Mac OS X Leopard, dare to dream!

Being a designer and creative person, I am constantly begging for the most up-to-date programs, operating systems and computers out there. There is new technology, new products and new features constantly coming to light. There are seminars to explore your options and emails with teasers begging to be bought. I explode with possibilities running through my head of what I will do with all of these “new” features when I finally can get my hands on them…

The day comes when a bright new shiny “X” box shows up on my desk—oh the possibilities. Mac OS X Leopard… and what do I do you ask?… install it right away, of course! I think I should have gotten a clue from how long it took to install… my shiny new box has been nothing but a pain to my hard drive and ultimately my job ever since. Don’t get me wrong, the new dock with reflection technology on my desktop is pretty, the finder scrolling through files and images is near genius, and don’t forget about the Mac Apple stickers that come in the box, can’t live with out them (BTW-that’s sarcasm) but seriously I have had nothing but problems since the ‘big install’. I recommend waiting to upgrade your operating system until you are ready to upgrade to the most current Adobe programs. So if you haven’t ordered Adobe Creative Suite CS3 yet, don’t install Leopard.

What I detest is an operating system that forces you to upgrade your software for it to function correctly. Of course I want the newest software, but really, let’s join the real world… I don’t get everything that I want when I want it and here at my office, new software is client driven. When the clients start upgrading, so do we.

Since I don’t yet have CS3, I can’t guarantee that everything is going to be ‘just peachy’ if you already have it, but I think that most of the problems will drop out of the picture with the new software and OS combination. What I am experiencing right now is problems with font handling programs, serious program crashing cycles with Indesign CS2 where I can’t even close the document that I was working on and weird duplication when double clicking a Quark 6 file to open it. Then once I get the file open, I can only save it once and then I get an error message when I want to save it again. Instead, I have to use the save as option and replace the file. When I use QuarkXPress 7, the problem is eliminated, but not all of our clients use Quark 7 yet. Oh to praise the day that our clients upgrade and the double click duplication is extinct. Here’s to wishing!!

Let’s be real, I like new features. I think all designers like new features, they make their job easier and opens possibilities of different ways of thinking. We like that. So when I see these kind of glitches and they happen often with new programs and operating systems and their respective ‘bugs’, I get bummed. I don’t want to become jaded by bugs, crashes and fix-it patches. Please, just make it work so I can be creative and do my job. What does a girl have to do to get a program or operating system that ultimately works the first time that it’s installed? I guess keep dreaming!

Kristen

Time To Panic?

Well, this is only my second post, and to be honest, I’m already a little short on ideas to blog about this time around. I really have been racking my brain trying to figure out something to say that people might look at and say, “Dang, this guy really gave me some inspiration this week.” Unfortunately, I don’t have any great words of wisdom this week. Although I was presented with a perplexing notion earlier this week, when I was told “Manage your time well, you’ve got some other stuff coming in.” As I thought about it, really, isn’t that what doing your job is all about, time management? But, even more perplexing to me, was the fact that a request to manage my time came in, yet, with the workflow we had coming in, it was something that was very difficult to do.

 Essentially, I understood the request at the basic level. Make sure you have all your Ps & Qs in order before this other project hits the frying pan. That’s all fine and dandy, but in our business, spot fires are always popping up here and there. There’s no guarantee that because this fire was put out immediately, that another one isn’t going to pop up just a few minutes down the line. Which essentially is the purpose of managing your time. There is no guarantee that a project will run smoothly, so get ready for the next fire. In the end I guess, it’s a matter of doing what you can to complete one project, while staying focused to adjust and meet the obligations of other items that might come into the mix that day. 

How do you do that? Well, to be honest, your guess is as good as mine. Simply put, I guess it’s like that life old adage of Carpe Diem. Seize the day. Or in this case, seize the moment. Grab what’s at hand and run with it. Sometimes a curve or two may come your way. Stay calm. It’s not life and death, it is only work. As simple as that may sound, it’s true. You really can only do your best work when you are calm and focused. It really doesn’t help anyone to get into a panic.

 I didn’t mean this to be a pep talk or a clichéd version of a blog entry. It’s more of a reflection on the way my week has progressed thus far. In a way, it’s a wake up call for me to realize that getting hot under the collar is probably only going to start another fire rather than put out the ones that already exist.  –David

Could a “Squinch” be Right for You?

Doreen here…recently I was asked to do some measuring for a “squinch” analysis for a client. Here are just a few things that I learned along the way.

 As a cataloger, effective product analysis is one of the most important tools you can use to measure your merchandising efforts.

 Sometimes buyers rely on emotions and gut feelings when choosing merchandise for their catalogs. A certain product just “feels” right. This method of choosing products may work for a while if you are just starting out and have a small catalog with a very select audience. However, most marketing experts would agree that some sort of quantitative analysis is the best way to target your winners and therefore give your audience the products they are looking for.

 One method of sorting out the top performers from the so-so sellers is to perform a square-inch analysis, also known as “squinch”. This method reveals the cold hard facts–it  evaluates each item by showing how much it cost, the actual selling price, units sold, total sales, cost of goods, gross margin, cost of catalog space and how much the product contributes to overhead, fulfillment and profit.

I found that allocating space on a fractional basis, say 1/8 of a page works out well.

 Simply stated, the productivity of each item is determined by taking the entire cost of producing the catalog divided by the number of pages, divided by the amount of space each product occupies on the page.

 By measuring the amount of space each item takes up on a page, and comparing it to other items on that page you can determine which items are the most profitable and decide to either give less profitable items less space, or to eliminate them altogether.

This information can be very valuable to merchandising staff as well as creative staff when determining product offerings and space allocations for future catalogs. 

Being Creative in Every Day

David here…I tend to find myself looking at my work as a Designer as more of a job than a career or especially even a passion anymore. My guess is it’s from years and years of doing the same thing. I think even the most creative people feel stagnant at times. Sometimes we just go through the paces during the day to get done what needs to get done. In my experience, the stress of family and especially children really add to this creative burnout.

I’ve come to find though, that my kids can sometimes be the best inspiration for me. Really, as much as some of us might hate Hannah Montana, High School Musical or even the dreaded Barney, there is a lot to be said for the media and consumer blitz that these entities generate. In a way, it’s good to see what other designers are doing to create buzz and to get noticed with the younger generation that’s out there. Most of my work isn’t geared toward the younger set, so it can be interesting to see how others are going about reaching them. The current trends seem to be a use of vibrant colors and a flashback to the early 80s using big type and geometric shapes. I try to take it all in. You never know, being marketed to as if we were 15 again may be just what we, the older generation needs.

This is one example of creative inspiration in my life, but there are so many more. Simply observing the way light reflects off of a lake while you are fishing, the contrast of the green moss next to the stem of a mushroom, the countless number of billboards on your morning commute, maybe even the logo on the coffee cup you are drinking from. It’s all there in front of us, every day. Now, it’s up to us to see the mundane as something new, something special and maybe even an idea we use to spark some creativity in our own careers.

What inspires you?

The Perfect Print Ready File

Barb here…As Production Manager for Custom Direct, my department prides itself on delivering perfect print ready files. Every printer we have dealt with has complimented our files, even newer printers we are using on our client’s behalf praise our files. My question to them is, as applications have advanced and processes have changed, why are you still getting bad files? So to better help you prepare your files, be they for your advertising/design agency or the printer, here are some ways to get perfect print ready files.

1. Convert all images to CMYK. Most printing presses run using CMYK inks. Because RGB has a wider spectrum of color, if you convert your images early on, you won’t be surprised at color quality when the images become CMYK at the print end.
2. Convert all colors to process. Unless you are specifically printing with a pantone color, or multiple pantones, make sure you convert your colors to process to eliminate any guesswork on the print end.
3. Make sure all images are at least 300dpi. To ensure the best quality for your brochure, catalog or whatever type of printed piece you are using, Hires images are an absolute necessity.
4. If you are using InDesign and packaging the files, or Quark and collecting the files, make sure that all components are included. Double check this. Many times we have received files where fonts are missing or a linked image is missing. The same also applies to Illustrator files.
5. If you are delivering a locked PDF to your printer (either PDFX1-A or ripped specifically for the printer using their specifications) make sure that it has been set up properly.
6. Most importantly, Communicate. If you don’t understand what it is that the printer or agency wants, ask questions. If they are anything like us, they will be more than willing to help educate you, so you can set up perfect files and not incur any additional costs

Good Luck in creating your next Perfect Print Ready File!

Dr. Ruth, children’s books and fine art…

Geoff here… with a recap of 4 days spent in semi-sunny southern California at BookExpo America, North America’s largest book fair, which combines the largest selection of English language titles on the planet with special industry and author events, all designed to entice the few remaining booksellers left to buy a book.

BEA is open only to booksellers, publishers, authors, illustrators and agents. As a trade show, it’s pretty good – in the swag department, with most major publishers handing out pre-release copies of their upcoming books, plus you get the chance to stand next to William Shatner at the hot dog stand or get an autograph from Dr. Ruth (Yes… THAT Dr. Ruth).

I traveled to BEA to work in the booth of Cartoonists Across America, a loose-knit organization of artists traveling the world for more than 20 years using cartoons, humor and music to promote literacy and arts advocacy.

Custom Direct’s new fine art company, The Checkered Giant, is the exclusive publisher of Giclee prints for CAA and their founder/artist, Phil Yeh. While Phil met with potential publishers for his books, Steve the Dog and The Winged Tiger and The Winged Tiger in China, I showcased several of the illustrations from the books, which The Checkered Giant had printed for a gallery show in Long Beach.

Children’s book artwork, as collectible originals and prints, is a fast-growing market. Fans of the genre include George Lucas, of Star Wars fame, an avid collector of the work. Museums such as Oakland California’s Museum of Children’s Art and The Santa Barbara Museum of Art have extremely popular exhibitions of picture book art.

In addition to promoting his art, in the context of best-selling books, Phil’s work is being exhibited in a gallery showing at Artistic Edge in Long Beach, California. The gallery opening, which took place Saturday, May 31st, was a great success; more than 150 people showed up to view, peruse and purchase Phil’s artwork and books. The Checkered Giant prints, of Phil’s original digital artwork and watercolor paintings, were very well received.

So what does Dr. Ruth have to do with children’s books and fine art? Nothing, really… but her notoriety, and that of many other artists, writers and celebrities, helps to bring awareness to Phil Yeh and his mission with Cartoonists Across America. Dr. Ruth is a long-time fan of Phil’s and made a special effort to come to the booth at the BEA show, and sign Phil’s guitar – a special guitar autographed by many famous comic book and children’s book artists and authors – which will be auctioned off in 2009 to benefit literacy. Like Dr. Ruth, others at the show were glad to help and add their autograph to the guitar, including Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong and Max Allen Collins (author of Road to Perdition).

While Phil Yeh’s artwork, books, murals and message have been met with resounding success over the years, it still takes something different to break through the clutter and get your message out there.

Max Allen Collins signs Phil Yeh’s Guitar for Literacy

Several of Phil Yeh’s paintings

BookExpo America Booth

Artistic Edge Gallery in Long Beach, California

Dr. Ruth and Phil Yeh

A Phil Yeh original and a print from The Checkered Giant

Tell me more about CMS!

Erin here, one of the graphic designers at Custom Direct with my very first blog (awwww). In this business, it seems like every day brings a new challenge. With computer technology changing on a daily basis, I am constantly learning about new and effective ways to utilize the Web.

While looking into blogging, I was introduced to content management systems (CMS). I have been interested in finding out more about these and what they have to offer. We have used LearnFlash.com in the past for tutorials and training for Adobe Flash. One of the emails I received from them had a tutorial on Joomla which is said to be the leading content management system provider today. After watching a demo for Joomla, it looks like something that is very useful and easy for updating content on web sites without needing a techy developer at your beckon call. Even a designer like myself can appreciate this – don’t get me wrong, I want to learn as much as I can about web development, but let’s face it I’m a designer. I love the visual end of the deal a little more than the coding.

If there is anyone with more input on CMS or can refer another provider out there, I’d be happy to hear from you.

Leaving Your Mark

Hey! It’s me Doreen, just checking in.

We’ve come a long way since our pizza meeting last week.

The Checkered Giant (our venture that will produce Fine Art Reproductions) has become a reality. Once we had our name, our creative team went to work. We needed a mark that would leave an impression and show that we are committed to creativity and quality. Our team did not disappoint us. Just as they do for our clients when designing their logos, our designers David, Kristen and Erin began brainstorming and sketching to come up with that ultimate mark that would satisfy us all. Not an easy task because we are a company filled with creative and innovative thinkers! The critiques would be brutal.

Like most jobs that come through a creative house like ours, we were on a deadline. The turnaround time was quick. Each designer rose to the occasion and presented us (the rest of the Custom Direct team) with their interpretations of The Checkered Giant. Wow! This was going to be difficult. As we do for all our clients, each designer presented their design and their rationale behind those designs. It’s so fun to see firsthand, how creative minds think! As is often the case, we didn’t find the right fit at that first meeting, but we were close. After some tweaking and a few more meetings, The Checkered Giant has a mark! It will debut next week, so stay tuned…

 

What is a Checkered Giant?

We’re a pretty close-knit group at Custom Direct. Like a lot of creative firms, we have working lunches where we eat pizza while brainstorming to solve a design or communication challenge. This week all 12 of us gathered to talk and try out a new pizza place…

So… while eating ‘garbage’ pizza (think way too many olives), we began discussing rabbits, amoebas and whether or not armadillos were cute or gross.

Armadillos aren’t most people’s idea of lunchtime conversation, but we were working to create an identity for a new start-up. Not just any start-up, but an extension of Custom Direct.

Combining our creative talent with technical expertise, equipment (and a little luck) we’re beginning a new venture into Fine Art Reproductions, and the marketing of art and artists. Our company needed a name – an identity – a logo and mark to help convey our brand…

We want to speak as artists, to artists; to convey an idea in our name, but not be too literal. Custom Direct, Marketing Communications is literal. Armadillo Editions is not. We want to build a company with a brand promise, which includes the ability to faithfully reproduce the artists’ original artwork, in a manner keeping with the quality and integrity of fine art printmakers.

So obviously we began with an armadillo – the little armor-plated mammal that rolls up into a ball when frightened.

Armadillos are homozygous. Each time they give birth, to a litter of 5 or more pups, EVERY pup in the litter has the EXACT SAME DNA. Each one is an exact reproduction of the mother and the other.

Amoebas also create exact reproductions ‘from the original’ but after some discussion, no one wanted to be thought of as a single-celled entity covered with hair. Well one person didn’t mind, but that’s another story.

“Hey”, someone said, “rabbits reproduce a lot, and they’re lucky!” Rabbit Reproductions didn’t sound right, though, because while cuddly and likable rabbits also conjure up thoughts of speed. We want to say “hand-crafted and methodical” not “quick and crappy”, but the idea of rabbits had some legs…

“How about a breed of rabbit?” one of us suggested, “maybe we can call ourselves The Dwarf Hotot or English Lop Ear. Now THAT would make a cool logo…” But then we came upon a photo of a bunny: a Holstein Cow with Big Ears and a fluffy tail… The NAME that called out to us: The Checkered Giant.