Busy two weeks

Well I totally spaced writing last week, but since I was gone part of this week on vacation I'll just combine the two weeks. Well last week was good. But I got whats called a variance. Well I actually got 2 variances. Yay! Not. So a variance is when you build a file wrong and then we have to reprint it. The first variance was just stupid and fooled all of us but the second I wanted to smack my self. the client sent in 3 images on 1 file and I choose the wrong image. I have no idea why I didn't call the account manager to verify which one it was but I didn't. ( the job said "tent #1" so I choose "tent #1"  seems logical right?) Well no the actual image was "tent #3" So even though the client approved the proof we sent them we still had to reprint it. The good news is now I wont do that again! I also got to do some banners for the Layton City 4th of July parade. That was fun because I knew that I would get to actually see them since I would be at the parade. (pictures below) though these were a bit more difficult because most of the time the client sends in the artwork they want but layton didn't. They were like "oh go find the declaration of Independence for us" or "find a font that looks like the declaration" or the best was the one they wanted to say "one if by land, two if by sea" They were like "we don't want the same font as the declaration. So find an appropriate font.". Well that narrows it down! haha But it was still fun. I also got very good at the clone tool in photo shop this last week. We had a lot of old photo's that were sent in that needed like 4 inches of bleed added so them so they could be blown up into banners. That is not an easy feat. The content aware tool helps but still sometimes the image doesn't look right so you have to go back and edit it with the clone tool. I also got to work on some items for the Utah Jazz. That was also fun. A bit of a pain because at first they didn't send in vector files, just jpg's and those weren't going to work. So finally we got those but then they also didn't give a lot of instruction for a banner we were creating for them so I had to go back and forth with the account manager a lot. The last thing that happened this week is a new kid started working there. One day when I walked in R. had me sit down and help him. Its always a test to see if you know what you are doing  when all of a sudden you have to teach someone else. I came really close to helping him correctly! I just forgot the last step. Next time, next time. Over all it was a good two weeks though. Lots of learning experiences!
(I just realized my pictures are on my camera so those will be put up once I load them on my computer)

Whoops

I just realized I never wrote last week! My bad. So the thing I have loved about this internship is all the things I am learning about adobe illustrator and photoshop. I had no idea how many shortcuts there were! I swear by the end of the summer I might not ever have to tough a mouse. haha Okay I probably will but I probably won't have to go up to the menu bar for a different tool or action. One thing I learned about is a way you can change the color of multiple objects. So for example we print black that is 60 40 40 100.  So when a client sends in an image that has black we have to go change it. and instead of selecting each outlined letter or shape we just click one, go up to select, same, fill color/stroke color and bam all the object that are the same color are selected and all you have to do is go choose the new color. Its great! I really wish I would have known about that tool earlier because it would have come in handy with some of my school projects. Well another post will be coming shortly because now this week is almost over!

All Grown Up

Well this week I was informed that I didn't have to put things on the prepress task list hold if I felt confident in them. Putting it on hold just meant that before it was sent out to be printed it was on hold so that R. could look at it and make sure that it was all done correctly. Now this is awesome because that means Im doing things right. Also not awesome because what if I screw something else up? Guess we will slowly transition into this whole not on hold thing. This week was good, I am getting better at putting bleed on things and learning how to create documents so that they can be paneled. Oh I almost forgot! That project from last week that I was working on? Yep it was still there Monday morning. So I had to finish it. Oh well it has now all be approved, printed and shipped! It was a bit of a slower week, less jobs coming in, though around 430 they always seem to come through to us and make a longer list for us to do. But at least that way we stay busy! I guess we shall see what this week brings us!
Oh I have meant to include some pictures of the things Ive worked on so here they are!

Black and Yellow

Well this week was good! I actually got to work a few more hours because one of the girls was out of town so I got to go in on Friday. So far I have only been working small jobs, things that have 1-5 line items, But this week there was a job that had 49 line items and R. was like work on this one. So I figured I would work on a couple of the items and he would work on the other items. That was Monday. I was still working on it on Friday. Between learning to work with new materials, having to change the black to the black we print, learning to work with how they had designed their art and needing new artwork sent back it was seriously an adventure. However it was something that by the end of the week I was glad I had done. It really tested my skills and helped cement processes into my mind. I am also starting to work with the printers more, if they have questions on my jobs they come to me instead of going straight to R. Which is great, and terrifying. I am always terrified I am going to screw up a job but then again I guess its all in the learning process! Now hopefully I don't have to work that same job again tomorrow!
(oh and the whole time I was working on the job I kept thinking some of the designs looked familiar and so at the end of the week I googled the company. Yep. It was "Canvas" the very same canvas that all my college classes run through. Can't ever get away from Canvas apparently!)

Short week!

Well with the holiday on Monday it was a short week, which was nice and sad at the same time. I dread going to work every day but once I am there I love it! Im starting to get the hang of things now. Some things still completely loose me but its coming. Some of the adventures this week included working more with the "account managers" more. Basically they are the inbetween man. The take the orders from the clients and then put them into the system where we get them. Then if we have any problems with the art or job we contact the account managers and they talk to the clients. The first couple weeks the other guys would talk to the account managers for me but this week I got to. Its always nerve racking to talk to someone about something you don't completely understand but by the end of the week it was becoming more natural. That and I just gave up on caring that I had no idea what I was talking about haha I also learned how to panel a job. Basically some of the designs sent in need to be printed large scale. Very large scale. Like 50+ feet. Of course the printers and the materials are always big enough to print large scale so we have to panel or split the pieces into small sections. It slightly confusing because you have to know how big the material is as well as make sure you leave some overlap space and other things like that. I think I'll stick with the smaller pieces. Too bad the guys I work with will never let that fly. They like to push me so thats good. Well I guess we shall see what adventures next week brings!

Busy Week

Well last week was another adventure! I started to work on the designs by myself, that was scary. But my coworker said that the more I practice and try to figure it out the more I will learn, and I agree. The others were always there to help me but they let me flounder around for a bit before they would jump in. It was a really interesting week, I got to work more with the clients which was fun. and frustrating. I did a banner for Woods Cross high and they had me use an older piece that they had sent in but they wanted changes made to it. So began me making the changes, then sending it back to be proofed by them, then coming back to me with more changes and so on. Finally we reached what they wanted but I learned a lot on how to gear a piece to the client. It was also a crazy week because it was really busy with memorial day coming up. Which meant overtime! Got to love deadlines. But it was fun. And that pretty much sums up the week!

New Job, New Adventures

Its always fun starting a new job. New people to meet, new things to learn, oh wait thats fun? Now I will say I like the meeting new people part but learning new things? Well thats always nerve racking. So this summer I am doing an internship at a place called Fusion Imaging. Basically they take logos, or other designs and print them. Most of the time large scale. I was really excited to start there because I thought hey is graphic design! Finally Ill know the programs and be somewhat aware of what I am doing. Yeah no. Silly me. So I finished my first week. It was crazy. I will be working in the prepress shop there and even though I have no idea what I am doing I think it will be a lot of fun. What I do know is that we take the designs done by companies and in a sense, rework them. We have to take the designs and resize them, add bleed, add whats called cut lines and dots (Used in the printing and cutting of the pieces) and do whatever else is needed so they can be printed correctly. I've learned a lot about photoshop and illustrator in the week I have been there though. By the end of the summer I will probably know every shortcut there is. Seriously. So far I have mostly just watched the others but I have worked on some banners and such. Its been fun learning how to make bleeds with the content aware feature on photoshop or how to flatten an image for printing or that I can create what are called actions (basically they include a list of edits that are all completed simply by pressing one button. Saves a lot of time. Trust me). I am sure I will learn even more this coming week, especially as the other guys send me off to do work on my own. Yikes. But hey like any new job, the more you learn the easier it all becomes.