Why did you choose Graphic Communication as your life’s interest?
I liked drawing as a kid and creativity runs in my family I guess. When I was in High School, some students from our county career center came and explained to us what Graphic Communications was all about. I instantly knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life!
How many years experience do you have in Graphic Communications?
I have over 12 Years experience in the printing industry. I enrolled at the local Career Center my Junior year of High School, where I learned the basic fundamentals of the printing processes. I learned layout & design, stripping, dark-room procedures, plate-making, how to run a small printing press, and stuff like that. This helped me immensely when I went off to college!
Before going off to college though, I was hired as a pressman at a small print shop. While there I continued my experience of running a small press, making plates (although they went straight from camera-ready art to plate, which was a big technological step back then), binding, collating, and packaging.
I later went onto college to learn more of the design aspects of the printing business. In college, I learned a lot about the various design software used in the industry. I learned the concepts of screen-printing, which I had not learned while at the career center. I soon began to get into digital multimedia and web design.
Then one day I received a call from my instructor from the career center, who said that he had a really good job for me, if I was interested. This job would be for one of the leading suppliers of custom printed latex and foil balloons (now custom-printed ad specialties as well). I went to the interview and was offered a position in their art department. I had been working there for over eight years and was really enjoying it... UNTIL... I was informed that the owner had decided to sell a large portion of the company to one of our competitors. Long-story-short, I was laid off and found myself unemployed for the first time in my adult life.
I was recently hired for a supplier of custom printed T-Shirts & Sign Printing comapny. I am so blessed to have landed this job, when there are so many who are still out of work.
What is your favorite graphic design software?
My favorite vector imaging program is Adobe® Illustrator, and my favorite raster editing program is of course Adobe® Photohop.
Who has influenced you most, when it comes to the printing industry?
I would have to say my instructor at the career center. He taught me the foundation of printing. He stressed the importance of understanding the “old” ways of doing things, as well as the “new” ways of doing things.
Have a question for Josh? Feel free to post any questions you may have in the contact form.
