Graphic Designers

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Anyone a graphic designer here?

How's Adobe InDesign? Learning curve on it?

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

also, its $700 fucking dollars. are there cheaper solutions (that are legal) for putting together books/magazines/etc?

 

[Minstrel]

also, its $700 fucking dollars. are there cheaper solutions (that are legal) for putting together books/magazines/etc?

GIMP is a pretty well-regarded free Photoshop-like program:

http://www.gimp.org/

It was originally intended for UNIX/LINUX, but I believe there's a Windows XP installation now.

 

[mook]

I use InDesign CS3. It came in a package that included Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash and Dreamweaver. Around $700, as I recall, because it was an upgrade. (I had an old version of QuarkXpress, and that made it qualify for the upgrade.) Maybe if you find one of these older programs on Ebay you can use it to get a deal on an upgrade?

InDesign is the absolute shit, man. Fucking fantastic. I don't know about alternatives because I've been using it for about 3 years. My design work is soooo much better since I got it--it's just so much easier to make something good. (I used to use Quark and Freehand.)

As far as learning curve goes, IDK. I've been using desktop publishing apps for 15 years. It seemed really obvious for me to learn, but you might disagree.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

can I upgrade from MS Publisher.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

It looks pretty cool...wish I was better at that stuff...problem with hiring graphic designers is they take for-fucking-ever to get anything done and sometimes you just want something done quickly.

 

[mook]

GIMP is a pretty well-regarded free Photoshop-like program:

http://www.gimp.org/

It was originally intended for UNIX/LINUX, but I believe there's a Windows XP installation now.

Yeah, he's not really looking for a photo editor though.

You know, it may sound weird for a designer to say this, but have you tried doing it in Word 2007? I do some design work in Word (because it's much easier to collaborate with if you have a bunch of salespeople). Strictly small production stuff, though.

If you want to be a pro you probably have to get InDesign.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

I'm putting together a graphic intensive book/ebook. 80-90 images, Word gets a bit iffy with that, I've used Powerpoint in the past too which has been ok as well.....

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

basically its a pitch book for publishers for a photography/artwork book.....we'll see how this goes.

 

[mook]

It looks pretty cool...wish I was better at that stuff...problem with hiring graphic designers is they take for-fucking-ever to get anything done and sometimes you just want something done quickly.

I hear you. Try setting deadlines and holding them accountable to them. If they miss the deadline, they lose the work.

If it's an internal employee, call them repeatedly. Every day. Nag nag nag. Make it unpleasant for them to leave your job on the bottom of the pile.

 

[Minstrel]

Yeah, he's not really looking for a photo editor though.

That's true, I misread...for some reason, I thought he was looking for a Photoshop-like product. That said, I've done tons of graphic design work with Photoshop, almost none of it based around photographs.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

I hear you. Try setting deadlines and holding them accountable to them. If they miss the deadline, they lose the work.

If it's an internal employee, call them repeatedly. Every day. Nag nag nag. Make it unpleasant for them to leave your job on the bottom of the pile.

Its a problem with creative work. I was put in charge of writing up a website, but I slacked on it until eventually I just hired a writer to do it for me, but now he's slacking on it.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

I do need to get myself photoshop elements though.

 

[mook]

That's true, I misread...for some reason, I thought he was looking for a Photoshop-like product. That said, I've done tons of graphic design work with Photoshop, almost none of it based around photographs.

Me too. I much prefer using it to Illustrator. I made this in photoshop:

http://s3.amazonaws.com/wootdesigncontestentries/191396/a1c3ef44-9326-4ce4-ba05-68745260147e.jpg

Took about two hours from concept to finished product.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

might check out that GIMP shit. I have illustrator trial installed on another machine. We have a graphic designer who comes in once a week to work on stuff...but again, when they start getting too philosophical about design and crap, and I want it fast, it gets annoying.

 

[mook]

Its a problem with creative work. I was put in charge of writing up a website, but I slacked on it until eventually I just hired a writer to do it for me, but now he's slacking on it.

lol. Creative work is all about deadlines. Set lots of them and plan on missing most. But if you don't set them, they can go on forever.

It's often only the crushing guilt of a project a month overdue that gets the ball rolling.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

lol. Creative work is all about deadlines. Set lots of them and plan on missing most. But if you don't set them, they can go on forever.

It's often only the crushing guilt of a project a month overdue that gets the ball rolling.

yup. I'm more of a last minute type of guy.