STUPID F*&$@** CORPORATE BRANDING DESIGNERS

[myront]

Probably they just save it as pdf without checking illustrator compatibility, ask for .eps

I'll take pdf over eps if gradients are present. And can't stress enough about how to properly create a pdf. In Corel you can put a check in the "Convert Fonts" tab. This is absolutely a must when creating pdf's. It's a little more tedious to do in illustrator but it can AND SHOULD be done.

Multiple layers? Don't need em. 1 layer is fine. That's the way we roll round here.

 

[Boudica]

Graphic Artist:
- General design ideas
- Creativity
- Logo creation
- Taking customers ideas and getting them into the computer

Production Artist:
- Printing / layout knowledge
- Software / machine knowledge
- Taking the artists ideas that they got from the customer and turns it into something tangable.

Basically I view it like this with no hurtful intentions to anyone. Graphic Artists do the fluffy design, putting the rainbows and sparkles onto the design template of lets say a shoe box. While the Production artist goes in and makes sure that the dieline of said shoebox is going to assemble correctly, and utilize the graphic artists design to the fullest extent (make sure those rainbows lineup correctly on the fold).

That is how I view them.

I'm both

 

[ColorCrest]

That is how I view them

I agree.

Well said, Adam.

 

[Adam Vreeke]

I'm both

From what little I have seen most people that are capable of doing graphics are both here. Seems like a dying breed though

 

[ColorCrest]

I'm both

That's the attitude!

With your long experience, I have no doubt.

 

[Pewter0000]

Graphic Artist:
- General design ideas
- Creativity
- Logo creation
- Taking customers ideas and getting them into the computer

Production Artist:
- Printing / layout knowledge
- Software / machine knowledge
- Taking the artists ideas that they got from the customer and turns it into something tangable.

Basically I view it like this with no hurtful intentions to anyone. Graphic Artists do the fluffy design, putting the rainbows and sparkles onto the design template of lets say a shoe box. While the Production artist goes in and makes sure that the dieline of said shoebox is going to assemble correctly, and utilize the graphic artists design to the fullest extent (make sure those rainbows lineup correctly on the fold).

That is how I view them.

I'm in charge of both of these at our shop. That being said, I'm the only employee Just me and the bosses! I find it great - I never stop learning or finding better practices or skills in that position.
I'm hoping, over the next few years, to add some other types of design/production to my resume. I'd really like to learn UX, for instance.

 

[TammieH]

You need a BIG Ol' Hug!

Designers and Architects ug!

 

[ColorCrest]

I'd really like to learn UX, for instance.

Ambitious. Since you're already familiar with layout, you're ahead in the learning curve.

I looked back at your postings and found your shop is using Corebridge. If you use it yourself, you might consider their UI and UX as something to study and look for ways you might improve upon it. As an exercise and easy place to start is by finding any page that scrolls. Re-design (layout) the page to where it does not scroll. That would result in better UX in itself. I suggest using the 45 day FileMaker trial for its real layout tools and you might find you can actually make useable software.

 

[CanuckSigns]

I always think of graphic designer vs production designer this way.

A graphic designer is someone who can bring the clients ideas to life, and the production designer is the one who has to bring them back down to earth and figure out how to actually make the product. Much like the architect vs. Builder relationship, the architect draws the pretty building and the builder has to figure out how to make it while staying on budget and obeying the laws of physics...

 

[Pewter0000]

Ambitious. Since you're already familiar with layout, you're ahead in the learning curve.

I looked back at your postings and found your shop is using Corebridge. If you use it yourself, you might consider their UI and UX as something to study and look for ways you might improve upon it. As an exercise and easy place to start is by finding any page that scrolls. Re-design (layout) the page to where it does not scroll. That would result in better UX in itself. I suggest using the 45 day FileMaker trial for its real layout tools and you might find you can actually make useable software.

FileMaker, eh? Thanks so much for this!

 

[jfiscus]

I feel your pain, all day, every day.
I'm currently dealing with an outsourced "design firm" that the large company is paying more to "design" their truck's graphics than they're paying us to print/wrap their 53' trailers...
They're even having trouble zipping the files and sending through dropbox.

They just took one of our old concepts from last year then horribly distorted the custom's logo. They were only able to make a "proof" because they only work on laptops that cannot process graphics that large so they called me about how to create the file. I gave them a few options of different ways to approach it and they were unable to get anything to work. I received the "comp/proof" as a junky Illustrator file (maybe it's the same firm, lol) and just screenshot it and rebuilt it correctly. I fixed the low res images and replaced the incorrect logo with an official one.

At the beginning of this process, and AGAIN this year we explained to the customer that we include some design time with all of our wraps and that we could take care of the concept art also, but they decided to use a "firm" instead.

 

[Pewter0000]

I feel your pain, all day, every day.
I'm currently dealing with an outsourced "design firm" that the large company is paying more to "design" their truck's graphics than they're paying us to print/wrap their 53' trailers...
They're even having trouble zipping the files and sending through dropbox.

They just took one of our old concepts from last year then horribly distorted the custom's logo. They were only able to make a "proof" because they only work on laptops that cannot process graphics that large so they called me about how to create the file. I gave them a few options of different ways to approach it and they were unable to get anything to work. I received the "comp/proof" as a junky Illustrator file (maybe it's the same firm, lol) and just screenshot it and rebuilt it correctly. I fixed the low res images and replaced the incorrect logo with an official one.

At the beginning of this process, and AGAIN this year we explained to the customer that we include some design time with all of our wraps and that we could take care of the concept art also, but they decided to use a "firm" instead.

See stuff like that makes me feel like I should be charging $500/hr at a big design firm. I can zip files!

 

[Johnny Best]

So my question would be, did Pat Whatley ever get this problem resolved?
After #32 posts and finding out about graphic artists vs production artists, .pdf,.eps, UX Filemaker etc. etc.

 

[Adam Vreeke]

So my question would be, did Pat Whatley ever get this problem resolved?
After #32 posts and finding out about graphic artists vs production artists, .pdf,.eps, UX Filemaker etc. etc.

Looks like it was just a rant in the general chit chat sub forum.

 

[Big Rice Field]

An easy fix would be to print the damn AI file on paper, scan it in and retrace it all. Or do a screen capture and do the same thing.

Illy is great for the print industry but sorely lacking for the sign industry.

 

[Anastasi55]

I still think production artists should be the higher paid staff...