[UPDATE] "I want some Christmas cards..."

I would like to share the following update from a previous entry...

Mr. Pedro Sauer from Pedro Sauer Total Self Defense Academy in Virginia sent us a "Happy Holidays" card.  Normally, designs are only a business transaction and final products are not usually seen in person, but Mr. Sauer sent us a signed card this Christmas, and that to us, says more than a mere "thank you".

So to Mr. Sauer, his staff, and all who attend his Total Self Defense Academy, we wish you a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year!

* These Holiday Cards were ordered from OvernightPrints.com.  They were printed on 5 x 7" 15pt card stock with a matte finish.

It's not always the outcome...

Today was a bittersweet day in the design world.

There are times when the designer, the printer, and the client cannot sync together with enough time to complete a project to it's fullest potential.  Blame cannot be appointed to a specific source in this matter.

A few weeks ago, a client came to us and asked to assist with a t-shirt design for an elementary school chess team.  The client had a time restraint already.  To make things worse, it was the week of the Thanksgiving holiday, which we all know schools close, as do businesses.  The back-and-forth process was not the most efficient but the design was completed and approved (shown below).

So off to the printer!  Unfortunately, Graphic Launch does not print their own apparel.  If we did, it would eliminate some of the confusion, questions, and problems that may arise between the designer and the printer.  The printer, at no specific fault of theirs, did what they could in the time limit that was given to them.  Because of time restraints, they were not able to print all three colors (dark blue, dark orange, and white) on the t-shirts.  One color was the maximum they could do while still being able to provide shirts for the students to wear for the tournament (shown below).

Our client sent in this photo.  We always ask for photos of the final product so we can archive projects and so we can see the quality of the third party.  

Although the t-shirts were not exactly the way we hoped, the important thing is that our client was happy and had a positive outlook, and that the students had some cool new shirts to wear for their tournament.

"I want some Christmas cards..."

"I want some Christmas cards..." he says.

You do know Christmas is only 8 days away, right? - is the first thought that goes through my head.  "Not a problem," I say.  And it really isn't.  But of course, like all else, more time equals better outcome (for the most part).  But since I know this individual personally, this project takes top priority.

"Do you know what you're looking for?" I ask.

I am given two photos to work with.  One with 7 people, and one with the last person that did not make it into the previous photo (shown below).

"See what you can do with it..." he says.

That is the best line any customer can say.  It means they have no real expectation of the outcome, but most importantly that you (the designer) are now in control.

Now, for the person who's not OCD about photos and presentation (with the exception of the missing person), this photo is not too bad to add to a pre-made template, add a caption, and bam!  Instant Christmas cards ready to mail out.  To the person that is OCD, like myself, this is just not enough.

Lets break it down.  1.) Extra person must be added to the group  2.) Group is a bit spread apart for such a small canvas, such as a 5 x 7" card  3.) Background is not the greatest.  This is at no fault of the photographer, but very important items have been covered by the subjects, such as the US flag, Brazilian flag, and logo.

So after a bit of color correction, cropping, and graphical magic, the card below is presented before the end of the day so my customer can happily order his prints online.

WIP - Vehicle Wrap

First off, "WIP" means Work In Progress.

I recently received a request for a vehicle wrap design for Just in Time Cleaning Service based out of Georgia.  Previous to this request, we have designed an entirely new marketing package for this booming business.  Everything from business cards to trifolds to letterheads and websites.  We have given this company a brand new look and more professional identity.  From here on, they can only go bigger and better.  So what better than wrapping a Honda Pilot and converting it to a moving billboard!

In the next few days, you will be taken through the steps of the process and transformation.

[Disclaimer:] This is not a tutorial on how the process should be done.  There are countless approaches and options to take.

The first few steps were 1) to acquire a vehicle template since the printer did not have the specific vehicle to provide and 2) find all photos that will be used for the design.  The template will be used for several reasons including not having the vehicle to physically measure for dimensions and working areas, and to eliminate any "guessing" such as where the mirrors, door handles, etc are located.  We purchased a template found at Art Station Vehicle Templates.  Their templates are excellent and they respond to all questions and emails very quickly.  The main photo that will be used in the design (shown below) was purchased on iStock Photo.

Our client wanted very few changes to the photo, but we made the suggestion of changing a few more things that would incorporate the color scheme chosen for the company.

The most obvious is the change of color of her clothes.  The blue and gray now match the rest of the color scheme for Just in Time Cleaning Service.  The woman's skin has been toned down a bit on shininess, her eyebrows have been trimmed, and her eyelids have been given just a bit of color (nothing too over-the-top, of course).

In the next few posts, we'll continue the process and show more behind the scenes...