Print Design in Toronto? 1717 Responses

Last post: 1 year, 10 months ago | Thread started: Mar 5, 10, 2:02 p.m.

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• fredehmac

  Hi, long time lurker first time signup. I'm looking to move back home to Toronto but I've been away from the city for over 8 years. What are the some of the good companies doing print design these days? I feel out of the loop.

  I'm also wondering what kind of salary a Senior Designer with over a decade of work can expect.

  Any information and help is greatly appreciated.

  Mar 5, 10, 2:02 p.m. – Permalink

• neue75_bold

  not too many mate, pretty much the same as when you left I reckon...

  Concrete
  Hahn Smith
  Underline [2 former concrete folk, one who also worked for Pentegram in the UK]

  Then there's the ones like Amoeba Corp, hambly & woolley, Up Inc and Taxi...

  also this has been asked quite a few times, so maybe more to be found here http://www.qbn.com/filter/all/al…

  In terms of salary, depends on the studio, like at one of the first few I mentioned, it'd be like 45 – 50k max, some of the other studios or agencies possibly 60 – 65k... Just a guess as I've been away for about 5 years as well...

  

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  Dog-earMar 5, 10, 2:26 p.m. – Permalink

• fredehmac

  So it looks like it's still the usual suspects. I've always been a fan of Concrete's work. Very clean. I thought I read at some point that Amoeba got bought by one of the big ad agencies.

  Are salaries in Toronto really that low for a Senior Designer? Those numbers seem more like Intermediate.

  Thanks for the info!

  • think about what a studio like Spin or Madethought would pay vs say Interbrand...– neue75_bold1/6

    Good point. Bigger cheque = smaller amount of creative freedom.– fredehmac2/6

    indeed...– neue75_bold3/6

    That's not necessarily true.– gramme4/6

    Although it certainly was the case at my last job... but that was with 6 yrs. exp, not 10.– gramme5/6

    Amoeba got bought up by John St.– Andrew_D6/6

  

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  Dog-earMar 5, 10, 2:49 p.m. – Permalink

• fredehmac

  Well I looked through all of the Toronto threads here and there doesn't seem to be a lot of info on print design companies. Maybe I'll bring this up again on Monday.

  

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  Dog-earMar 5, 10, 4:49 p.m. – Permalink

• polyestercorp

  http://www.rgdontario.com/pdf/RG…
  It's dated 2006 but has sen. designer salaries at 50k

  I've noticed a lot of small 2-3 person studios opening up here over the past few years. Probably in response to the limited salaries and opportunities for senior designers.

  Hopefully places I;ve listed below will gain more recognition in time as I feel the direction of design in Toronto is going to be driven with the much smaller studios:
  Office of Gilbert Li
  Underline (altho they're up to 5-6 people now and are showing up in the annuals)
  Whiteroom
  Cinderblok
  Grand Creative
  A3
  Doublenaut
  and there's are dozens of small talented 1 man shops like Bill Douglas, Paul Sync, Envy Co, Beehive, ect...

  • Agreed and nice work.– ross1/5

    Hey Ross, do you keep in touch with anyone from GBC?– polyestercorp2/5

    thought i recognized your name. yeah, a little. Not as much as i'd like. You?– ross3/5

    Just Natalie, she left concrete and is now at the NY times in well obviously NY.– polyestercorp4/5

    That is great. She is great.– ross5/5

  

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  Dog-earMar 7, 10, 2:11 p.m. – Permalink

• fredehmac

  Thanks Poly! Hoping that the Monday crowd can shed a bit more light on this topic today.

  

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  Dog-earMar 8, 10, 7:40 a.m. – Permalink

• ideaist

  I think polyestercorp pretty much killed the thread above...

  • killed = positive!– ideaist

  

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  Dog-earMar 8, 10, 7:42 a.m. – Permalink

• PonyBoy

  fuck toronto?

  • uncalled for!– harv1/2

    fuck AZ! ;)– megE2/2

  

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  Dog-earMar 8, 10, 7:43 a.m. – Permalink

• i_monk

  Those numbers do seem low. Or do production designers just make more?

  

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  Dog-earMar 8, 10, 7:51 a.m. – Permalink

• polyestercorp

  I have a few friends who also do very well freelancing here in Toronto. Not because they can't find full time work but because the pay is often better freelancing (mostly at agencies). If you are looking to move back it might be a good solution. But there's a lack of understanding of the value of design that exists with clients here and thus translates into poor salaries in comparison to the cost of living. I moved back 3 years ago from the States and was amazed at the high cost of housing and the fact salaries here haven't changed much.

  • cost a lot to be broke...– ideaist

  

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  Dog-earMar 8, 10, 8:21 a.m. – Permalink

• Bembo

  I've always been shocked at the lack of funds for designers in Toronto. It's been crap for as long as I can remember.

  • I think a lot of it depends on where you work. I agree, though, most places underpay.– Andrew_D1/6

    You're getting paid Douglas?!– ideaist2/6

    It does matter where you work. But the Concretes of the world will pay you next to nothing on the assumption that you'll be doing "creative" work.– Bembo3/6

    creative work– Bembo4/6

    Gotcha, Bembo. That sucks, no wonder most go freelance to scrape bye.– Andrew_D5/6

    It's a pity, lots of talent goes to waste because of this.– Bembo6/6

  

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  Dog-earMar 8, 10, 8:23 a.m. – Permalink

• Andrew_D

  Is it just print that pays lower? Most interactive designers I know get paid well.

  • I guess I can lump my sorry ass in the Interactive category.– Andrew_D

  

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  Dog-earMar 8, 10, 8:28 a.m. – Permalink

• polyestercorp

  Yes, I was talking in ref. to print. Motion pays very very well. It's supply and demand in that sense. 350+ graphic design students graduate each year vs. maybe 50 interactive and 30-40 motion.

  • And most of the interactive kids don't have half the design sense the print kids do.– Andrew_D1/5

    I agree with the motion sentiment, did some stuff for Nokia that paid about double what it cost to make.– Andrew_D2/5

    I had junior motion kids coming out of school asking for more then senior print designers with 6yrs exp.– polyestercorp3/5

    And were any of them actually worth what they wanted?– Andrew_D4/5

    I guess it's supply and demand as they got what they wanted – not from us but a competitor. There's a real absence of good motion designers here.– polyestercorp5/5

  

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  Dog-earMar 8, 10, 8:32 a.m. – Permalink

• fredehmac

  Thanks for all of the info.

  

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  Dog-earMar 8, 10, 10 a.m. – Permalink

• gramme

  That salary discrepancy seems absurd to me. I hear all that re: supply and demand, but still—$50k Canadian seems depressingly low for a senior designer.

  • Agencies pay higher, sometimes much higher but it's pretty sad compared to the US– polyestercorp1/3

    but we have healthcare– polyestercorp2/3

    $50k canadian is worth the same at $50k american these days, predicted to be stronger come summer– megE3/3

  

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  Dog-earMar 8, 10, 10:04 a.m. – Permalink

• ukit

  bump

  

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  Dog-earMar 8, 10, 2:26 p.m. – Permalink

• ukit

  bump

  

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  Dog-earMar 8, 10, 2:42 p.m. – Permalink

• polyestercorp

  http://www.upinc.ca/careers.html…
  Worked here 7yrs ago coming out of school. Pay wasn't great (only 47k for the seniors at the time) but the hours where okay and they've expanded a lot since then.

  

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  Dog-earMar 19, 10, 1:32 p.m. – Permalink