I'm planning to apply to a few architecture-related programs this summer and some of them require a portfolio, and I may also apply to some full MArch I programs later this year. I've seen a lot of chat about practicing with printing portfolios way ahead of time due to the relatively faulty nature of the process. And I guess I've seen the evidence for myself, as I've already tried a few test prints at a few places and they look pretty off (in a bad way), and was wondering if this is to be expected.
I was hoping some of you who have portfolios done this year could upload some scans or photos of your portfolio, not the original source files, but instead either scans or photos e.g. of your portfolio sitting on a desk in natural lighting, of the cover or an open set of pages. Preferably, it would also be great if you could upload the original source file of the same set of pages that you took a scan/photo of, so I can see the discrepancy between original and final.
If I get enough responses, I'll get an idea of the "normal" case and what I should expect / be happy with, since I could infer a possible normal/acceptable degree of discrepancy between the original source file and the final print. I'll also get an idea of what the binding should ideally look like (I've gotten ring binding done but it looks like cheap plastic crap).
The portfolio is by far the most important factor in applying to architecture programs so I would like to get it right, and I've had mostly trouble so far. I would like to get it sorted out ASAP. Thanks for any help.
Also if you could also briefly explain what the discrepancy was (e.g. off colors or whatever) it would be great since it can be hard to tell from photos sometimes.
Last but not least (I realize I should spend more time thinking of what to include in my OP instead of posting it later), it would be nice if you could specify how the print was done - give as many RELEVANT and HELPFUL details as possible, such as whether it was laser printing or something else, whether it was RGB or CMYK mode, the name of the company (or if you did it at home, what printer you used), etc.
that's a very demanding list there ilikedrit. not sure you're going to get a lot of responses since you're asking for a lot of extra work outside of typing. I can tell you I used blurb.com as my printer and was generally pleased with the printing quality (as long as you pick the good paper).
i've never seen the need to do an elaborate binding....
my MArch portfolio was ink-jet printed at home onto heavy-ish paper, then bound with a simple strip-binding at Kinkos.
for a batch of job apps around graduation last year, i printed at school, stapled, then glued on a cover. here are the results of that - photos. Ultimately, that was taking a lot of time, so I reworked it for screen/email-only (here), which is what I've been using since.
never had a problem with color, because i was using familiar equipment, and because I could do check prints quickly and easily.
i agree with evanc... just get a decent inkjet printer and decent double sided matte paper and print it yourself... bind it with a black spiral coil and call it done... the work is what matters not some fancy printing/binding...
Well the best thing to do, if you lack the resources to do it yourself, is to find a local print shop and visit them WELL in advance of your printing and do some test prints so you can see the differences between your screen and the printed product. This will also allow you to see how responsive the print shop is to assisting you... some places will make the effort to make sure your prints come out how you expected and some will not. Generally with a few test prints you can determine if you need to things lighter or darker and the print shop may be able to tell you specific adjustments based on their printer settings as to what you need to do.
As for the binding, just pick something easy that you can get done with minimal effort either at the print shop or a local binding place. All you need is something that keeps the pages from falling apart and looks professional.
I'm sorry to say that unless the printer is connected to your computer and you have taken the time to calibrate your monitor with that printer, NO printer shop, service or what-have-you is going to match your screen. No way, no how.
It's called a test plot and/or plots. It's so not a big deal. Find something else to stress out about.
"what i saw on the screen was way off from what was printed."
Weeelll now there's your problem! Unless you spent the cash on a color accurate monitor, calibration tools, and actually spent the time setting it all up with the exact printer being used, it's never going to be the same. Even if you do, you're still comparing screen (additive color) to a printed page (subtractive). Assuming your prints are process prints and cannot be matched to a few Pantone swatches, your best bet is to find a local shop that will do proofs for you to approve.
Also, unless you want your portfolio to look like xerox copies, don't use laser prints. If you're happy to put down half a grand for an inkjet at home and are willing to go through the necessary calibrating steps then your prints can turn out fairly well, though not perfect.
to chime in: all screens age differently/LCDs burn at different rates and just show color differently period. Going by what your screen shows seems doomed to fail/end up in frustration. What you see on your screen does *not* generally represent what that color really looks like.
Portfolio Photos - YOUR RESPONSE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.
Hi,
I'm planning to apply to a few architecture-related programs this summer and some of them require a portfolio, and I may also apply to some full MArch I programs later this year. I've seen a lot of chat about practicing with printing portfolios way ahead of time due to the relatively faulty nature of the process. And I guess I've seen the evidence for myself, as I've already tried a few test prints at a few places and they look pretty off (in a bad way), and was wondering if this is to be expected.
I was hoping some of you who have portfolios done this year could upload some scans or photos of your portfolio, not the original source files, but instead either scans or photos e.g. of your portfolio sitting on a desk in natural lighting, of the cover or an open set of pages. Preferably, it would also be great if you could upload the original source file of the same set of pages that you took a scan/photo of, so I can see the discrepancy between original and final.
If I get enough responses, I'll get an idea of the "normal" case and what I should expect / be happy with, since I could infer a possible normal/acceptable degree of discrepancy between the original source file and the final print. I'll also get an idea of what the binding should ideally look like (I've gotten ring binding done but it looks like cheap plastic crap).
The portfolio is by far the most important factor in applying to architecture programs so I would like to get it right, and I've had mostly trouble so far. I would like to get it sorted out ASAP. Thanks for any help.
p.s. when I say "original source file" I mean the original jpg/tiff/pdf/whathaveyou.
Also if you could also briefly explain what the discrepancy was (e.g. off colors or whatever) it would be great since it can be hard to tell from photos sometimes.
I also think this will help others with printing portfolios and all sorts of documents.
Last but not least (I realize I should spend more time thinking of what to include in my OP instead of posting it later), it would be nice if you could specify how the print was done - give as many RELEVANT and HELPFUL details as possible, such as whether it was laser printing or something else, whether it was RGB or CMYK mode, the name of the company (or if you did it at home, what printer you used), etc.
that's a very demanding list there ilikedrit. not sure you're going to get a lot of responses since you're asking for a lot of extra work outside of typing. I can tell you I used blurb.com as my printer and was generally pleased with the printing quality (as long as you pick the good paper).
I really do not understand why you all are so fucking retarded about color.
What is so fucking hard to understand about CMYK color space? It is absolutist. It is not relative. Learn to comprehend colors in the color space.
Oh wait, blaming everyone else is soo much easier.
You're basically asking people to give you a crash course in color correction.
I'll save you the trouble. I will color correct each photo for 5 dollars a photo.
Woah, that sounded really rude and mean. Sorry!
I haven't had my coffee. I will write up something to tell you how to work in cmyk color though if you like.
i've never seen the need to do an elaborate binding....
my MArch portfolio was ink-jet printed at home onto heavy-ish paper, then bound with a simple strip-binding at Kinkos.
for a batch of job apps around graduation last year, i printed at school, stapled, then glued on a cover. here are the results of that - photos. Ultimately, that was taking a lot of time, so I reworked it for screen/email-only (here), which is what I've been using since.
never had a problem with color, because i was using familiar equipment, and because I could do check prints quickly and easily.
i agree with evanc... just get a decent inkjet printer and decent double sided matte paper and print it yourself... bind it with a black spiral coil and call it done... the work is what matters not some fancy printing/binding...
Well the best thing to do, if you lack the resources to do it yourself, is to find a local print shop and visit them WELL in advance of your printing and do some test prints so you can see the differences between your screen and the printed product. This will also allow you to see how responsive the print shop is to assisting you... some places will make the effort to make sure your prints come out how you expected and some will not. Generally with a few test prints you can determine if you need to things lighter or darker and the print shop may be able to tell you specific adjustments based on their printer settings as to what you need to do.
As for the binding, just pick something easy that you can get done with minimal effort either at the print shop or a local binding place. All you need is something that keeps the pages from falling apart and looks professional.
montagneux, are you on your period?
the printing services fucked up the colors, pure and simple. what i saw on the screen was way off from what was printed.
take a chill pill and get laid
hahahahahahahahah
"YOUR RESPONSE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED"
I'm sorry to say that unless the printer is connected to your computer and you have taken the time to calibrate your monitor with that printer, NO printer shop, service or what-have-you is going to match your screen. No way, no how.
It's called a test plot and/or plots. It's so not a big deal. Find something else to stress out about.
"what i saw on the screen was way off from what was printed."
Weeelll now there's your problem! Unless you spent the cash on a color accurate monitor, calibration tools, and actually spent the time setting it all up with the exact printer being used, it's never going to be the same. Even if you do, you're still comparing screen (additive color) to a printed page (subtractive). Assuming your prints are process prints and cannot be matched to a few Pantone swatches, your best bet is to find a local shop that will do proofs for you to approve.
Also, unless you want your portfolio to look like xerox copies, don't use laser prints. If you're happy to put down half a grand for an inkjet at home and are willing to go through the necessary calibrating steps then your prints can turn out fairly well, though not perfect.
to chime in: all screens age differently/LCDs burn at different rates and just show color differently period. Going by what your screen shows seems doomed to fail/end up in frustration. What you see on your screen does *not* generally represent what that color really looks like.
.
You're welcome.
Forget independent thought, eh?
Trust your own eyes and you'll be fine.
Google is your friend.
http://blog.iso50.com/2009/08/18/color-management-a-field-guide/
http://desktoppub.about.com/cs/colorcalibration/a/cal_monitor.htm
http://desktoppub.about.com/cs/colorcalibration/a/cal_printer.htm
Common sense is also not so common.
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