Toronto Star Newspaper:
- Production Lead
Responsible for quality control of all finished pages with advertising
and editorial combined, for the GTA Today free newspaper owned by
Torstar Corp. My duties included monitoring 5 separate computers each
evening, correcting any problems in the process. Today utilized the
QPS systems for linking editorial content and advertising space. I
separated each page into DCS format after proofing each page on our
colour printers then transmitted to film RIPs in our Vaughan printing
plant. Other duties included colour correction of editorial photos
and helping build ads for the production team when required.
Captain
Printworks -
Pre-press Production
Configuring different file formats, from clients for finished print.
This is a quick-print shop, located in mid-Toronto. They have several
colour copiers linked via LAN and one direct-to-plate, high volume
four-colour offset press, in the back room. Both Windows XP (5) and
Mac's (4) are used extensively as problem solving, pre-press production
tools.
Digital
Reproductions: - Pre-press production/Art Director
1999, completed a nine month contract with Digital, producing
large format ink-jet signs. My responsibilities were to receive
client files on disk and prepare each one for optimum output
to our two 8-colour printers. We had both Macintosh and Windows
systems working through an NT server for the ColorSpan print
rip station. Most files required some tweaking before going
to print and some required complete re-building, to meet client
expectations on print quality. My other responsibilities were
maintaining the printers and helping in the laminating process
when required. Clients; L.C.B.O., Z-Factor, Carol Baker
Visage, Lenmark Communications, Davis Communications and Cotton
Ginny.
Corporate
Communications Interactive: - Pre-press production
Spring of 1998 completed a 14-month contract producing the American
Journal of Ophthalmology, for Corporate Communications Interactive,
Toronto. My duty was to produce digital files for The Journal,
which is based in Chicago Illinois. When electronic Word files
from the editor in Chicago were received, via my e-mail at CCI,
I formatted, scanned and prepared all editorial content, using
Photoshop, Illustrator and QuarkXpress, correcting any photographs,
illustrations or graphs. This is a monthly publication of approx.
200 pages, with complex tables and 75 different style sheets
in Quark. There were five iterations of each issue and I developed
a system in Excel to keep track of all changes and status, to
assist the office manager in keeping track of workflow.
Xerox
Canada: - Colour Specialist
Under contract with Xerox Canada, summer/fall of ‘95 as
Colour Applications Specialist. In charge of the new MajestiK
and 5775 high res. colour printer/copier/scanner. Received digital
files from clients and provided guidance to Colour Staff for
the best output quality of documents. In conjunction with this,
I advised sales staff and CAC’s about colour theory and
its applications in the Mac/Windows environment. That included
informing users of monitor profile settings, for optimized laser
printing of CMYK or RGB files. Creating digital presentations,
in PowerPoint for presentations and overhead projection glossies
for district sales managers was also required.
Hayes
Printing: - Creative/Production
1991 to ‘93, Creative/typographer, on the Macintosh system.
Hayes Printing is a full service print company, with in-house
film department and bindery. Responsibilities were to receive
information from sales staff and formulate production strategy
regarding any creative or pre-press architecture to meet client
needs. QuarkXPress, Illustrator, Freehand and Page Maker were
the most frequently used programs at Hayes, to facilitate transfer
of files between their Macintosh and IBM system. The art/production
studio imaged high resolution (2,540 dpi.) Lino output to paper
or film. Clients included; Texas Instruments, Travelweek
Magazine, Nickel Development Institute, Conference Travel of
Canada and P. R. Lamont Advertising.
Dick
and Labrie: - Art Director
1989 Art Director for Dick & Labrie Advertising: Supplied
all creative concepts, from initiation of marker renderings, suggestions
for copy to enhance product, through to final print. After client
approval, provided accurate quotes on costs and services for our
client executive. Responsible for all creative, production, photography,
models, film, type, art, printing and finishing. Clients included
The Arrow Shirt Company, Wiltshire Knives, Weetabix and Orion
Pictures.
Mongeau Bacon: - Art Director
Art Director, Toronto branch: Duties with Mongeau involved working
with our major client, Hughes Marketing. As creative Director
I liaised with the head office in Montreal. Under my guidance
was one intermediate artist, hired outside sources when required.
One of my credits was designing and producing the complete "Travel
Bonus Program", for CP Air. In addition, concepts and layouts
through to photography was a bi-monthly effort for the Macs’
Milk chain. The two, double-page spreads produced each month
for Macs’ were freestanding inserts for weekly publications.
The McLellan Group, - Contract
for Multimedia
1995, finished a two-month contract with The McLellan Group
at 119 Spadina Ave. The major work project was a multimedia
presentation using Director 4 on Mac, for Nelvana, the animation
studio. This was a venture for investors and shareholders of
Nelvana Studios Inc. The presentation was given by projection,
in digital stereo, and script driven.
