I started designing my junior year of high school and was only introduced to print material at the time. The pain of matching of colors, printing costs, margins, sizing, and everything that printing entails was never a big deal because I had nothing to compare it to. Five years of naivety finally ended when I was introduced to the wonderful world of web design. Sure, designing web pages has its downfalls, but the headache is cut in half when comparing it to print.
I love designing logos, business cards, brochures, etc, but I always dread the end when I have to remember the laundry list of steps to prepare the files for print. Creating outlines, correct file formats, matching margins, fixing spelling errors, the list goes on. Then, probably the most nerve-racking part of it all is looking at the finished product. If there is one spelling error, the entire job is ruined and now the trouble shooting begins. I love creating a good piece of print work, but sometimes I wonder if it’s worth the struggle. Jeff Jarvis from Buzz Machine Blog gives a piece of his mind:
“Yes, print is a burden. It’s expensive to produce for it. It’s expensive to manufacture. It’s expensive to deliver. It limits your space. It limits your timing. It’s stale when it’s fresh. It is one-size-fits-all and can’t be adapted to the needs of each user. It comes with no ability to click for more. It has no search. It can’t be forwarded. It has no archive. It kills trees. It uses energy. It usually brings unions. And you really should recycle it. Wow, when you think about it, print sucks.”
I wouldn’t say that I hate print, but I have a strong disdain for it and I only hope it will get easier in the future.