Jobs weren’t exactly easy to come by when I graduated, so my first jobs were on the DTP (desk top publishing or also called formatting) department. And honestly, I didn’t mind at all. It gave me the chance to get used to the work environment, my colleagues, and the pressure of deadlines.
The job at the printing company in particular was hard work. I would clock in at 7:30 in the morning and start with a stack of folders on my left. By 8:00 in the evening, that entire stack had to be finished and ready on my right, waiting to be printed.
Whenever things were a little quieter on the DTP department, I would sometimes help out in the litho department as well, making film and plates.
I don’t do that last part anymore, but what I still really enjoy is DTP work. In this case, for the Union. The brand style, the design, the documents — everything is clearly defined in the brand guidelines and a fixed layout structure.
My task? Taking the text supplied in a Word document, together with the photos and illustrations, and turning it all into a professionally formatted, print-ready file in their own style.