What Digital File Preparation Has Taught Me

Hey gang, this will be my last blog update and it covers all I've learned in Digital File Preparation. I'm happy to say that looking back at this former posts, I learned a great deal about Microsoft programs as well as what it takes to work with deadlines, and what all goes into the preparation of the final printed product.

Some of the highlights:

-Learning to create a Duotone Raster and making it so it's coherently printable.
-Never take your image from the internet. It might seem like a quick fix but really, it's going to hurt the overall finished product with fuzzy imagery.
-Printing for bulk is easier than printing for few.
-How to properly package a file, including links, paragraph styles, and the difference when printing for RGB and CMYK (including spot and pantone processes).
-The product is about customer preference and must meet their specs in order to keep them happy and give you a guideline for how you create it.
-Creating and properly formatting pictures for bitmaps.
- Worked on a gate fold for the first time.
-Mastered scanning images
-Learned to keep better track of flash drives.
-Creating inverse type.
- Working on a budget.
-Printing variable data dependent on the customer while still satisfying the need to get the product out there.

Thanks for reading and hope you all have a great summer!

Final Project for DFP

Hi guys! This will be my final project in digital file preparation. For this project I chose to create a graduate party invitation with the intent to promote me graduating from college and the target audience being friends and family.

For this project, I wanted to make the invite semi-theatrical so I created a gatefold for the invite, with the fold size being 4" x 4" with the full size being 16" x 4". This gives it the look of theater curtains/doors opening to reveal the big "show", or, the details of the graduation party.

Other details:

Bleed: .125" all around
Margins: .25" all around
Master Image List: bitmap and illustrator-enhanced images.

Final Image!

Back Panel

Front Panel

Outside Left & Right Panels

Inside Left, Left-Center, Right-Center, Right Panels

Lawsuit Post

WHAT IS UP FRIENDS??

This entry will concern lawsuits that have been brought up due to graphic design infringement. The article in summary is over the mega-popular logo "TAPOUT", designed for the MMA show. The design, created originally by Justin Weber looks like this (in case, you haven't before seen anyone around you wearing some of their graphics):

I knew you'd remember

Even on the vaguest of levels, Weber's design has become ridiculously famous over the past few years, and is quickly becoming as easily recognizable of a logo as K-Mart's or American Eagle. The merchandise containing this logo is everywhere. Recently, Weber has decided to sue Tapout Inc. (the business for which the logo represents) for $1M in breach of contract and fraudulently obtaining the original designs. Further, the company intended to freeze Mr. Weber out of any revenue collected by having another company manufacture diluted versions of his work. This is an example of one of those offshoot products:

aptly named, right?

"The lawsuit is pending in the Superior Court of California in San Bernardino County." (RFC Express). Weber's lawsuit and case is to be represented by Spillain-Weingarten, LLP, a litigation that specializes in litigation in the California area. 


In short friends, do not attempt to steal someone's work. Even if you have the highest of resources for procurement, the chances of you being caught and ruined by the evidence is just as high. Just ask Richard Nixon and George Harrison.

Job Search Analysis #3

Well hello! Didn't see you there!

In my third job search I have found a graphic design position as a Site Supervisor/Graphic Design Services at Ricoh, USA. They work primarily with cameras and printing services for their products. This job is located is in Overland Park, KS, relatively close to my hometown.

This job would be working primarily with printings for customers, as well as facilitating updates for both site and management reports. Other details of the position include: ensuring payroll accuracy on time sheets, providing training on machinery in the workplace, and keeping up to date on advances in technology.

This job is a paid position with the salary omitted for later discussion with minimum requirements of a GED and 2 or more years of field experience. It also requires experience with the basic Microsoft programs: Word, Excel and Outlook and experience in graphic design programs.

For more information, chickity-check it out:
https://prod.fadvhms.com/ricoh/jobboard/JobDetails.aspx?__ID=*E88AA0C6D530A66C&__jbsrc=8AA530D1-1EC5-4871-843D-F38D45DDED45

Job Search Analysis #2

Hi! This is another post on a graphic design job up for analysis. This next one concerns an internship in Kansas City, MO for Gear for Sports, Inc. The position is a student in graphic design who would be one of their graphic artists. It is a paid internship with the salary up for debate. It would begin in May and end at the beginning of August. In this job, the GA is allowed to create a variety of designs/logos pertaining to the company's requests. It also requires punctuality and efficiency in terms of production, shipping and handling of any graphic designs created. It also requests that the applicant be a junior or above with acquired skills in Adobe Illustrator CS and Macintosh systems (which I have accumulated), and to be physically and educationally capable to handle the tasks of the office space. The end result of the internship should be an enhanced knowledge on screen-printing.

For more details check it out!
https://www5.recruitingcenter.net/Clients/gfsi/PublicJobs/controller.cfm?jbaction=JobProfile&Job_Id=10872&esid=az

National Logo Re-Design: the KU Jayhawk

In this post, I wanted to write about a logo that has changed its looks over the course of time. I could've gone the route of Coca-Cola, Folgers, Gatorade, etc. but instead I opted to do something relevant to me and in the NCAA XII Championship today: The KU Jayhawk logo. The logo as we all know has grown into a symbol for any person who is a Univesity of Kansas fan and has grown up in the United States. Also what interests me is the history of the logo and the many transitions it had gone through over the past 100 years. That's right, in 1912 the first inception of the Jayhawk was created to be the symbol for the University almost 40 years after the first graduating class in 1873. The Jayhawk image was first conceived by cartoonist Henry Malloy in 1912, which was originally just a blue and yellow bird with blue boots - "used for kicking of course" (kuathletics.com). Since then it had been revisioned several times over until we have the epic 4 color bird we have today. Consisting of red, blue, gold and a dab of white, the Jayhawk has since become a symbol of American College Basketball glory. Since the incredible game of 2008, where Chalmers made his miracle shot at the last second of the clock, that threw us into two over times and an eventual victory in the championship, the logo is nationally recognized as a symbol of Kansas sports and popular culture. All information was received from KU Athletics Website and of course, the Jayhawk image history:

Everyday Inspiration Blog

Hello! For this post, I wanted to talk about some neat every day graphics and packaging that I found in daily life. I decided to go to the World Market for this one, as I wanted to capture stylings of designs from all over the place, not necessarily just the United States.

This first one is Chinese brand Meiji's "Hello Panda" biscuits with cream cheese. The target audience looks most definitely for children and maybe adults who are kid at heart. This is evidenced by the cartoons of pandas looking super happy with big offensively cute bug eyes. The call to action to me is the new sports printing that they have placed down at the bottom. It reminded me of how certain cereals in the America utilize new colors or flavors to the mix to entice the audience to pick it up. I also really enjoy the packaging of the product and have been thinking of maybe something like this for my final project in  my digital file preparation course.

This retro throwback lemonade is an American-made juice drink that originated in the late 1930s. They appeal to the target audience with a affinity for vintage: The look of lemonade in a classic bottle and labeling. the call to action is a combination of the artistic graphic which jumps right out at you and the insertion of the phrase "with real lemon juice" so you know it's legitimate and not pumped full of artificial flavoring and additives like they tend to do  these days. So in truth, the classcal nature of the bottle and it's resolution to remain "real" gives it's biggest appeal to prospective customers.

This slightly alcoholic cider, is my personal favorite. Though I am not an avid fan of "hard" juice drinks, I do appreciate the awesome quality of the packaging. From the playing card logo to the sumptuous red apples speckling the image, it literally looks mouth-watering. The call to action is most definitely for over agers due to the alcohol content, but I feel like anyone with an appreciation for the Old West-era symbolism the combination of playing cards and alcohol represent to most Americans.

This is U.K. creation is an alcoholic beverage, bottled and styled to format the classic british comedy troupe Monty Python. It is a Pale Ale with a comedic attention-grabbing logo and sub-logo (for those of poor eye-sight it says "tempered over burning witches". I cried from laughter). The target audience is most likely anyone who grew up with Monty Python lore or just someone who enjoys both alcohol and comedically unique things. The call to action being the fact that it's both unique and a neat aspect of the "Holy Grail" cast's wide-spread fame.

Finally, the last graphic image inspiration (and part of my delicious dinner that evening) is the German packaged "mini wini" cocktail sausages. The target audience looks like it is for the younger people as the packaging somewhat reminds me of the "Mighty Kids" bread labeling from the late 90s here in the United States. It's both colorful and eye-catching and the call to action could be the amount of little cocktail weenies stored in the nifty little jar. Also the freshness of the weenies could be a factor for anyone who knows that brine is a preservative substance used in keeping food fresh (If you didn't, no worries, I had to google what brine was exactly).

Everyday Inspiration for graphic design and packaging is literally EVERYWHERE and this is a mere taste of the multitude of interesting designs that are a part of the home we call Earth. Hope you enjoyed!