Qualification Time: 140 The total time for the qualification
  • Key Stage: Data unavailable This shows the equivalent Key Stage level.
  • Last Certification: 31/12/2022 This is the last date that a certificate can be issued
  • Qualification fees in the UK: TBC, please speak to your Account Manager for further information Our typical price is the one that is most often paid by a centre for a completed learner. Some prices are made up of multiple charging points so action like taking difference units or specialisms to complete and resitting assessments may mean the cost for some learners differs.
Level 3 Certificate in Printing and Graphic Communications - Mechanised Print Finishing and Binding (5405-33)
Last Registration Date: 31 Dec 2019

Level 3 Certificate in Printing and Graphic Communications - Mechanised Print Finishing and Binding

  • Accreditation No: 600/1931/1 This is a reference number related to UK accreditation framework
  • Type: Credit based qualification This is categorisation to help define qualification attributes e.g. type of assessment
  • Credits: 14 Credits are a measure of the size of the qualification
  • Guided Learning Hours: 107 - 114 This is the average contact time a centre would typically commit
  • Total Qualification Time: 140 The total time for the qualification
  • Key Stage: Data unavailable This shows the equivalent Key Stage level.
  • Last Certification: 31/12/2022 This is the last date that a certificate can be issued
  • Qualification fees in the UK: TBC, please speak to your Account Manager for further information Our typical price is the one that is most often paid by a centre for a completed learner. Some prices are made up of multiple charging points so action like taking difference units or specialisms to complete and resitting assessments may mean the cost for some learners differs.
Level 3 Certificate in Printing and Graphic Communications - Carton Manufacture (5405-34)
Last Registration Date: 31 Dec 2019

Level 3 Certificate in Printing and Graphic Communications - Carton Manufacture

  • Accreditation No: 600/1931/1 This is a reference number related to UK accreditation framework
  • Type: Credit based qualification This is categorisation to help define qualification attributes e.g. type of assessment
  • Credits: 14 Credits are a measure of the size of the qualification
  • Guided Learning Hours: 107 - 114 This is the average contact time a centre would typically commit
  • Total Qualification Time: 140 The total time for the qualification
  • Key Stage: Data unavailable This shows the equivalent Key Stage level.
  • Last Certification: 31/12/2022 This is the last date that a certificate can be issued
  • Qualification fees in the UK: TBC, please speak to your Account Manager for further information Our typical price is the one that is most often paid by a centre for a completed learner. Some prices are made up of multiple charging points so action like taking difference units or specialisms to complete and resitting assessments may mean the cost for some learners differs.

Here you can find all documents related to this suite of qualifications.

By clicking on the section headings below, you can access a variety of documents such as the qualification handbooks and assessment materials, Statements of Purpose, and recognition letters from industry and employers.

Some documents may be password protected. Passwords can be retrieved by logging in to walled-garden.com and visiting the Administration section of the relevant qualification catalogue page.

Interested in delivering this qualification?

Find out more about how to become an approved City & Guilds centre or fill out our online customer application form. 

5405 Level 2

Centre documents

5405 Level 3

Assessment materials

Centre documents

Purpose and Recognition

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Purpose

Explore our wider maths & English offer

Our maths & English qualifications underpin our apprenticeships and technical qualifications. They build learners’ confidence with the core skills required for employment, including the capacity to problem solve and use technology effectively. They are also key to triggering conditions of funding.

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For Learners

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