Provided is a method of producing a graphitic film, comprising: (a) providing a suspension of aromatic molecules selected from petroleum heavy oil or pitch, coal tar pitch, a polynuclear hydrocarbon, a halogenated variant thereof, or a combination thereof, dispersed or dissolved in a liquid medium; (b) dispensing and depositing the suspension onto a surface of a supporting substrate to form a wet layer of aromatic molecules, wherein the procedure includes subjecting the suspension to an orientation-inducing stress or strain; (c) partially or completely removing the liquid medium; and (d) heat treating the resulting dried layer at a first temperature selected from 25° C. to 3,200° C. so that the aromatic molecules are merged or fused into larger aromatic molecules to form the graphitic film having graphene domains or graphite crystals, wherein the larger aromatic molecules or graphene planes in the graphene domains or graphite crystals are substantially parallel to each other.