Overview

Everywhere we look, we can see the handiwork of graphic designers. They have a hand in almost every form of visual communication we have, including signs, logos, printed publications, billboards, web sites, t-shirts, and even album art. If you are visually creative and have a good eye for space, and if you’re looking for a career that puts you in high demand, look no further than graphic design.

A career in graphic design can land you a wide range of positions. You might find work in the graphics department of a corporation designing their advertising, or you might design layouts for a local printer. You could specialize in creating logos for new companies, or perhaps become an illustrator for children’s books. If you enjoy the technological side of graphic design, you might work in web design or multimedia. If you’re particularly ambitious, you might even go into business for yourself and do a combination of any or all of these things. These options, and many more besides, are available to you as a graphic designer. Whatever path you choose, you’re on your way to an exciting career.

Also called a Senior Graphic Artist, this individual creates visual solutions to communication problems. Using a knowledge of type, art, composition, illustration, photography, and all of the visual arts, Graphic Designers also use computers to put together visuals for advertising, packaging, promotions, layout of newspapers and magazines, branding, just about everything that uses graphic arts. The Senior Specialist, in a book or magazine publishing house or a design firm, would be like an advertising Creative Director. This person would oversee other graphic artists and help plan larger projects.
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Also known as graphic artists, graphic design specialists create visual solutions to communication problems, meaning they are particularly adept at telling stories or communicating messages using graphic elements. When words are part of the message, they use skills with type fonts to augment the power of the words.

Graphic artists have an understanding of all the visual arts and apply them as needed to advertising, newspapers and magazines, Internet pages, and virtually anything that can be a visual communication. They employ type, illustration, composition, photography and other visual arts into one graphic design. Most graphic designers work on computers, using graphic design software to help them create works faster.
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The print production manager is the print equivalent of the commercial producer.

This position entails both business aspects of choosing the right vendors – printers, artists, graphic designers, photographers, and other print production people – as well as understanding the finer aspects of printing.

The print production manager (PPM) works with the art director and the creative director to understand exactly what they need in the proper completion of print ads, collateral, or anything that needs to be printed. The PPM then works with the vendors to negotiate the best price, and often to negotiate a faster schedule than the vendor would want. The PPM handles many such tasks in various stages of completion and must stay on top of them all because each stage depends on the timely completion of the previous stage.
Average Salary: $77,000
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If one desires to get into the film production or the commercial production business (or sometimes television production), the Production Assistant (PA) is a good entry position.

As the title implies PA’s do any and all jobs to help the production along. So, a great attitude is essential, as PA’s may often suffer the misdirected verbal abuse of directors and producers who are under a great deal of pressure. Filming is extremely expensive, so every minute is valuable. So, the PA’s must cheerfully be go-fers, chauffeurs, etc. In all those odd jobs, though, the PA’s can pick up a lot, and gather a great practical understanding of the production business. Read More...

Many people are interesting in becoming 3D animators. Cartoons and animated movies and television shows have done so well that they have inspired a generation to come up with ways to enhance 3D animation and turn it into a booming industry. Movies like Alice in Wonderland, Avatar, Wall-E, and others have amazing graphics. So much so that people now go to see movies for the graphics.

In order to become an animator and work on one of these movies, you must attend 3D animation schools. Animation schools will teach you all of the tools you need to be successful in this industry. Read More...