I'll bet you have multiple horror stories about doing business outside our industry. I sure do.
As if our industry doesn't give us enough agita, a friend, family member or neighbor always seems to have some sort of ridiculous request that needs to be turned around in a day. So you whip up a slick brochure, and your friend (coworker, uncle, neighbor, etc.) loves it - after 12 rounds of copy edits that is. You then send it off to the printer they are using and think "Thank God that's over!" But it's not over because the printer your friend (coworker, uncle, neighbor, etc.) picked out isn't really a printer at all. They're a sign company that bought a used wide-format printer, and are now accepting all sorts of print jobs. Of course they don't know what a Macintosh computer is, and they print everything via a PC-based CAD program. "Yeah, can you save that as a Corel Draw file?" Yeah, why don't I just get out my set of sharpened reeds and clay tablets while I'm at it?
"Hey Gutenberg, why don't you splurge on updating to an out-dated thermal-wax printer? Ya' damn luddite!"
And you thought you were so smart creating a "fool-proof" high-res PDF that almost every printer on the planet could print from.
After spending 7 hours designing and revising the brochure, and another 3 hours on the phone explaing what a UV-Lam is to the "printer" you end up loosing money on a job that was supposed to be a freebie. And every time this scenario plays out you inwardly scream "DAMNIT ALL! I"M NEVER DOING BUSINESS OUTSIDE THE INDUSTRY EVER AGAIN!!!"
Somehow when you end up revising legal copy on a 3-fold coupon booklet for 3 weeks straight for a big, name-brand client, it's just not as bad as dealing with a pretend printer who doesn't know the difference between CMYK and CBGBs.
Go figure.
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I'd say that we have been cursed with talent we can't use and can't get financially rewarded for!
ReplyDeleteBut hey, there's always the Apple Store!
And... AND, I can get a % discount from an iPhone or Pod or Touch or something... YAY!
Screw this industry. :)
Happy times,
Joe
Ugh. I've sworn off that kind of work. Now when an uncle/friend/relative wants to "hire" me, I just insist on doing it for free. They either feel uncomfortable, or they are grateful for whatever you do. And I just send them to the printer.
ReplyDeleteI've been on the other side -- where they spend $100 and now feel you are hired labor -- and you end up netting out at below minimum wage.
I'd rather have a yard sale to raise that kind of money.