🚀 go-pugleaf

For me I guess it's the perception thing I'm always trying to fight, and inspires me. I work for a small printing firm as the sole graphic designer, prepress personnel, web designer, and unfortunately as we are currently under staffed and fighting back from slow business after Katrina, front counter help. I also look about ten years younger than I am, which doesn't help. I have a BFA from SCAD, I worked for a huge subsidiary of HM after college. I've been doing graphic design for eight-nine years now, which is not LONG time, but a good chunk. Unfortunately we still get the perception from some of our clients that we're JUST printers, and when they need a new brochure yadda-yadda designed they need to go to a giant graphics design firm. I worked in the giant "corporate" environment and it made me miserable. I like small, I like complete control. I also like a regular paycheck and cannot ever envision being able to feel comfortable with freelance. Still I get the "well if you were any good you wouldn't be working HERE" attitude. So, when I get the opportunity to win some business, I kind of go all out. So far, through rush jobs we've snagged, we've won some major design business over the past few years. On big new orders, that we're trying to get more business from, I often spend more time designing than was billed. But I understand we also have to benefit of making up for that in the printing/finishing price that some do not. So far, any company of designed something for, has had us design future items they've needed printed, which is good. The challenge for me is getting them to give me the work in the first place. "What? You're the graphic designer? But you just ran my copies..." Ah well.