N.C. Winters is always drawing. When he isn't making comics, doodling or working as a freelance graphic artist, he spends his time painting pretty pictures for galleries from his home studio in sunny southern California.
Dude, this happen 100% of the time here in Brazil. The owners prefer save money to invest in new printers instead of good employs that know what they are doing. I work my ass off to some guy just screw it up in 5 minutes. I hate then
I find myself explaining this at least once a week. No fun at all. Especially when the person is in this industry and should know this basic stuff already!
You must have read my mind! Just had a conversation like that with a printer last Friday. Can’t believe people working hands-on in this industry still don’t now different file formats and what the differences are.
Luckily, I’ve stopped dealing with graphics and now I don’t have to worry about explaining the difference between file formats, or why I can’t just make their 100px logo 600px big…..
As someone who works at a print shop, I get this alot from our clients. I even get it from some “graphic designers”. You also have no idea how often people forget to bleed their work.
As I read this I recall my first graphics job with a printer 10 years ago. I was a little more than half way through college, focus on animation, and had only taken fundamental classes on Photoshop and FreeHand (it’s cool working for a printer without ever having used layout software before). I don’t think the vector issue ever came up but I was so lost the majority of the time that it’s hard to say. The owner wasn’t exactly cheap so much as just willing to give me a chance.
I do see a lot of job listings with ridiculously low pay though so it’s not hard to imagine a lot of people working in this field who don’t know a lot of the basics whether they be college students or self taught (golly I LOVE Photoshop!). I recall an agency that a previous employer of mine used which frequently sent us logos made in Photoshop. Asking for an Illustrator file would reward me with getting an Ai file with the pixel image pasted inside. Thanks a bunch! heh
Haha, this is unfortunately very true. It’s why I prefer working with online printers, rather than going into one. From my experience, this seems to be a common trait amongst many different industries, not only printers.
I don’t mind explaining things like this to clients, but when I’m explaining it to someone who SHOULD be explaining it to me, it’s a headache.
That happens a lot! It wasn’t with a printing place, but someone thought that if you change the file extension from jpg or png to eps or brought it to Ai that it would be a vector!
Nice… I have experience with guy who had to do design for my bussines cards and actually I had to explain him how to make a format for print. By the way I’m PHP developer, not a designer anyway…
That made me remember when I wanted to print some business cards.
It was a one sided card, only black ink, and standard paper for business cards. The pdf was a vector file, set to black ink, and somehow they managed to ruin a simple job, by printing the cards in 4 colours, mixing textured paper with plain paper, and with a noticeable low resolution.
Wow, it’s like my first freelance job all over again. XD My client wanted me to give him his finished logo only in jpeg. I asked if he was absolutely sure he didn’t also want the eps but he had no idea what I was talking about. In the end I gave him a high-resolution jpeg…which he told me to lower because the file was too big for his computer to open.
LOL, this is funny – although never met a press tech who wasn’t a total file extension aficionados. Although most of the print work I did back in the day was with big presses, so I guess those guys have to know their shit.
I do remember doing student work at the local copy house and dealing with guys like this though.
I wish this weren’t so horribly true. =D This has happened every time I have ever ordered something printed in-person. PDF or nothing. I get instructed to come back for the manager.
This is why I haven’t got business cards right now. Well… that’s the story anyhow
Story of my life. Try this same situation but with me speaking English and them speaking Vietnamese. No joke! Most of the photocopy shops here just have a computer a printer and one copier. Maybe some scissors.
On the other side of things, when I was applying for jobs when I first moved here, EVERYONE insisted on MS Word formatted resume’s/CV’s — I use complex tables and formatting in my MS Word (2007) resume and there’s no way that it gets through nicely (especially since most of the country has pirated versions of MS Word 2003 so they can’t update to 2007).
I don’t really get it, what the joke is about this. The sad thing is, people think this is funny, but this is exactly how it should be. EPS file format is absolutely obsolete – PDF is the way to go.
Dude, this happen 100% of the time here in Brazil. The owners prefer save money to invest in new printers instead of good employs that know what they are doing. I work my ass off to some guy just screw it up in 5 minutes. I hate then
*them
Please tell me that this is not a true story.
Nice!
I find myself explaining this at least once a week. No fun at all. Especially when the person is in this industry and should know this basic stuff already!
Keep the great comics coming!
That’s happened to me so many times I’ve given up explaining, usually it’s clients though.
You must have read my mind! Just had a conversation like that with a printer last Friday. Can’t believe people working hands-on in this industry still don’t now different file formats and what the differences are.
Another classic observation.
Great comic
Man I have had people not even take PDF’s before. They wanted a super high res Jpeg. frustrating to no end.
haha nice, I’m glad I mainly deal with interactive work.
Luckily, I’ve stopped dealing with graphics and now I don’t have to worry about explaining the difference between file formats, or why I can’t just make their 100px logo 600px big…..
This happens to me. Kind of the same but different
I receive a low res PS file that is visibly pixelated.
I write back I need a hi res file that is at least 300dpi.
Guess what I get back – yep, the same low res file forced up to 300dpi!
Great!
Instead of a low res unusable file I have a hi res unusable file.
I enjoy your toons very much!
“What if I save the JPEG as an EPS? Will that vectorize the file?”
That’s almost exactly like saying “can I put an omelette in a blender and make fresh eggs out of it again?
Unfortunately, you almost have to think like a software engineer in order for some technologies to make “sense.”
As someone who works at a print shop, I get this alot from our clients. I even get it from some “graphic designers”. You also have no idea how often people forget to bleed their work.
Beautifully done and, unfortunately, so very true.
As I read this I recall my first graphics job with a printer 10 years ago. I was a little more than half way through college, focus on animation, and had only taken fundamental classes on Photoshop and FreeHand (it’s cool working for a printer without ever having used layout software before). I don’t think the vector issue ever came up but I was so lost the majority of the time that it’s hard to say. The owner wasn’t exactly cheap so much as just willing to give me a chance.
I do see a lot of job listings with ridiculously low pay though so it’s not hard to imagine a lot of people working in this field who don’t know a lot of the basics whether they be college students or self taught (golly I LOVE Photoshop!). I recall an agency that a previous employer of mine used which frequently sent us logos made in Photoshop. Asking for an Illustrator file would reward me with getting an Ai file with the pixel image pasted inside. Thanks a bunch! heh
Wow. I’ve never dealt with a print shop. Does this actually happen?
Haha, this is unfortunately very true. It’s why I prefer working with online printers, rather than going into one. From my experience, this seems to be a common trait amongst many different industries, not only printers.
I don’t mind explaining things like this to clients, but when I’m explaining it to someone who SHOULD be explaining it to me, it’s a headache.
That happens a lot! It wasn’t with a printing place, but someone thought that if you change the file extension from jpg or png to eps or brought it to Ai that it would be a vector!
” hey man, all i know is : PDF ” this is a great punch line…
This is unbelievably common. So sad, but true.
Nice… I have experience with guy who had to do design for my bussines cards and actually I had to explain him how to make a format for print. By the way I’m PHP developer, not a designer anyway…
That made me remember when I wanted to print some business cards.
It was a one sided card, only black ink, and standard paper for business cards.
The pdf was a vector file, set to black ink, and somehow they managed to ruin a simple job, by printing the cards in 4 colours, mixing textured paper with plain paper, and with a noticeable low resolution.
Wow, it’s like my first freelance job all over again. XD My client wanted me to give him his finished logo only in jpeg. I asked if he was absolutely sure he didn’t also want the eps but he had no idea what I was talking about. In the end I gave him a high-resolution jpeg…which he told me to lower because the file was too big for his computer to open.
By the way, he was in the printing business.
LOL, this is funny – although never met a press tech who wasn’t a total file extension aficionados. Although most of the print work I did back in the day was with big presses, so I guess those guys have to know their shit.
I do remember doing student work at the local copy house and dealing with guys like this though.
PDF ?!
Lucky of you!
Usually what I heard is: “all i know is COREL”
.br sux
Before! I think this story happen in my local town only, they must call for AI file.
: )
seems to be a universal problem !
Classic!
“vectorize” is my new favorite verb
I wish this weren’t so horribly true. =D This has happened every time I have ever ordered something printed in-person. PDF or nothing. I get instructed to come back for the manager.
This is why I haven’t got business cards right now. Well… that’s the story anyhow
“Sorry about the mixup with the .eps you sent us, we’re not sure where it went. My manager has asked that you send us a .AL file, is that possible?”
I kid you not
Story of my life. Try this same situation but with me speaking English and them speaking Vietnamese. No joke! Most of the photocopy shops here just have a computer a printer and one copier. Maybe some scissors.
On the other side of things, when I was applying for jobs when I first moved here, EVERYONE insisted on MS Word formatted resume’s/CV’s — I use complex tables and formatting in my MS Word (2007) resume and there’s no way that it gets through nicely (especially since most of the country has pirated versions of MS Word 2003 so they can’t update to 2007).
Oh, Vietnam…
I don’t really get it, what the joke is about this. The sad thing is, people think this is funny, but this is exactly how it should be. EPS file format is absolutely obsolete – PDF is the way to go.
…are you a freelancer?
PDF’s are not vectorized.
EPS is in no way obsolete.
This is funny even if you’re not a freelancer or even in the design industry for that matter.
We’ve all encountered a situation where we meet a so-called expert at whatever they do but wind up saying no to the things that we know could be done.
Great stuff, N.C.