Graphic Designers

pjoasisrulepjoasisrule Posts: 3,412
edited December 2008 in All Encompassing Trip
Any of you have a job that doesnt involve printing, production, and all that other bullshit?
Alpine Valley 2000
Summerfest 2006

"Why would they come to our concert just to boo us?" -Lisa Simpson
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  • dunkmandunkman Posts: 19,646
    i was a designer at a print company for many moons, but i gave it all up years ago to get into digital mapping and work for the government... wise choice with hindsight as i know of 2 print companies that have folded since i left that industry... less and less people need print work and more and more people think they are graphic designers.
    oh scary... 40000 morbidly obese christians wearing fanny packs invading europe is probably the least scariest thing since I watched an edited version of The Care Bears movie in an extremely brightly lit cinema.
  • nuffingmannuffingman Posts: 3,014
    dunkman wrote:
    and more people think they are graphic designers.
    LOL! You can say that again. Hence the pile of crap that comes through the door with the freebie newspapers.

    "We don't need a graphic designer, Gladys in secretarial does it all for us now."

    Being a printer must be like being on death row, just waiting for the final moment. In the last 6 years 12 I've known have gone under. Some of these were big 24 hour companies.
  • dunkmandunkman Posts: 19,646
    nuffingman wrote:
    "We don't need a graphic designer, Gladys in secretarial does it all for us now."


    "what do you do then"

    "i'm a graphic designer"

    "oh aye, what software do you use"

    "microsoft publisher"

    "okkkk, thats like calling yourself a mechanic because you put fuel into the car"

    "huh?"

    "exactly"
    oh scary... 40000 morbidly obese christians wearing fanny packs invading europe is probably the least scariest thing since I watched an edited version of The Care Bears movie in an extremely brightly lit cinema.
  • mammasanmammasan Posts: 5,656
    Any of you have a job that doesnt involve printing, production, and all that other bullshit?

    Yes. I do a bit of digital work now.
    "When one gets in bed with government, one must expect the diseases it spreads." - Ron Paul
  • pjoasisrulepjoasisrule Posts: 3,412
    dunkman wrote:
    "what do you do then"

    "i'm a graphic designer"

    "oh aye, what software do you use"

    "microsoft publisher"

    "okkkk, thats like calling yourself a mechanic because you put fuel into the car"

    "huh?"

    "exactly"

    At my former job, most so called designers screwed up their jobs so bad that it would take me up to a half hour to fix sometimes. Working in printing really really sucks.
    Alpine Valley 2000
    Summerfest 2006

    "Why would they come to our concert just to boo us?" -Lisa Simpson
  • mammasanmammasan Posts: 5,656
    At my former job, most so called designers screwed up their jobs so bad that it would take me up to a half hour to fix sometimes. Working in printing really really sucks.

    I have had the fortune of starting my career in print production which has helped my design career out tremendously. having the knowledge of how a job needs to be set-up and what is feasible to produce within cost has been a great asset. I have encountered way to many designers who have no idea of what print production does. their files are a mess and half the time their design doesn't work because they never stepped back to consider the production aspect of the job. I feel for you man because I know what it's like and I never want to be on that side of it again.
    "When one gets in bed with government, one must expect the diseases it spreads." - Ron Paul
  • I used to work in print. I transitioned to web about ten years ago and never looked back. I'll sometimes help a client if they have a small print job but it's often a pain in the neck so I try to avoid that now.

    We've got the same problems, though - newbs whose computer comes with a copy of Dreamweaver so they sell themselves as web designers. Once, after an excruciatingly long proposal process we lost a job to someone's college-age nephew. Of course he couldn't actually complete the job and we refused to come back and finish it for them. :) But, yeah, overall I enjoy digital more.

    Are you thinking of switching?
    michelle

    power to the peaceful
  • BUFFALOBUFFALO Posts: 760
    wow ... this is very uplifting ... im just going on my second semester in web/graphic design and im hearing so many horror stories... wtf ... i have a couple printing classes an Fn hate them .... i cant imagine doin that shit the rest of my life ... no way
    Buffalo 96,Barrie 98,Tampa 00,Orlando HOB 03,Buffalo 03,London 05,Hamilton 05 ,Toronto 06,
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  • pjoasisrulepjoasisrule Posts: 3,412
    BUFFALO wrote:
    wow ... this is very uplifting ... im just going on my second semester in web/graphic design and im hearing so many horror stories... wtf ... i have a couple printing classes an Fn hate them .... i cant imagine doin that shit the rest of my life ... no way

    Ill be honest with you......doing creative designs is great.......printing, deadlines, troubleshooting, marketing, artists block is absolute shit. I am really regretting what I went to school for and thinking about looking into doing something else.
    Alpine Valley 2000
    Summerfest 2006

    "Why would they come to our concert just to boo us?" -Lisa Simpson
  • schmoffschmoff Posts: 428
    i'm an art director, have been in the graphic design business for over 15 years, i work completely in the print world although i do supply alot of art for the web, i do alot of large scale graphics for trade shows and such also
    50+ shows and lost count somewhere along the way
  • pjoasisrulepjoasisrule Posts: 3,412
    schmoff wrote:
    i'm an art director, have been in the graphic design business for over 15 years, i work completely in the print world although i do supply alot of art for the web, i do alot of large scale graphics for trade shows and such also

    How much do you like your job?
    Alpine Valley 2000
    Summerfest 2006

    "Why would they come to our concert just to boo us?" -Lisa Simpson
  • dunkmandunkman Posts: 19,646
    we employed a 'graphic designer' straight from University in my old workplace.

    in the space of 3 days we discovered

    1. he had no idea what 'bleed' meant
    2. had no idea of the dimension of an A4 page
    3. never knew Pantone colous existed
    4. Vector and Raster were alien to him
    5. He never used black, he used REGISTRATION!!!!
    6. He didnt know Black was used to overprint other colours



    what the fuck did they teach him??? all he ever used was Phtoshop... some of his stuff was nice enough (portfolio speaking) but seriously... a degree in Design and he didnt know the fucking basics.

    he left after 6 months, was working as a trainee manager for a wholesaler company i last heard
    oh scary... 40000 morbidly obese christians wearing fanny packs invading europe is probably the least scariest thing since I watched an edited version of The Care Bears movie in an extremely brightly lit cinema.
  • pjoasisrulepjoasisrule Posts: 3,412
    dunkman wrote:
    we employed a 'graphic designer' straight from University in my old workplace.

    in the space of 3 days we discovered

    1. he had no idea what 'bleed' meant
    2. had no idea of the dimension of an A4 page
    3. never knew Pantone colous existed
    4. Vector and Raster were alien to him
    5. He never used black, he used REGISTRATION!!!!
    6. He didnt know Black was used to overprint other colours



    what the fuck did they teach him??? all he ever used was Phtoshop... some of his stuff was nice enough (portfolio speaking) but seriously... a degree in Design and he didnt know the fucking basics.

    he left after 6 months, was working as a trainee manager for a wholesaler company i last heard


    All they teach you is what good and bad design is. They do not show you how to use the programs and they do not tell you a whole lot about the technical aspects. I had to learn all of that on my own time and through mistakes.
    Alpine Valley 2000
    Summerfest 2006

    "Why would they come to our concert just to boo us?" -Lisa Simpson
  • dunkmandunkman Posts: 19,646
    All they teach you is what good and bad design is. They do not show you how to use the programs and they do not tell you a whole lot about the technical aspects. I had to learn all of that on my own time and through mistakes.


    then its an art appreciation course and wont do anyone much good in 'real-life'

    be like showing pictures of houses to someone for 4 years and then telling them they are an architect...
    oh scary... 40000 morbidly obese christians wearing fanny packs invading europe is probably the least scariest thing since I watched an edited version of The Care Bears movie in an extremely brightly lit cinema.
  • schmoffschmoff Posts: 428
    How much do you like your job?


    i like it alot
    can't imagine doing anything else not art related
    maybe a job as an art teacher would be good for the summers off but that is about it, if you are good at it and are talented you will be paid well and should have a great career, i know people that have been doing graphic design for 20 years and are still in entry level positions, now that would suck
    50+ shows and lost count somewhere along the way
  • schmoffschmoff Posts: 428
    All they teach you is what good and bad design is. They do not show you how to use the programs and they do not tell you a whole lot about the technical aspects. I had to learn all of that on my own time and through mistakes.


    that is not a very good school then, i have an associates degree in advertising art & design and a bachelors degree in graphic design, all of these technical skills should be learned in some sort of print production courses and desktop publishing courses, hell i know art students that went to school and used PCs and not Macs, that is a sure sign to look for another school, of course hands on internships are the best way to learn i think

    that being said i know plenty of designers with no degrees at all that make a decent enough living, if you know your shit, you know your shit, AND i have interviewed many, many prospects with great portfolios and realized after working with them that they suck at their job, i am in new york so things might be a little different here
    50+ shows and lost count somewhere along the way
  • vital5vital5 Posts: 5,486
    mammasan wrote:
    Yes. I do a bit of digital work now.
    I love doing digital work... sometimes on myself.. sometimes on others... :eek:
  • vital5vital5 Posts: 5,486
    dunkman wrote:
    we employed a 'graphic designer' straight from University in my old workplace.

    in the space of 3 days we discovered

    1. he had no idea what 'bleed' meant
    2. had no idea of the dimension of an A4 page
    3. never knew Pantone colous existed
    4. Vector and Raster were alien to him
    5. He never used black, he used REGISTRATION!!!!
    6. He didnt know Black was used to overprint other colours



    what the fuck did they teach him??? all he ever used was Phtoshop... some of his stuff was nice enough (portfolio speaking) but seriously... a degree in Design and he didnt know the fucking basics.

    he left after 6 months, was working as a trainee manager for a wholesaler company i last heard
    There are SO many courses for graphics designers.... *shrug* I never saw myself getting into it due to the fact to break it, you have to work for free.... fuck that. What a stupid industry... Anyway... i know what bleeding is.... i can look up the dims of an A4... i know what pantone colours are... and the diff between vector and raster... but i reckon i taught myself that stuff.... i did a course in Design and Technology, which had Graphics in the course :p i'm now in Engineering lol...
  • vital5vital5 Posts: 5,486
    All they teach you is what good and bad design is. They do not show you how to use the programs and they do not tell you a whole lot about the technical aspects. I had to learn all of that on my own time and through mistakes.
    Yes alot is learnt through mistakes .. and also limitations of software and the like....
  • brainofPJbrainofPJ Posts: 2,361
    taking Visual Communications right now....

    can't wait to get out in the field


    Esther's here and she's sick?

    hi Esther, now we are all going to be sick, thanks
  • pjoasisrulepjoasisrule Posts: 3,412
    I think the stress of being a graphic designer would take a huge toll on me over time. I need to do something less stressful I think.
    Alpine Valley 2000
    Summerfest 2006

    "Why would they come to our concert just to boo us?" -Lisa Simpson
  • dunkmandunkman Posts: 19,646
    I think the stress of being a graphic designer would take a huge toll on me over time. I need to do something less stressful I think.

    i got out... i was working 40-50 hours some weeks, some saturday mornings, etc.. i just had my first child and a job came up in a government setting... flexi-time, final salary pension etc... i got it.

    I now do mostly digital mapping, but i save my department some money as i do their reports, leaflets, etc in-house and save on design costs.. keeps me involved with it albeit in a smaller capacity.

    digital mapping is much more satisfying to me... i actually enjoy it and it has 90% less pressure than say fucking up someones job because you missed the 'o' when typing out of the word 'count' ;)
    oh scary... 40000 morbidly obese christians wearing fanny packs invading europe is probably the least scariest thing since I watched an edited version of The Care Bears movie in an extremely brightly lit cinema.
  • schmoffschmoff Posts: 428
    dunkman wrote:
    i was working 40-50 hours some weeks

    it and it has 90% less pressure than say fucking up someones job because you missed the 'o' when typing out of the word 'count'

    yeah 40 hours is called a fulltime job, welcome to the real world, you work less than 8 hours a day now?

    and i guess you don't proof read or even spellcheck your work huh? good thing you got out!
    50+ shows and lost count somewhere along the way
  • CollinCollin Posts: 4,931
    I studied printing and graphical design in secondary education. God, I hated it. I guess I liked the designing part but I was too slow. It took too long before I could put my design I had on paper on computer.

    It's one of the best printing schools here. You could choose between printing, design, the both, multimedia and photography. I had both printing and design. I decided very early that I didn't want to design or print, so now I know a lot about colour, paper, inks, styles... and I hardly ever use it, but sometimes it comes in handy and I can surprise people with my random knowledge. We saw the whole process from the beginning till the end. The point was that we'd get a higher education in printing, design, management... the others who only took printing or design could start in a printing business right away and I can tell you they received adequate education and training. Many choose to get a higher education as well, motivated by money of course.

    Most of my old class mates, who are not studying now, have pretty good positions and they found jobs quite easily.
    THANK YOU, LOSTDAWG!


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  • Dylan StoneDylan Stone Posts: 1,145
    schmoff wrote:
    you work less than 8 hours a day now?

    Did you see the key words in his last post... "job came up in a government setting."

    Hail hail to the lucky ones.

    Governement jobs are generally "cakeier" (NICE WORD...huh?) than the public sector. Don't you have any friends that like work for the county?

    Sweet deal is all i can say....
  • dunkmandunkman Posts: 19,646
    schmoff wrote:
    yeah 40 hours is called a fulltime job, welcome to the real world, you work less than 8 hours a day now?

    and i guess you don't proof read or even spellcheck your work huh? good thing you got out!

    are your clothes made out of lemons... or are you always this bitter?

    40-50 hours is what i fucking said... can't you proof read?

    i also said i had started a family... family comes first, work second thank you very much. A government job with flexi-time and 5 hours less per week suits me better than kowtowing to your corporate clock.
    oh scary... 40000 morbidly obese christians wearing fanny packs invading europe is probably the least scariest thing since I watched an edited version of The Care Bears movie in an extremely brightly lit cinema.
  • Riot_MacRiot_Mac Posts: 473
    I work for a commercial printer as a prepress sys admin. I manage our workflow, do technical support, trouble shoot shitty design files, customer support, etc.

    It was decent at first when I setup our workflow, but now I am bored. I need to get out. I am good at what I due, but I don't think printing is for me. Not to mention print media is dying.
    "hear my name, take a good look, this could be the day."
  • CollinCollin Posts: 4,931
    Riot_Mac wrote:
    Not to mention print media is dying.

    I don't think it'll die soon.
    THANK YOU, LOSTDAWG!


    naděje umírá poslední
  • dunkmandunkman Posts: 19,646
    Collin wrote:
    I don't think it'll die soon.


    maybe not but its definitely limping along.

    http://www.printweek.com/news/

    job losses everywhere... and I know of 3 local printing firms that have went bust in the last year. one of them was a company that had been on the go for 35+ years

    http://www.printweek.com/news/779689/Scottish-printer-files-liquidation/

    some companies will ride it out i'm sure, but the industry has been facing a slump for some years now... with PC's and macs at home, decent quality printers, web pages, etc etc etc .. printing is just not needed as much.

    i.e. our print budget for our dept in the govt was £310,000 4 years ago... now its £77,000. most of our stuff is online now.
    oh scary... 40000 morbidly obese christians wearing fanny packs invading europe is probably the least scariest thing since I watched an edited version of The Care Bears movie in an extremely brightly lit cinema.
  • CollinCollin Posts: 4,931
    dunkman wrote:
    maybe not but its definitely limping along.

    http://www.printweek.com/news/

    job losses everywhere... and I know of 3 local printing firms that have went bust in the last year. one of them was a company that had been on the go for 35+ years

    http://www.printweek.com/news/779689/Scottish-printer-files-liquidation/

    some companies will ride it out i'm sure, but the industry has been facing a slump for some years now... with PC's and macs at home, decent quality printers, web pages, etc etc etc .. printing is just not needed as much.

    i.e. our print budget for our dept in the govt was £310,000 4 years ago... now its £77,000. most of our stuff is online now.

    True, but it's not really doing well... but it won't die any time soon, I think. I guess the small printing companies face more difficult times.
    THANK YOU, LOSTDAWG!


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