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What should Graphic Designers get for Christmas
- Thread starter FatDaddy 64.5
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Paper, pens and other stuff to learn to do work by hand - learn the basics away from a pc/mac and you will be better when you get on the pc (my view of course) 
If you must have something electronic - a graphics tablet is a good place to start, along with maybe a new pc/mac.
If you must have something electronic - a graphics tablet is a good place to start, along with maybe a new pc/mac.
well I'm still hoping some one gets me this shirt from veer
Holy wow! That's expensive, but has to be one of the coolest jackets I've ever seen. I love it!
Never go wrong with Pantone Books! I love my Pantone Coated, Uncoated, but Wouldn't mind some Process Books!
Pantone books are good as well as Font books. A lot of them you can get for free just by asking but I find its easier to flip through a book of fonts to see how they are printed rather than viewing them in a preview menu. Depending on what kind of graphic design maybe a tablet. Calibrator. Ooo I like the suggestion for istockphoto credits.
I would say dont get all equipped on technology, buy your self a nice journal and nice pen/pencil or crayon that you really like. Always carry it with you. Thats the best gift you can get. Also build your library, start early because those books help when your into your career and need that stimulation.
Well, personally I would love to get this baby:
http://www.wacom.eu/index2.asp?lang=en&pid=96
But I'm pretty sure I wasn't good enough this year!
I don't know what your budget is, but I'll say you can't go wrong with a wacom tablet too. I have the A5 widescreen version, which offers the best price/performance of them imo. They are really productive and fun to work with once you get used to it.
http://www.wacom.eu/index2.asp?lang=en&pid=96
But I'm pretty sure I wasn't good enough this year!
I don't know what your budget is, but I'll say you can't go wrong with a wacom tablet too. I have the A5 widescreen version, which offers the best price/performance of them imo. They are really productive and fun to work with once you get used to it.
I assume by your question that you're an aspiring young designer maybe in school yet?
Membership in local "user-groups" for Photoshop, InDesign, etc or design guild (if there is one in your area). Make the time to go to meetings and get involved, make connections that might pay-off one day. Design and print your own business cards to hand-out at these meetings from places like OvernightPrints. Join NAPP or get a subscription to Communication Arts or other top design publications. Books are okay, but I'd rather get hands-on, so maybe set aside the money for training seminars or special classes put on by design industry gurus.
As far as stuff goes, calibrator is a great idea, a decent scanner is handy, tablet or high-resolution mouse.
Another thing would be investing in a portfolio, but not a traditional one. Design a booklet-style port that you have printed up through Apple iPhoto or Shutterfly (there are many services you can do this at today). It's nice to be able to hand one of these to a contact face-to-face rather than hoping they'll look at your website or PDF later. Yes, you can save-out a PDF version of it too, but I find looking at a printed port shows that person understands investing in themselves is a sign of a quality designer and worker.
Otherwise, you can't go wrong with fine chocolates!
Membership in local "user-groups" for Photoshop, InDesign, etc or design guild (if there is one in your area). Make the time to go to meetings and get involved, make connections that might pay-off one day. Design and print your own business cards to hand-out at these meetings from places like OvernightPrints. Join NAPP or get a subscription to Communication Arts or other top design publications. Books are okay, but I'd rather get hands-on, so maybe set aside the money for training seminars or special classes put on by design industry gurus.
As far as stuff goes, calibrator is a great idea, a decent scanner is handy, tablet or high-resolution mouse.
Another thing would be investing in a portfolio, but not a traditional one. Design a booklet-style port that you have printed up through Apple iPhoto or Shutterfly (there are many services you can do this at today). It's nice to be able to hand one of these to a contact face-to-face rather than hoping they'll look at your website or PDF later. Yes, you can save-out a PDF version of it too, but I find looking at a printed port shows that person understands investing in themselves is a sign of a quality designer and worker.
Otherwise, you can't go wrong with fine chocolates!
well I'm still hoping some one gets me this shirt from veer
That is gold, I know what I want for xmas
This Book:
I just posted this in another thread.. a book I recommend to all you designers out there.
How To Be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul
http://www.amazon.com/Graphic-Designer-Without-Losing-Your/dp/1568985592
I just posted this in another thread.. a book I recommend to all you designers out there.
How To Be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul
http://www.amazon.com/Graphic-Designer-Without-Losing-Your/dp/1568985592
And how many exactly do you know without who are absolutely blinding?
When it comes to graphics design, I don't think that a degree is required. You can read a couple of books here and there about theory and how to use a certain program but graphics design is something that you are either born with or you will suck no matter to how many schools you'll go to. Of course a degree will help a talented person but it's not a necessity. Graphics design is not a rocket science or becoming a doctor where you really need to know your stuff about theory and practice. With graphics design you learn the most just by experimenting on your own.
I cannot disagree with this statement more strongly... speaking as someone who got their degree and has been in the industry for over 20 years. Experimenting on your own teaches you nothing about design.
Ditto...and I am still in school.
All experimenting teaches you is what you like. What you like could be and is most likely absolutely wrong. I am just now working on a project where I need to do ~50 compositions using the text form a movie poster. The only reason why my professor assigned the project is to allow the students to make mistakes so he can point them out and tell us why what we did is not the best and what we could have done different to make a better design.
One thing that I do think experimentation can help with is learning a program and figuring out how to get the most out of it for what you need it for. But the principles of design must still be taught to you, not found by you.
You're one of these home users with a copy of photoshop aren't you who think they know a bit about design after reading a few books. It doesn't work that way, its a great way to start out but it does not make you a designer and it definitely does not teach you the finer details that you don't get in the books, the hands on experience of a teacher is far more beneficial than any book I've ever read.