I had to re-learn a lesson recently. Always print out and put together a folding mock-up of the piece before sending it to the printer. The more complex it is, the more important it is to do. As designers, so much of our communication is electronic now. Just a few years ago we had to provide a folding mock-up of our projects so the printer could give us a quote for printing. Now, almost everything is done electronically. This is great for us over-committed under-rested freelancers. Still, many times all the printer sees is the high-res PDF and from this PDF he produces a proof.
Author Archive |
Friday, January 16, 2009 - 02:39
Yes, this is another blog entry about networking, or at least about getting your foot in the door. Here’s a tip that has helped me immensely through the years: Keep a log of contact activities.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009 - 09:48
Let's cover a few basics.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009 - 03:25
This is a question I hear often for designers entering the design field for the first time. Many have little of no “real” work to put in their portfolios. Here is my advice: You should include 10 to 15 pieces. Choose 10 pieces that illustrate your main specialization, plus five or so that demonstrate other talents or areas of interest. It doesn’t have to be printed work that you were paid to do. It can be school work, color printouts, photographs or screen shots. Include designs that you did as favors for friends and family, the business card you designed for yourself or a tutorial.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009 - 01:55
Faux is a French word that means “false” or “fake.” Some applications give you the option to make a regular font into a bold or italic font by using the faux font feature. JUST SAY NO TO FAUX FONTS. There are two big reasons. 1. Faux fonts don’t always print correctly. If you’ve sent your file to the printer and the font doesn’t rip correctly, it will cost you time and money to correct the problem. 2. Aesthetics. Type designers spend large amounts of time designing beautiful typefaces. Computers just don’t have the “eye for type” that designers do.
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What is the PsPrint Blog??
The PsPrint Blog is a resource for graphic designers, freelancers, small business owners and fans of print marketing. You'll find helpful techniques on printing everything there is to print, including business cards, postcards, brochures, stickers, invitations, greeting cards, door hangers, magnets and more. The PsPrint Blog shares creative ways to improve your design and layout skills, and useful tips for marketing your business in any medium. We also like to have a little fun, sharing design inspiration and spotlighting some our favorite customers' printed pieces in our "Hot Off the Press" series.
