The artwork thread ...NSFW

misk · Post by **misk** » Fri Oct 31, 2008 12:23 am

i can tell you a lot about audio, mixdowns, and sound design. I cannot tell you much about print work. I definitely appreciate all this talk of margins - it's given me a lot of insight into how to do this better

oh and ch3, i love your layout work.

MissBrass · Post by **MissBrass** » Fri Oct 31, 2008 12:35 am

there are quite a few graphic designers around here...
I should start a thread on Graphic Design...
is there one already?

hey, at least we can all share info and help each other out...

ch3 · Post by **ch3** » Fri Oct 31, 2008 9:59 am

@horse: obviously 3 mm margin applies when you DON'T want your text to be cut in half

If having it cropped is a part of design, it's a different thing then, isn't it. But for example with the record sleeves, you rather wouldn't want track titles or credits to partially disappear - then it's safe to use said reserve.

misk · Post by **misk** » Fri Oct 31, 2008 3:10 pm

question then: Im preparing a flyer for print. I've got the 3mm margins all around covered, as well as trim marks. I'm using photoshop and the document is set to 300dpi - what file format does the printer expect to get? I know in illustrator its usually an eps, but photoshop? appreciate the help!

@missbrass - if you started a design thread, i'm sure i'd have many questions simply about the mechanics of printing processes - in the meantime, if anyone has any good books they can direct me to, i'd be grateful

retinoise · Post by **retinoise** » Fri Oct 31, 2008 8:42 pm

Printers can generally handle most things exported by Photoshop. (eps, tif etc.) but most will have their own preference based on what their using to set it all up. (quark, indesign etc.)

In my experience most prefer a high res PDF. Yes, 300dpi is fine.

if they do want that,
1. Export from Photoshop as EPS

2a. Place into an inDesign document large enough to keep your crop marks and export as Print Quality PDF
OR
2b. Use distiller to create Print Quality PDF

A PDF means it's usually small enough to email to them as well!

The End

MissBrass · Post by **MissBrass** » Fri Oct 31, 2008 9:24 pm

i meant to post this here:

misk · Post by **misk** » Sat Nov 01, 2008 1:04 am

Retinoise wrote:Printers can generally handle most things exported by Photoshop. (eps, tif etc.) but most will have their own preference based on what their using to set it all up. (quark, indesign etc.)

In my experience most prefer a high res PDF. Yes, 300dpi is fine.

if they do want that,
1. Export from Photoshop as EPS

2a. Place into an inDesign document large enough to keep your crop marks and export as Print Quality PDF
OR
2b. Use distiller to create Print Quality PDF

A PDF means it's usually small enough to email to them as well!

The End

thanks so much man. I sent it to the guy as a PDF so it should be cool. heres the finished flyer:

it's 4x6 inches these are obviously much smaller

MissBrass · Post by **MissBrass** » Sat Nov 01, 2008 1:14 am

i see some marrrgins

whoop whoop!

misk · Post by **misk** » Sat Nov 01, 2008 3:49 am

yeah

these are actually being printed, so i had to figure out what i was doing!

MissBrass · Post by **MissBrass** » Sat Nov 01, 2008 8:35 am

go you!!!!!!
the flyer looks great
and to be fully honest with you, I feel that this is how I see life, sure there are rules. But, we all conform ourselves to it. So yeah, unless you're printing you dont have to do the margins. Unless you want to.

misk · Post by **misk** » Sat Nov 01, 2008 2:47 pm

i agree with you and horse about that. I've never worked in a design firm, and i dont know all the rules. the more i read, the more i find that i've been following certain "rules" without knowing any better. These are mostly compositional, not technical rules, but it's kind of ironic

i was reading an interview with a logo designer, regarding current trends in design. heres what he says about trends:

“When a graphics industry expert proclaims something a current ‘design trend’ it is a ‘breaking news’ message to designers everywhere that the specific ‘trend’ should be avoided from that moment on - rather than followed by a thundering flock of design sheep.”

good point

jah know · Post by **jah know** » Sat Nov 01, 2008 4:13 pm

This is me high on drugs, dancing to dubstep. Do you like it?

misk · Post by **misk** » Sat Nov 01, 2008 6:56 pm

Jah Know wrote:This is me high on drugs, dancing to dubstep. Do you like it?

THIS IS AMAZING.

retinoise · Post by **retinoise** » Sat Nov 01, 2008 7:05 pm

Misk wrote:i agree with you and horse about that. I've never worked in a design firm, and i dont know all the rules. the more i read, the more i find that i've been following certain "rules" without knowing any better. These are mostly compositional, not technical rules, but it's kind of ironic

i was reading an interview with a logo designer, regarding current trends in design. heres what he says about trends:

“When a graphics industry expert proclaims something a current ‘design trend’ it is a ‘breaking news’ message to designers everywhere that the specific ‘trend’ should be avoided from that moment on - rather than followed by a thundering flock of design sheep.”
good point

So true. If you're trying to look different. Which is most often the case. And it's waaay more fun to CREATE the NEXT thing.

It should also be noted however, that we do a certain aesthetic evolution together... en mass... as an example, a lot of stuff from the 80s is appealing to the general population right now... but if you did a flyer with that look in 1995, you'd be lucky if anyone showed up.

I guess... uh... it's like SURFING the aesthetics.... stay on the wave, and slightly ahead of it.