Although web design is everywhere nowadays, print design is still a huge part of the design industry and pops up everywhere we look. We read posters, magazines, business cards, newspapers — the list just keeps on going! But what do you need to know if you want to become a print designer? Let’s find out.
A Print Designer can work for an advertising or graphic design firm, or they work on a freelance basis. Successful and engaging Print Design is imperative to any company, because of its use in marketing and advertising.
Here is a learning pathway that I would like to suggest to anyone who is new to the print or graphic design industry and needs to understand what the prerequisites are so they can get that first client project or a permanent position in this dynamic and creative field.
Getting started
Needless to say, you have to start somewhere, and here is a selection of courses that will teach you the fundamentals.
Fundamentals of Print Design
Time to take your designs from the screen to the printed page? In Fundamentals of Print Design, Nicki Hart is here to help you understand how to craft an effective design for the page.
InDesign Fundamentals
Jump into the world of print design by learning the leading publishing software, Adobe InDesign. Cheryl Graham does a masterful job of explaining the ins and outs of this great publishing program.
Intro to Print Ad Design
Advertisements don’t really have a second chance to make a first impression. They should be well thought out and catchy enough to influence the viewer’s opinion. So designing print ads is more challenging than some may think since there is no direct communication with the target audience. In this course, Nicki Hart with guide you through the process of designing effective print ads by designing an event ad, product ad and a service ad.
Beyond the Basics
Now that you’ve come to grips with the fundamentals of print and logo design, it’s time to move on to more topics that take you beyond the basics!
Print Marketing Design
Print media is a great way to get the word out and market for your client or for yourself. In this course, Nicki Hart will cover the basics to get you started thinking about design, completing a project and prepping it through the printing process.
Book Layout in InDesign
With the rise of self publishing, book layout and design has become an in-demand skill. Get started with publishing layouts!
Typography Projects in InDesign
Typography is a fine art in any field, but in print design it’s down right vital. Join Cheryl Graham as she walks you through managing and mastering your text in InDesign. In addition to the basics, Cheryl will demonstrate a variety of print projects, from multi-page manuals to magazine pages.
Advanced Training
It’s time to tackle the more advanced level techniques and really delve deeper into some of the software applications we need to master.
Advanced Print Design
Now that you know the fundamentals, gear up to master InDesign for advanced projects and pre-press wizardry.
Mastering Gradient Mesh in Illustrator
From photo-realistic 3D to subtle shapes and shades of color, you can achieve some stunning effects with the gradient mesh tool. If you’re comfortable with Illustrator and ready to jump into advanced illustration techniques, this is the course for you.
Stay Inspired
According to one survey of graphic designers, print work is definitely still there and still a top wage-earner for lots of people, so this should help you to stay inspired while you learn!
notebook 