Where does the inspiration come from?

This is information that during my time at BOCES I periodically would mentor students which wanted to pursue a career in design. So instead of just having the students watch me do my work I would make a sort of a lesson for them. I also would offer CDs and DVDs that had PDFs and E-books on trends and technical information pertaining to industry practices. So the last topics I had a discussion with the students that I mentored  was about summoning their inspiration for work.

Where does the inspiration come from?
     Magazines
     TV / Films
     Internet
     Books
     Museums / Galleries / Art Shows
      Life


Always keep on top of what is the latest trends in the industry...

When designing, see what is being done out there but use that as a point of departure for your work. To be good you must go further then where you start don't just be satisfied with being mediocre. Design industry is a fast paced, young and fresh industry. Be different then everyone and build your reputation on taking chances. Keep in mind that stealing ideas from others will hinder you always, a very bad habit to get into.

Never make excuses for your work, or put it down in anyway, if you get criticized on your work don't let your pride get in the way, remember learning and seeing things differently (even if you don't agree) can be something to take home and work on. Remember the person who has to be pleased is the client not just your boss. Never turn your mind off to different ideas because they may take you to a different place and always keep your work growing and changing.

Working with PDFs that make your life a living hell...

Adobe Acrobat

Working with PDFs that make your life a living hell...

There are certain tasks that have to be attended to when setting up a PDF that will go to a printer For example when a job is bid for Print there are 

many factor that have to be taken into consideration. If the job is two color or three  or full there are different parameters that have to be done. 

Today my notes focus on two color jobs... 

A. Changing colors in Acrobat— Advanced>Print Production>Output Preview

This allows us to see the color swatches that are embedded within the PDF file.

B. To Edit the PDF (whole)— Tools>Advanced Editing Tools>Object Touch-up Tool

This needed to complete this function. Hold down the Control Key on the Keyboard 

(to get the RT click menu) on this menu scroll down to Edit Document; and illustrator opens to edit.

***Note: Remember to save after each change.

Printing Separations is a very helpful thing to do, because if anything shows up on the CMYK plates your SOL! 

You have to go in and delete any and all the objects that show up on that plate. 

*** Note: One of the things that were happening to me as I was editing the PDF, some of the photos that I was adjusting were

not letting me save any changes to the document, so We saved it to the Desktop as a TIFF and Deleted the photo in 

Acrobat, then place the TIFF in the PDF. 

Use Advanced Editing Tools>Hold Down the Control Key>Place Image>Select TIFF.

***Note: If Objects are still showing up in the CMYK Plates  during the printing of the separations, Check the Illustrator 

document  to see if it was converted to Gray Scale.

Edit>Colors>Convert to Gray Scale

File > Document Color Mode RGB (Convert to CMYK) SAVE

Changing a color PDF to Gray scale:

FILE>Print>Printer: Adobe PDF 8.0, press the ADVANCED button output: Gray Scale>Print

INDESIGN— To Place a PDF with out breaking it apart manually

Window>Automate> Scripts> Java Scripts- scroll to Place Multi Page PDF

WORD-—Now we also work in Word, To make a PDF from Word.

File> Print; at the top of the dialogue box you have to choose ADOBE PDF 8.0; Under presets the third place to scroll 

you scroll to Printer Features and Make Resolution 300DPI -PRINT