Print Portfolio
- Started
- Last post
- 13 Responses
- engine_heart
I have finished editing my website and am looking into a print portfolio. How necessary are they to have?
If I complete one, how should I have it bound? These cases seem nice but I cringe at the idea of 'sleeves.'
http://www.lost-luggage.com/stor…
Does anyone have any other suggestions for cases?
Thanks!
- jnnbugg0
Love your work!
As far as Printed portfolio.. yes, I would make one. People like to see things in person and flip through pages instead of looking on screen. The books you choose are nice. Instead of a book, I know some designers that have a wooden box made that have their pieces resting inside.
- engine_heart0
that's a nice idea too! thank you!
- jaylarson0
I had mine made from Shrapnel. I had some jagged edges on mine (I even got cut and bleed) after i ordered it from PaperHaus. They were a little jaded and wouldn't have it fixed. So I went straight to the manufacture, and they fixed it straight away. They werew very nice and fixed it very quickly. I highly recommend them. They have wood too:
http://www.shrapneldesign.com/
- rodzilla0
Does it really benefit you to buy a 265 dollar book for your portfolio? Or would it be better to spend 300 bucks on getting multiple copies made up as leave behinds?
- this has been my approach. Design a beautiful book, and have a stack of medium quality printed pieces. They love the leave behinds.baseline_shift
- love the leave behinds.baseline_shift
- thanks DTown native... haha fancy meeting you here againengine_heart
- wooord. Bucks in the house!baseline_shift
- baseline_shift0
Agree with rodzilla. Design a book, and have it printed. Here are some online vendor options.
http://www.qbn.com/topics/606177…
- gramme0
I'd go with the leave-behind. Just don't spend as much money as I did. I've yet to see a measurable increase in work due to the books I've sent out—granted, I've only sent out about 15 books to various people I'd like to work for.
25–50 is prolly a good quantity range to start with. Creating a good list of recipients (besides people you meet in person) is a lot of work. I'm still working on mine, been busy with client work for a few months and haven't had much time to work on the business, rather than *in* it.
- engine_heart0
that is another nice option. i really like the leave behind approach, but as far as updating it's not very forgiving. What about diy leave behinds - I have alot of experience in book binding so I think I could pull it off without having it look too amateur.
- do you suggest having leave behinds IN ADDITION to a nice large printed portfolio?engine_heart
- Yes, but don't spend a lot on them. If you haven't made the impression in the interview, a leave-behind won't do much.luckyorphan
- very true. thanks!engine_heart
- nicole_marie0
I have a standard portfolio I ordered from Paperhaus, then I make my own leave behinds.
I used to send them out, I made about 25-30 and sent them to places who either had a posting for a job or just places I was interested in reaching out to, I found this to be a huge waste of money and time I got no replies back. I think they end up getting lost in the office, people seem to find email easier.
Getting together a nice looking PDF sample for job postings and emails got me a lot more replies, I wish it were the other way around but this was how it worked for me.
- make them in sets so when you have a interview you are ready.nicole_marie
- utopian0
I have the LOOKING GLASS screwpost portfolio from Lost Luggage.
Works really well for me!
- monospaced0
I am a huge advocate of the "leave-behind" portfolio. Having worked at a firm where we were barraged with potentials and fresh-out-of-school designers, we saw a ton of portfolios. We saw ones with sleeves, and we saw binders, we saw hardcover books, and we saw loose-leaf pages in boxes...we saw it all.
In the end, the work speaks for itself. The portfolio itself should not impress them, the content should, and more importantly, you should. We loved being able to keep something to look at and discuss (and talk shit about) once you've left the interview. It doesn't matter if it's the highest print quality or made of exotic materials, only that you put thought into it.
That being said, I designed and had printed (cheaply, mind you) 7x10' booklet portfolios for each person interviewing me, and it was successful. Anyone who provided us with something similar usually had a hand up among the competition. Don't waste your money on wood binding, and don't fuck with glassine sleeves, just present your work in a simple print piece and it will take you far.
- monospaced0
Also, don't dress in a suit.
- wear what you expect to wear at work, so you're not misrepresenting yourself.version3
- gramme0
These are all great solutions for design firms or ad agencies. If designing a leave-behind for a potential client, I don't think it's a bad idea to do something more elaborate or unique in format, since you have to position yourself as a unique brand with potential clients. Totally different than when dealing w/ other designers.
- jteore0
With a portfolio that is based off of book design, your portfolio should be laid out like a book design showcasing "your brand." Think design annuals. Leave behinds are wasteful (They usually end up in the drawer with old paper samples and swatchtone books). They cost money to produce, and do not leave a carbon footprint. Put the money into photo paper and a killer book to showcase the work. If you find yourself with extra prints from a previous job, use those as your giveaways.