Data shows Canadian middle class shrinking in big cities

[Angry White Male]

Sorry, I meant my occupation as a graphic designer in the Seattle area lol. Yeah print jobs are dwindling fast.

Here's one example:  I had my business cards printed through Vistaprint.  It was easy for me to design my own card, and cheap for them to make them and mail them to me.



Historically, people would have went to a brick & mortar print shop to get things like that made, but not anymore...

[Anonymous]

That's how my husband's shop makes their business cards, but I think they use Staples.

[Blazor]

How did you become a graphic designer Blazor?



Is there a professional certification?

Well, I was delivering pizzas, when a couple started working there part time. That couple owned an ad agency. They thought I was smart, smart on computers, and that I would take to that line of work "like a duck to water" lol. So they offered me a job there, put me on websites, and had me take training courses online. At the time I think I went through roughly 100 hours of training, just to learn the software. The agency taught me design. I dont have any certifications though. After doing the website work for a lil bit, they had me do print related stuff too. The art director would do the front end, and I would do the rest. They even had me doing photography and video work too. Had me go do press checks. I worked there for 4 years.



Then along came Obama, the housing crisis happened, and most of our clients at the agency were housing related. So there went a LOT of our work, like 85-90%. I got laid off.



I tried to find work for 8 months, could not find anything, and believe me I tried hard. While laid off, the salesman that worked at the agency, knew I did most of the work. He had one client of his own, in the parts industry for trains. So he helped me get set up at home with my own software, which btw aint cheap, like almost $2000 for the software suite. I made roughly $3000 a year with him, up until last year, when the company we did the work for got bought out by another company. They had their own design team, so we got let go.



After that 8 months of lay off, besides his work, a company 50 miles from home seen my application online, seen that one of my references was an ex employee of theirs, so they hired me. I've been here 8 years now.

[Blazor]

Sorry, I meant my occupation as a graphic designer in the Seattle area lol. Yeah print jobs are dwindling fast.

Here's one example:  I had my business cards printed through Vistaprint.  It was easy for me to design my own card, and cheap for them to make them and mail them to me.



Historically, people would have went to a brick & mortar print shop to get things like that made, but not anymore...

Thats EXACTLY what is killing local print shops, the big box places like Vistaprint. We went digital nearly 5 years ago, but it was already too late. The way Vista gets by with it so cheap, is they also have a web press. They gang up multiple peoples orders, and let it roll. Quality control through places like that sucks though, I've seen their work. Reds come out orange sometimes, stuff is crooked, etc. They also hook you with a cheap price up front, but the shipping gets expensive, and the first purchase price is just a one time thing, next orders are a lil higher. Sadly, when this place goes down, any future prints I need will have to go through Vista or Staples as well.



Places like Vista are like Walmart, they are killing the quality mom and pop shops, and giving you cheap products.

[Anonymous]

Sorry, I meant my occupation as a graphic designer in the Seattle area lol. Yeah print jobs are dwindling fast.

Here's one example:  I had my business cards printed through Vistaprint.  It was easy for me to design my own card, and cheap for them to make them and mail them to me.



Historically, people would have went to a brick & mortar print shop to get things like that made, but not anymore...

Thats EXACTLY what is killing local print shops, the big box places like Vistaprint. We went digital nearly 5 years ago, but it was already too late. The way Vista gets by with it so cheap, is they also have a web press. They gang up multiple peoples orders, and let it roll. Quality control through places like that sucks though, I've seen their work. Reds come out orange sometimes, stuff is crooked, etc. They also hook you with a cheap price up front, but the shipping gets expensive, and the first purchase price is just a one time thing, next orders are a lil higher. Sadly, when this place goes down, any future prints I need will have to go through Vista or Staples as well.



Places like Vista are like Walmart, they are killing the quality mom and pop shops, and giving you cheap products.

That's why I said printing is becoming extinct.

[Blazor]

That's why I said printing is becoming extinct.

For the mom and pop shops it is.



Though I remember reading an article 8 years ago, that printing would be extinct in 10 years. So far its pretty close. I doubt actual printing will ever become fully extinct.



Those web presses, I dont like 'em much. The quality on an offset press is so much better. Ever pick up a new magazine, and try and flip through it, only to find the pages stuck together with static? Thats from a web press.

[Angry White Male]

I'll be honest though...  My Vistaprint cards came to me as expected, with no flaws.



I'll relay another story to you.  I had my company name hand painted on the doors of my truck.  He used what they called 'one shot' paint, and it was applied by hand via brush.



I paid well over double than what I would have paid to have some vinyl pre-cuts slapped on there.  From a business perspective, I was dumb to spend extra having a guy paint on 'one shot' with a brush.



Nobody does this anymore.  I have people run their fingers over the lettering though, that aren't familiar with the 'school of old.'  It has a depth that vinyl will never have.



Nonetheless, hand painting?  It's not dying, it's dead.  And that's straight from the guy that did my doors!

[Anonymous]

That's why I said printing is becoming extinct.

For the mom and pop shops it is.



Though I remember reading an article 8 years ago, that printing would be extinct in 10 years. So far its pretty close. I doubt actual printing will ever become fully extinct.



Those web presses, I dont like 'em much. The quality on an offset press is so much better. Ever pick up a new magazine, and try and flip through it, only to find the pages stuck together with static? Thats from a web press.

I know what you mean Blazor, but I didn't know what caused it.

[Blazor]

I know what you mean Blazor, but I didn't know what caused it.

Offset printing is single sheets. A powder gets used so they dont stick. Then it goes to bindery. A web press, the paper comes on a big roll, and its all assembled on the same press.

[Blazor]

I'll be honest though...  My Vistaprint cards came to me as expected, with no flaws.



I'll relay another story to you.  I had my company name hand painted on the doors of my truck.  He used what they called 'one shot' paint, and it was applied by hand via brush.



I paid well over double than what I would have paid to have some vinyl pre-cuts slapped on there.  From a business perspective, I was dumb to spend extra having a guy paint on 'one shot' with a brush.



Nobody does this anymore.  I have people run their fingers over the lettering though, that aren't familiar with the 'school of old.'  It has a depth that vinyl will never have.



Nonetheless, hand painting?  It's not dying, it's dead.  And that's straight from the guy that did my doors!

I know what you mean, I miss the old lead type printing. Something about feeling the lettering on the paper vs a smooth sheet where you cant.