My name is Wai Chan and I’m studying Graphic Arts Production Management at New York City College of Technology. Though I’m currently a student, I learned how to use Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and Premiere. I have also learned how to use Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint but I feel that there is much that I could still learn. I might not have experience working out in the field right now; but I have done some projects from my professors which were meant to prepare us when we graduate. A  few examples of projects I have done is making a short 16 page book, the artwork for a cd case and the cd itself, and a movie poster. I have always wanted to find out how the jobs that people did made it all the way to the final piece. Now, I know how the process from preproduction to production works.

Before I went to New York City College of Technology, I had always thought that the making of ads, books, magazines, and other items that had to do with print simple to produce; in which all you had to do was just randomly take a few pictures and slap on a few effects and that was pretty much how it was done. But as I took more classes I learned that there is so much more to making the printed piece. One factor was the specifications of the work. Not every company might use the same bleed or trim size for their printed work. The paper quality and quantity was important as well. You wouldn’t want only 500 sheets if you needed 2000 for a job. The quality is important as well, if your printing a book, you would want your paper to be white and for newspaper grainy and grayer. Another factor that I had to look out for was where and how you saw the colors and lighting. I learned that not everyone sees color the same. For some people it might look darker and for others it might look brighter. The type of light you see it on is important as well; if you look at a printed work under blue light and compare it to under red light, the colors on the proof would look different. The recommended light setting to use is at 5000K. Even after taking many courses, I still feel that I can never learn all that can be learned from this major and that right now everything I’m learning is just the tip of the iceberg. If there was one thing I would never forget, it would be that no matter how much I learn in the industry, there will always be something new to learn.