Prepressforums.com

prepress_brillance_43 · #1 (**permalink**) 05-19-2005, 10:58 AM

While I was in school(Print Degree, not Design Degree), my teachers always said that once people got into the print business they fell in love and stayed, when I said I wanted to do design work(mainly to work with computers instead of production) they told me to "learn the press first," and then see where you want to go. So I'd ask "Well do many prepress guys move over to design?" inevitably, they said everytime without a missing a beat, "yea, but not many." Here's my question presently(now that I run my own prepress dept. 2 1/2 yrs removed from school.)

How many of you full time prepress managers out there pick up freelance design work? If so, are your designs as "artistic" as full time designers(be honest.), or do they just get to the point. The "graphic communication" so to speak. Obviously with prepress backgrounds we will build more "perfected/tuned" files. But can we accomplish the same artistic concepts that the designers are taught in their classes? I'm sure hoping I can. I picked up some freelance stuff this week, it's only my second piece(1st one had a previous design I was to match, not real creative design work). I am not going anywhere, I do love print now that I'm in. My teachers we're dead on about that, but there's no reason I can't make two incomes.

David · #2 (**permalink**) 05-19-2005, 11:14 AM

I do the more artsy design work myself when I can. There's not much going around now-a-days (with the economy and everyone else thinking they are designers with the new computers!). I was an art major in school and thought/tried to get into commercial art as a teenager, but life happens and had to get a real job. Long story short, got a job as a camera operator in a sweat shop and have moved on from there.
Good luck with your frelance work, go wild if you get the chance.
Hey, try using about fifty or sixty fonts in your design and you'll be right up there with the best!!! LOL!
David

prepress_brillance_43 · #3 (**permalink**) 05-19-2005, 11:24 AM

I strictly stick to only 20 fonts per four pg spread, thank you. :twisted: :wink:

...good thing I don't have to print it. :wink:

duck · #4 (**permalink**) 05-19-2005, 11:27 AM

My goal early on was to be an artist, went to school for design/production art, then got my first job pasting and shooting artboards. Worked my way up through plating, proofing, stripping, and finally into the wonderful world of electronic prepress.

I did some freelance stuff for people I knew, and used the samples to actually land a full time "design" job at a hotel chain. I've been mostly prepress for the last 5 years now, but I do as much as possible on the side to suppliment my income!

Personally, I see some great stuff out there and think that I'm not as creative as others, but then I see many many jobs come through that are not only technical nightmares to deal with, but also really look like crap. It's encouraging to me to think that I must be as good as (or better than) a WHOLE LOT of the so called designers that are making a good living out there!

DCurry · #5 (**permalink**) 05-19-2005, 03:59 PM

I used to take any project that came along so I could build up my portfolio, since I originally wanted to be a designer. Had a couple of design jobs that eventually led to my current prepress job, and decided that I liked the technical aspects better.

Lately, I've been pretty choosy about taking jobs - there was a time when I had so many freelance projects that I didn't have much time for myself or family, so I'm evening that out a bit now.

As for if my designs are as good as a "real" designer's, I think so. One of my illustrations was published in Mac Design Magazine (Nov/Dec 2004, pg.33) I also do all of our shop's promo stuff, as well as any job coming into the shop that needs a creative touch. The owners always give my name out when someone needs something, then I decide if I want to do it or not.

I have a friend who is a very succesful and talented designer, and he used to give me work that he was too busy to do. It was a nice compliment when he told me that I was the only person he could trust to get it done right.

I think if I had to do nothing but design full time, though, that I would burn out after a while.

mattbeals · #6 (**permalink**) 05-19-2005, 11:33 PM

I'm a production geek (as if you couldn't tell). But lately I've picked up a few design gigs here and there. Design a workflow here, a workflow there. Here a workflow, there a work flow, Everywhere a workflow, Old MacDonald..... You get the idea.

I have to hand it to the creative types out there. I couldn't imagine doing what you all do. But I prefer the high road. That is, high and mighty telling all the designers what they did wrong.

rab · #7 (**permalink**) 05-20-2005, 03:53 PM

How do you guys start to get the freelance work. Nothing creative ever really comes though here. In fact our general answer is "we're not designers". So I really don't have much of a portfolio I wouldn't mind adding a second income.

prepress_brillance_43 · #8 (**permalink**) 05-20-2005, 04:10 PM

I have gotten my pieces from print broker "buddies"(i say it that way because they are NOT my buddies, but THEY sure think they are). But now that they have spread my name around as "knows what he's doing" cause he's also in prepress, I get calls directly from clients I've never even met. I'm pretty choosy though. Brokers may suck ass, but they are good if you want freelance design pieces, they get that stuff all the time, usually on the eighth or forteenth green, maybe at the bar for happy hour(only places you can find a broker!!). :wink: