Illustration is the distillation of concepts ultimately providing unique and creative solutions for every conceivable application. In fact illustration is infinite in scope and as a result offers compelling fascination for me. I love illustration and delight in creative collaboration and the phenomenon of the process. But illustration is a business and those who have chosen this profession must remember they are working within a team. Like any other vendor such as photographers, color separators at prepress or video editors building the designers vision, we are hired to make life easier and the end product better. Ability and talent is important but useless if your production skills result in missed deadlines or frustration and aggravation for the ones who have hired you. The big tip for today’s discussion is

“Remember that poor person next in line as the job travels through the team.”

No matter what your media of choice, your illustration will most likely at some point end up in Adobe Photoshop. Depending on what sort of deal has been brokered between you and your client, you may or may not be passing off a layered file. I work closely with design teams that need my artwork for further refinement or my file will be placed into their production files. The Photoshop document I supply is also repurposed for multiple uses, from package labels morphed into store signage or for ads or a retail endcap. My clients want layered files. If this is a similar situation for you, stop and take a look at that artwork before making the transfer to the ftp site. The number and kinds of layers available in Photoshop is practically limitless, have a heart for the person who has to use your file? We’ve all received them. You know that Photoshop document someone gives you filled with layers, clipping paths, adjustment layers and some layers you’re not really sure why they’re there? And every one of those layers is named “Layer 1″, ” Layer 2″, “Layer 3”…. Countless times I’ve received a Photoshop file from someone saying, “This is a real quick change, should only take five minutes.” They were right. The change only took five minutes; sadly it took two hours to figure out which layer it was on.

If you submitted this file you just made life miserable for your customer. Take the time to design a logical file and layer structure before letting it go. The beauty of Photoshop is the ability to play the game “What if…? ” How would this illustration look with different elements, new colors or something just a little bit darker? This may mean twelve layers with a dog in twelve different positions and twelve different colors. Don’t give that file to your customer. Send the file that was approved via email and save the other as your build file. Find out what your client needs and go through and clean up things for artwork that can be most efficiently used. Name your layers, put them in logical color-coded and named folders. Flatten adjustment layers. Merge clipping paths and/or masks. And if the job is a series like different flavors for brand labels, maintain a consistency of the structure you established. If they make changes go back to your build file if you have to.

I was involved in a very complex project of a number of drink splashes for product labels that would also be used on the back panel with the same drink without the splash. I designed my artwork to make this transformation in four mouse clicks yet still maintaining the ability to quickly make minuscule or drastic aesthetic adjustments when required.

The old saying goes, “If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.”  By not taking the time to clean up your files you become part of the problem. Think of it as good craftsmanship. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out people don’t like problems and will move on to the next person that doesn’t cause them.

Kurt Pfaff describes himself as a “Hardworking Creative Type” who loves his job. Kurt is a full-time freelance illustrator and is regularly collaborating with numerous agencies and corporations while doing his best to keep his Photoshop files clean and organized. His work can be found on package labels, books, brochures, posters and other printed material or websites. His work also hangs on the walls of galleries and homes. Visit Kurt’s website at http://kurtpfaff.com