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70 images FEBRUARY 2017
KB TIPS & TECHNIQUES
7
Go to a trade show
This is a large and diverse industry. To grasp the full
depth of the scope and size, do yourself a favour and
go to a trade show. The bigger the show the better. Sure, there’s
probably some expense and travel involved, but go anyway. Take
the classes, attend the seminars, meet other folks in the industry,
talk to the suppliers. You will quickly see that there are a dozen
ways to do the same thing.
8
Use humour often
You don’t have to be a stand-up comedian, but using
humour is the best way I know to juggle all the balls in
the air at once. Currently you have demands from your boss,
your customer, your co-workers, your friends and even your dog
or goldfish. Well, maybe not your goldfish so much. The point is
that there is always a lot of stress floating around in this indus-
try. You can be the nut-job that freaks out and instantly gets on
everyone’s last nerve, or you can defuse the bomb with a little
self-deprecating humour or joke. Or at least that’s what my dog
told me.
9
Delegate
Just because it needs to get finished doesn’t mean that
you have to do it. Want more completed today? Del-
egate it. Get someone else to handle the task so you can work
on things that matter. This could also mean some automation.
There are plenty of apps and tech around these days that you
can employ to complete all types of mundane things. If you do
delegate or use an app, however, make sure you are okay with
how someone else finishes the job for you. It may not be exactly
how you would do it. Which brings us to…
10
Shipped is better than perfect
At the end of the day, week or month, getting all of
those jobs out is the primary goal. Sure, you can tweak
that art endlessly, or print at a ridiculously slow speed to ensure
perfection. Where you need to concentrate your efforts, howev-
er, is the range of what your customer deems acceptable. Time
equals money. Over-thinking and over-engineering what you are
doing often won’t correlate to bigger profits. I’m not advocating
overlooking quality control issues, or not doing your best. Just
that you should stay in the acceptable range for profitability. If a
client is paying you for an hour to design a new logo – that’s the
budget. Don’t work on it for six.
11
Technique solves problems
How can little old ladies outplay younger, more athletic
golfers on the course? Technique. It’s not how hard you
hit the ball with the club, but ‘how’ you hit it. It’s exactly the same
in this industry. More squeegee pressure doesn’t help your print.
The right mesh, with the correct tension, coated with the proper
emulsion over mesh ratio, with the right press off-contact, print-
ed with the proper squeegee stroke, angle and pressure – all will
produce a superior print than just mashing the image as hard as
you can. Not getting good production results? Before you blame
the ink or the shirt, look to the ‘how’.
12
Take time for yourself
Everyone needs to recharge. Plenty of studies have
shown that people who make time for interesting hob-
bies or activities outperform those who just work never-ending
hours per day. Remember: work smarter, not harder. Attack your
day with enthusiasm and energy. This only happens when you are
fresh.
13
Train on the things you can’t do
Sure it’s easy to just concentrate on the things we do
best. It’s easy. Taking the time to investigate and learn
how to do the things that you can’t do well will help you become
well-rounded in the industry. Maybe you will master those areas,
maybe not. Getting that understanding, however, will help you be
more professional, even if ultimately you outsource or delegate
those chores to someone else. A ship in the harbour is safe, but
that’s not what ships were built for. Explore.
14
Listen more, talk less
Active listening is a skill that needs to be developed
early. Take notes. Let the other person talk. Don’t inter-
rupt. Repeat back what they just said. Ask questions. Follow up.
Remember to say “Thank you.”
Humour is the best way I know to
juggle all the balls in the air at once