For the Graphic Designer, prepress means the procedure to prepare digital graphic design files for printers and vendors. These steps of preparation can include proofreading, revisions, checking size, fonts and color, and output of the file in correct format. Prepress at a printer can include making separations, platemaking, creating blue lines and color proofs. The steps stay basically the same on each job and when you do them professionally for several years you may notice signs of how they affect your life. Below are the top ten signs you may be a prepress pro:

1. Double spacing after periods in body copy REALLY bothers you.

2. While driving home after a long day using Illustrator – you imagine creating bezier curves with your car on the highway.

3. You get called nicknames like Genius, Design Darlin’, Design Dumplin’, Graphics Guru or Speedy Spice (from way back – Spice Girls).

4. You really wish you could do a “Command Z” on some actions in life.

5. You are fatigued explaining “Bleed” has nothing to do with losing precious bodily fluids.

6. Continuous tone is not about the car alarm that went on for hours in the neighborhood last night.

7. You feel nausea when you see the font Comic Sans or any True Type font or encounter a Microsoft Word file or Illustrator file used as desktop publishing software.

8. Dummy means an example of design work. You have a lot of other words for stupid people and dingbat is not one of them either.

9. Acid free paper is not about being completely bummed at a Rave.

10.Eating a meal is a major distraction. When you do get out to a restaurant and look at the menu, you recognize the fonts, typos and double spaces after periods instead of the food. Besides, fonts are considered a food group.

What signs have you noticed?

Last week we toured our new office space. Come November we’ll hopefully be making ourselves at home on the fourth floor of a building in Little Italy. A lot of renovations still need to be made. The ceiling will be extended up to make it look less law firm-ish. And many of the center walls will be torn down to create more shared space.

Just a few months away before we starting testing the endurance of the gelato machines at this fine establishment. The countdown begins.

When producing a radio spot, it’s not as easy as just writing a script, recording the spot and then trafficking it to the radio station. A lot of steps, that include everyone from the account team to the creative team to the client, are required prior to even talking to the studio that will be producing the spot.

Last week, we completed the production of a radio spot for our client in Mission Valley, Hazard Center. We have a specific process that we follow here in order to ensure the best quality work while being as efficient as possible. The steps we took to producing this spot are as follows:

Step 1 – Determine when you want your spots to run and on what stations. Based on your budget, this will determine if you can produce a :15 or :30 spot, how many spots you can run and if you have enough to negotiate a promotional tie-in.

Step 2 – The account team then writes a creative brief. This brief includes all necessary information on the client: who we are talking to, what we’re trying to convey in this spot, what station(s) we are running on and if there are any mandatories. Pretty much, it is the road map for the creative team to follow.

Step 3 – Obtain approval from the client on the creative brief. This is crucial. You must ensure the client is on the same page as your team prior to beginning any project.

Step 4 – The creative team, usually an art director/creative director and a copywriter, concept and write 2-3 scripts. If a sound effect or music is needed within the script, they will write a brief description of what it should sound like. For example: SFX: Louder growl

Step 5 – Internal review. The creative team reviews the scripts with the account team. This is the time for the account team to ensure all mandatories are met and the scripts follow the provided creative brief.

Step 6 – Client presentation. The account team reviews the creative brief with the client to bring them back up to speed on what we are trying to accomplish with the spot(s). The creative team then discusses the rationale behind each concept and reads the script to the client. Our senior copywriter, Rich Parubrub, does an excellent job impersonating the sound effects.

Step 7 - Client approval. This is when the client selects which script they would like to proceed with. This is also their opportunity to provide feedback on any revisions or additions they would like.

Step 8 - The account team discusses the spot, budget and timing with the recording studio that will be producing the spot.

Step 9 - The creative team reviews the approved script with the studio. This is where the type of talent they are envisioning and sound effects are discussed.

Step 10 - The studio has 2-3 days to compile their recommendations and send to the creative team to review. The creative team makes their selection based on these. If none of them work, they go back and compile second recommendations.

Step 11 - The studio then books the talent and sends them the script in advance for review.

Step 12 - Recording day. You always start with the voice recording. You want to get the talent’s part done first. Otherwise, you’ll have to pay them for the hour (which can range from around $150 – $500) that they are just sitting there while you pick out sound effects. You always need to make sure you have the client’s budget in mind. This is where the creative team gives direction to the talent on the type of voice, read and which words they want them to really pronounce when doing the read. The talent will do a couple reads of the entire script first to warm up.

Step 13 - Fine tuning. Once the voice talent is comfortable with the spot we begin recording in phases (usually line by line). The talent will read the line 3-4 times in a row, each time a little differently. We pick the one we like and move on to the next. We continue this process until the entire script has been read. We listen through the entire spot at least 15 times to make sure it all flows. Generally, you need to go back and have the talent re-do a few lines so the voice and speed is consistent throughout. I will say, I always thought you had to read the entire thing all the way through until you got it right. It’s amazing how technology allows you to cut and paste and have it sound like one fluid read.

Step 14 – Adding in sound effects. When needed, these are added in in between words or in the background, based on the creative team’s vision. Sound effects typically are the hardest part of producing a radio spot because you don’t want them to overpower the message you are trying to get together.

Step 15 – The studio puts the entire spot together and sends to the agency for review. It is crucial you have the spot nailed prior to leaving the studio. If you want changes after that, you have to pay for additional studio time.

Step 16 - Client final approval. Once the agency approves, we send the spot to the client to review and approve.

Final Step - Once it is final approved by the client, the account team traffics the spot to the station.

It might seem like a lot of steps, but all of them are necessary in order for a good, quality spot to be produced. In the end, Hazard Center’s spot went from a script written in a Word document to this.

Hazard Center Radio Spot

Bailey Gardiner is looking for a graphic design intern for the fall quarter/semester.
A little about you:

• A college student (junior or senior) majoring in advertising, art direction, graphic design or something similar
• Must be able to obtain college credit for the internship
• Willing to commit to a minimum of 16 hours per week, set hours are preferred
• Has a student portfolio of design work
• Working knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite. Experience in Flash/Fireworks/Dreamweaver is a huge plus
• A well-organized, self-starter who shows ownership over assignments
• Some production experience preferred
• Excellent communication skills – both oral and written
• Must have a good attitude and aspire to do award-winning work
• Eager to learn
• Creative

A little about your responsibilities:
Assist the creative team with the following:

• Assist team members in research, concept development, designing and mounting of logos and creating collateral pieces, websites, identity and stationery packages
• Accompany senior team members to photo shoots, press checks, client meetings and assist in photo and art research when necessary

This position is unpaid and only open to current college students who can obtain college credit through the internship.

The experience you will receive at Bailey Gardiner is invaluable. We will take the time to teach, support, provide you with responsibility and of course, have some fun.

For a little more information about us, visit our portfolio or get an intern’s perspective on working here on the blog by our interns.
If you are interested, please email your student portfolio, cover letter and resume to kelly@baileygardiner.com

No phone calls please.

We talk a lot about media relationships here at Bailey Gardiner. But we do more than just talk about it internally. We continuously hone our skills and share contacts and tips with one another. To formalize this process, we just introduces a “media bootcamp” for the PR team, where we review best practices and set team goals to strengthen all our relationships with local, regional and national media. Here are a few tips from our recent bootcamp session on how to strengthen your relationships with media:

• Stay professional but human. While these are professional relationships, it is also important to stay human, friendly and authentic.

• Understand each reporter’s beat and interests. Pitching them interesting stories they will like and need is the first step to creating goodwill.

• Become a valuable resource to media. Offer them information beyond your clients and get them in the habit of reaching out to you for help.

• Be informed on news and trends in your clients’ industries. That way, when a reporter is looking for something specific that your client may not offer, you may still be able to help them by letting them know about another business or trend you have seen.

• Follow media on Twitter. Try to engage and build a relationship with them online. Media are often more open to conversations online, and Twitter is a great way to form a relationship that can then jump offline.

Any other tips for PR professionals to help strengthen media relationships?

Sometimes you just need a good laugh – especially when it’s a mistake you could have easily made yourself. Well, maybe you wouldn’t write some of these hilarious mistakes in grammar, editing and just bone-headed lack of proof reading – but it’s damned funny to laugh at whoever did:

And my personal fav:

One of Bailey Gardiner’s company values is creativity. We even have the word in our logo treatment. Clients rely on us to be creative, but sometimes our ideas don’t come as easily or are blocked. What do we do when our creativity seems to dry up? How do we fill our creative wells?

Although human beings are naturally creative, American culture does not nurture the creative process. We are born with the ability to learn, experiment and cope with life, yet by the time we are 10 to 12 years old – parents, peers, and certain education systems have had a negative impact on our creativity.

As it turns out, there is a process to being creative. For a work environment to be creative, it must allow for this process and empower employees to think, feel and contribute ideas. Here are some of the typical steps you’ll see people take to keep creativity flowing

Preparation – This is where we focus the mind on the project to explore the project’s scope and do research and development. Creative briefs and brainstorms at Bailey Gardiner are essential to get projects started.
Incubation – This is where we allow the unconscious mind to process the research and development. This can make those who are not involved in the process be nervous because it looks as though nothing is getting done. It also takes time, which is often in short supply in the marketing and advertising industry.
Insight – This is where ideas bubble up from the unconscious into conscious awareness. This is the “Ah Hah!” moment and can happen spontaneously while driving, taking a shower or even in a dream.
Verification – The idea is consciously acknowledged, developed and put into action.

On a personal level, filling the creative well is about self-care and inner and outer exploration. I need to take care of myself, eat right, get a decent amount of sleep and exercise. Inner exploration is drawing and painting, journaling, sewing, listening to music and mediation. Outer exploration is taking myself on an “Artist Date” which is all about answering the question, “If you were a child what would you want to do for fun?”

How do you keep your creativity flowing?

Let’s face it, a great idea is useless if you can’t sell it.

At the HOW Conference for creatives this last week, several different speakers offered advice on how to make your creative presentations just as good as your creative ideas. Many of these ideas were similar to those from our own office presentation guru, Nancy Stern. Here are five powerful tips I picked-up for selling creative ideas:

1. Know your audience.

To quote presentation specialist Nancy Duarte from her HOW Conference presentation last week—”Not knowing your audience is like writing a love letter to whom it may concern.” Before you give your presentation, do your homework. Find out what your client does on Saturday night, if they have families, what books they read. The more you show them you understand their point of view, the more willing they will be to listen to what you have to say.

2. Involve your client in your ideas.

“If they birthed it, they can’t kill it.” Great quote from David Schimmel, CEO of And Partners.

During your initial meetings with clients, write down memorable things that they have to say. Then, when you present, weave these exact words into your presentation. Another idea from HOW Conference presenter and creative David Sherwin is to actually involve your client in your initial brainstorms. Most of the time, they are flattered to be involved in the process and will be more accepting of your final ideas because they helped contribute to them.

3. Be your own devil’s advocate.

Afraid your client might not like your ideas? Try to imagine what the decision-maker will see when they look at what you have to show them. Make a list of what they might not like and then address those issues head-on in your presentation. “This is my idea _____. One thing the consumer might think is this ______. However, I think we can overcome it by doing this _____. ” This will demonstrate that you understand their mindset and make your ideas that much more powerful.

4. Plant a rhetorical device.

The two quotes I’ve used in this blog post so far were phrases delivered by Nancy Duarte and Sam Harrison in their HOW presentations. Obviously, they stood out enough to me that I remembered them. And you can make your audience do the same.

Devise a strong statement that you repeat several times in your presentation, or even just tell your audience, “Here’s what I want you to take away today,” and then list your points. Apple leader, Steve Jobs is superior at doing this in his presentations, even embedding the same phrase in his advertising and press releases for resonance. When he launched the iPad, he said the device was the intersection of liberal arts and technology, an idea that was repeated in all forms of Apple’s media.

Another great example was from creative and author Sam Harrison’s HOW presentation on “Idea Selling”. He referenced Porter Gale, Virgin Atlantic’s brand director who described flying on the luxury airline Virgin “like flying inside an iPod.” A phrase that was picked-up by other media and repeated over and over.

5. Find your star moment.

This is the moment that your audience will always remember and is always highly planned. Former advertising creative turned agency guru Tony Mikes of SecondWindOnline.com suggests that it doesn’t always have to be a well-written statement that is the star. One example he gave was an agency that asked for 15 minutes to get ready before a client pitch. They filled the room with flip-charts and sketches from their war room and did a brainstorm with their audience to illustrate their philosophy of always working as closely as possible with the client.

What do you do to help sell creative your creative ideas? Watch more videos of great presentations here or check out Nancy Duarte’s Slide:ology video below.

What the heck are raster and vector graphics and why are they different?

Computer graphics are produced in two ways. Raster graphics are created with pixels and are referred to as bitmap images. Raster files are best for photography and continuous tone images. When a raster graphic is scaled up on a computer screen the pixels can be seen as squares each with their own color and value (dark to light).  They cannot be scaled up in size without losing image quality. In a public relations campaign photographs may be sent out to print publications. It is best to know the magazines’ technical print information. An image will print blurry in the magazine if the photo is sent out with a dpi that is too low.

Vectors, on the other hand, are resolution independent. They are created with paths (points, lines, and bezier curves) which are based in mathematical equations. Use of vector graphics is much more flexible. They can be scaled up and down without losing their crispness. Line art (illustrations), type, and page layout programs all use the vector format. Logos are best when created in the vector format because the art will always be clean and not bitmapped. Vector graphics are used in both print and web design.

Some people really give great presentations. You know it when you see and hear it. What is it about their presentations that is different and compelling? Here are five things I believe result in an outstanding presentation.

1. Don’t rely on slides. Unless your slide visually (not with words) supports the point you’re trying to make, they are a crutch for you and a distraction for your audience. Think about whether or not you could make the case without any slides at all. What would that feel like? More eye contact with your audience? Would it feel more like a conversation than being “presented to?”  If you do use slides, use them sparingly. And keep them visual. According to our presentation coach Nancy Stern, there is nothing worse than a presentation that is what she calls a continual slide swipe. One after another after another….glazed eyes are guaranteed.

2. Figure out what your three key points are and make them well. Tim Ferriss posted a great outline of how he prepares for public speaking on his Four Hour Work Week Blog. He keeps it to three points and he uses the PEP approach – Point, Example, Point. Love that.

3. Tell stories. We want to hear stories, not bullet pointed facts. The most persuasive people in history have all been great story tellers. It’s powerful stuff and will keep your audience engaged.

4. Rehearse. There is very little that we observe as well done that has not been rehearsed. From political speeches to stand up comedy to really good business presentations. Rehearsal makes us better. Saying it out loud gets us comfortable with the material and shows us what’s weak and needs work.

5. Avoid up talk, you know, like and um. We all have our verbal tics. Some are more annoying than others. Most take away our authority. As an agency based in SoCal we are surrounded by people using up talk and it seems to be getting worse every year. If you don’t know what I mean, watch this video by Ronnie Bruce. And then speak with conviction!

Typography from Ronnie Bruce on Vimeo.