JoB Breeze - View Single Post - for graphic designers: Building your portfolio .. your graphic resumes

Basma · 10th January 2008

Why Use Portfolios and What Goes In Them?

Job seekers will probably need both resumes and portfolios. Skills in specific software programs and experience in print design and digital file production go into the resume. Clients of freelancers are generally less concerned about the specific software you use but they are interested in the final product that you can produce.

Graphic design portfolios are graphical resumes. They show real examples of the type of work you have done in the past. It is an indication of the type of work you can do in the future.

The first step in building a portfolio is deciding what will go in it.
Choosing Samples of Your Work
1. Actual samples
whenever possible use actual samples. That is, if you did a four-color brochure for a client, put one of the original brochures in your graphic design portfolio rather than an inkjet copy. Use these in your graphic design portfolio and as non-returnable samples sent to potential clients.

2. Photographs
If your work involves designs that are too large or odd-shaped to fit in traditional graphic design portfolios (large boxes, billboards), get the best photographs you can of the finished pieces. You might also want to accompany these photographs with smaller printouts of the digital files you worked from.

3. Screen shots
If your work involves Web design or other non-print designs you can still put together printed portfolios. Make screen shots of the work or print Web pages from your Web browser. Since screen resolution may not always print crisp and clear you may want to include high-resolution printouts of special logos or other graphics you created for screen display.

TIP: Even if the logo or graphics you design are for Web display, start out with a high-resolution version and save it at various stages. You never know when a client will decide they want to use the design in print. And of course, that high-resolution version will look nicer in your printed graphic design portfolio.

10th January 2008	#1 (permalink)
Basma Administrator Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 89	for graphic designers: Building your portfolio .. your graphic resumes Why Use Portfolios and What Goes In Them? Job seekers will probably need both resumes and portfolios. Skills in specific software programs and experience in print design and digital file production go into the resume. Clients of freelancers are generally less concerned about the specific software you use but they are interested in the final product that you can produce. Graphic design portfolios are graphical resumes. They show real examples of the type of work you have done in the past. It is an indication of the type of work you can do in the future. The first step in building a portfolio is deciding what will go in it. Choosing Samples of Your Work 1. Actual samples whenever possible use actual samples. That is, if you did a four-color brochure for a client, put one of the original brochures in your graphic design portfolio rather than an inkjet copy. Use these in your graphic design portfolio and as non-returnable samples sent to potential clients. 2. Photographs If your work involves designs that are too large or odd-shaped to fit in traditional graphic design portfolios (large boxes, billboards), get the best photographs you can of the finished pieces. You might also want to accompany these photographs with smaller printouts of the digital files you worked from. 3. Screen shots If your work involves Web design or other non-print designs you can still put together printed portfolios. Make screen shots of the work or print Web pages from your Web browser. Since screen resolution may not always print crisp and clear you may want to include high-resolution printouts of special logos or other graphics you created for screen display. TIP: Even if the logo or graphics you design are for Web display, start out with a high-resolution version and save it at various stages. You never know when a client will decide they want to use the design in print. And of course, that high-resolution version will look nicer in your printed graphic design portfolio. Last edited by Basma : 10th January 2008 at 03:32.