Rant
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- creative-0
I have gone absolutely nuts for a lot less. The problem is the tight deadlines that are imposed on jobs such as this... if you had another 3 weeks, all would be fine. It's a real shame but there's nothing more you can do but go and have a scotch.
- Spookytim0
Gramme, I would say that in my experience no, it didn't happen like this in the (relatively recent) past. The world of work is wound so tightly now that 'It will have to do" is the new benchmark for perfection.
My first job was in 1985. No Macs, all hand-made paste up artwork on boards with overlays. Typesetters set the type, finished artists prepared the boards that went to repro for tint laying and film setting, then to the plate makers, then to the printers, and always for wet proofs on things like brochures, never chromalins. Nothing could ever get through that wasn't 99.9% perfect. Of course, it took much much longer and the possibilities were more limited, but I for one would rather have that time and those restrictions again rather than having clients feeling everything is possible with digital work and no time is required to do it, and whatever comes out will have to do because there's ten other jobs needing to be pushed through the system just as frantically.
I soemtime wish I didn't know how it used to be but my dad was a printer too of the letterpress variety, so I knew print from day one really. Soon as I got told for the first time that I had to email a 5mb pdf directly to the printer and he would just run plates and print so my pdf had better be right or it would all be my fault, I decided me and design were finished.
- gramme0
*goes and has a very large, expensive scotch.
- gramme0
Spooky – what do you do for a living now, if you've hung up your typographer's tackle?
- gramme0
spooky – in all seriousness – I'm bookmarking you for the next time we need an illustrator who gives a rat's ass about excellence.
There is something seriously effed up about a corporate culture that honors deadlines before quality – even if it costs unreasonable amounts of money. I seriously think this helter-skelter pace has contributed in no small part to our current economic pickle.
- maximillion_0
im amazed at the amount of "winging it" that goes on in digital. there are so many ppl in the industry who waste so much time pretending that they know whats going on and dont, and they are the last to be seen when push comes to shove.
- gramme0
Of course deadlines are important, but if I was in power at our client's office, I would delay the launch date by at least another week. My point was that people sacrifice EVERYTHING on the altar of deadlines, even when the rush is their own fault. And that is simply bad business.