25 MORE Reasons You Might Be A Hardcore Graphic/Web Designer
It’s been over a year since the first edition of this post, and since it was by far the most popular BittBox post ever (and also the most ripped off), I thought it was due time for another. So I thought I’d lighten things up a bit and, back by popular demand….25 MORE reasons You Might Be A Hardcore Graphic/Web Designer. These are in no particular order but I gave them numbers so you all could reference them in the comments if you like. OK, here we go..
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You’ve had a client that thought they knew more about design than you.
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Your clients pay you for your professional expertise and skill, yet you’ve run into one of ‘those’ clients, that refuses to take the advice from the very person he/she is paying for advice (you).
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You’ve had a client that insisted on using the font “Papyrus,” and you had to hold in your barf as you prepped it [the design] for printing.
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You’ve requested a vector logo from a client, and instead, they email you a 72 dpi image they grabbed from a website.
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You’ve used typography as a texture.
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You don’t have a favorite font because you love “Typography.” Not Fonts. Choosing a favorite font would be like choosing a favorite child, it’s just wrong.
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You collect as many free stuffs from the interwebs as you can on your hard drive, hoping that one day, that cool project will come along that you can actually use some cool shit on.
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You’d rather have a free font than a free gallon of gas.
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It’s hard to talk about frustrations at your job with a group of friends because they have no idea what “Vector” or “DPI” is, just to name a couple.
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You’ve had a client ask you to “Make the logo bigger.”
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You’ve had a client that insists on “filling up the space.”
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You’ve learned to over-price web design projects because most clients are more picky about their websites than a high school girl picking out a prom dress.
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You feel like you’re “On Call” half of the time because clients procrastinate so much.
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You know keyboard shortcuts that require 4 fingers.
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You’ve lost hours of work because an application crashed, and you had to start over from scratch because you were in the “zone” and forgot to save. Basically, you were having so much fun being creative that saving was the last thing on your mind at the time.
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You’ve “Live-Traced” something.
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You spend more hours per week looking at CSS showcase sites than you do at the gym.
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The only thing that would make you happier than the demise of IE6 is world peace.
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You’ve done everything but give up a body part to talk a client out of a “Flash Intro.” Yeah. I said it. Flash Intro. Sad, so so sad. (goes along with #2)
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You have enough fonts on your hard drive to last you for: 1 font per day for about a decade, give or take a year or two.
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You know, explicitly, what a “Flourish” is.
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You worry about negative space as much as the content area.
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You get phone calls from friends and family members on a regular, sometimes annoyingly-frequent basis, wanting your services for free or extremely cheap. (and the “portfolio” line makes you want to throw something across the room)
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You’ve had a client that wants a website they can “update” on their own, but doesn’t know shit about websites.
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You’re never more than 99% happy with your final product because you believe that EVERYTHING can be improved upon. (especially with those tight-deadline projects)
Related Posts:
- 25 Reasons You Might Be A Hardcore Graphic/Web Designer
- Resource: Best Brands of the World
- Web Design: The void between designer and programmer.
- Hilarious: “Make My Logo Bigger!” Video Spoof
- Tapping Digg as a resource for Free Advice from Working Professionals
- Font Update: Myndraine
Tags: Design, Graphic Design, Rants
haha number 15 really hurts!
Another great list.
And I learned what a “flourish” is. I’ve been trying to figure out the name for those things for a long, long time.
Number 9 is a weekly occurance.
LOL, I do websites for bands, and number 19 (flash intros) is one thing I get requests for a lot. oh man, how I hate flash intros. so tacky!
Hmmm… yeah… “Papyrus”… should NEVER have been include on ANY operating system as a default font. But, I’ve had a much more harrowing experience with folks using the dreaded COMIC SANS font (and add HOBO to the list of horrific/no place to ever employ these fonts list.)
And the bane of the designers existence - or at least the best manner in which to deprive us of temporary brain function - is to constantly supply us with “hey I got this image off the web… can you use it in my brochure?” lines. Egads!
I can personally piecemeal the rest of the list, but man, those are, for the vast majority of them, THE part and parcel of the downfall of a graphic artist, lol.
It’s painful how true these ring. It’s so nice to know that I’m not the only designer out there with a love/hate relationship with my job.
Thanks for the list!
lol. yup. hardcore is I.
Oh how I hate number 10 and 11. After a while you just go “Ok, fine. Let’s make this ad a over a spread instead. Then we can place your ugly-ass logo over it all, we can even make it bleed, you like you like???”
Funny list!
So true, you got me at #17,
also my husband who is very talented at designing show case kitchens but have no clue or taste about print work, I told several time that he should do it him self or hire someone els. well he does it him self - cring brrrrrrr
Cheers
You can just call this 25 more reasons Donna is a hardcore designer. Clearly.
> 21. You know, explicitly, what a “Flourish” is.
Hah, and exactly why it’s different than an ornament or a hooladander.
And my personal favorite:
> 14. You know keyboard shortcuts that require 4 fingers.
#23 - Every. Damn. Week.
D:
#4, 7 and 11 occur almost once a week; my favorite (i mean, “most hated”) client quote: “can’t you just center everything?” uggh!
:) It’s funny ’cause it’s true! Nice list
the “on call” is so right on. I had a good laugh tonight
Haha… found hard days in the last two days because a client insist on #1, #3 & #24 and also insist to give me ‘direction’ of the design through text messages (sms). That means he use his own design terms and abbreviations!
Just early on, i got a call from an (ex) client, and he said, “I’m sorry, we can’t continue the project, because there are several things we should taking care of, and it’s more important than ‘the internet’.
This post made my day. Thanks!
This is great ;)
Got me in nearly all of them *gg*
But aren´t you missing something about the printing ?!
Hardcore graphic designers should also think about the print ;)
Greetz and tnaks for the great start into the day ^^
While I won’t call myself an hardcore graphic designer, there were terrifying many points I recognized by myself… As that good or is that bad? ;)
#4 - I hate does clients who do that!
25/25
Guess I’m a … geek.
This is absolutely fantastic - ALL of these ring true!! I came here for a break from restoring an old photo and got lots of laughs instead!!
10. You’ve had a client ask you to “Make the logo bigger.”
- BINGO!
You forgot to mention that the 72dpi jpg tends to come pasted in a word document *shudders*
I tend to have problems with clients not supplying enough copy for websites (one or two lines per page in some cases). I’ve even had clients expecting us to write the copy for their site (to which our project manager politely explains that we don’t actually know anything about [insert company name] and [insert industry name].)
Whether it’s a lack of understanding or just ignorance, if you’ve got a nightmare client they’ll tend to tick all the boxes on points 1,2,4, 10, 11 and 14.
This Shit spiced up my day, can’t stop laughing already! oh yeah! call me hardcore… I have clients who believe (not think) they know design far better than I do!
I’m gonna translate it into my language and post it in my blog
haha.. love the nr 10.
reminds me of: http://www.makemylogobiggercream.com/
You should read this book :
99 Francs
(i don’t know if this book has been translated in english)
I found the teaser of the movie with translation :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gcnApnPKbo
see ya
Oh this is GREAT!!!! Totally sharing with friends!
I love number 14. CTRL+SHIFT+ALT+S, I think I turned a cartwheel when I learnt that one.
Numbers 1 and 2 make me hate my job and freelance work.
favorites:
10 + 11
Guilty on all 25 XD, extra funny as I’m not even a Amanoobie Graphic/Web Designer, just a dreaming wannabe :P
Great Post ^^
LOL !
I’m a Hardcore Web designer without a doubt !
Greetings from Chile.
.
..ahh negative space!
AH AH NUMBER 4 EVER
haven’t posted here before but I remember your first set of these - again this list managed to get me thinking I’m addicted! /graphicaholics o_o;
These all are true but I’d have to say #6 and 18 really hit hard..
the internet won’t soon forget our torture chamber they call IE6..
Great list bitt!
[...] of BittBox: 25 MORE Reasons You Might Be A Hardcore Graphic/Web Designer. The follow up to his widely popular 25 Reasons You Might Be A Hardcore Graphic/Web Designer. More [...]
This is awesome, everyone of them are great. I wish nº18 came true, at least the IE6 part :P
Yes!
Yes, I’m not alone! Thanks for this great list.
Love it! Thank you! I’d seen the first list go around a while back and didn’t realize it was you. Great stuff and thanks for the laughs. It’s all so dead on. :D
- Haha.. loved it the first one, and loved the second .. man, hope u make more 25 reasons editions .. i fell like deja vu on at least half of them.. lol ..
my two new photoshop filters are:
1. Pixel F*cking : “can you move that over just a itsy bit? and oh, make it greener”
2. Monitor Blur - blur tool that creates client fingerprints on your monitor
3. Will it Print? Bloat Filter : blows up 72dpi RGB to 300dpi CYMK
[...] etc. Well today they have a hilarious post that is a one-off of an old post. This one is titled 25 Reasons You Might Be a Hardcore Graphic / Web Designer. Some of my favorites 3. You’ve had a client that insisted on using the font “Papyrus,” and [...]
haha my favorite part about the portfolio line is that its based on working for free will get you money later.
well if you paid me now i wouldnt even need a portfolio ever bc id be making money now, not later.
the logic is stunning and i’ve been saying no to that line for some time now.
it feels really.. really good
[...] aqui o artigo original (em [...]
Whenever I wonder if I’m a “real” designer or not, I’ll just come back to this list because everything on it happens at least once a week to me! And a whole bunch of them usually come in one package. Rarely are items as these isolated incidents….
What I love about this particular list is the undercurrent of despair, horror, stress and obsession it conveys. :D
I feel that #18 is actually integral to attaining world peace. We all need to include browser sniffing that will alert IE6′ers to their atrocity, and help them find the light.
So real….
Number 4 is my daily routine :-)
number 15 ….aaaargh remember sad days…
and of course number 23, my favourite….
thats our life folks
Gah! #24 makes me absolutely crazy. I deal with that all. the. time.
ya lots of these are me exacatly! particularly 2. 3. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 14. 15. 20. 21. 23. and 25 number 3 is my life in a nut shell!
I´ve been round your site for a long time but i never replied. This time some how i feel touched and i can not resist to say that i guess no matter where you live or work, it is the same story all around the world, specially here in Spain, it´s said all around Europe, Spain is different!, not in this, hehehe.
I agree a hundred per cent about what you said XD
Keep doing a great job.
Regards from Spain (Europe).
[...] 25 MORE Reasons You Might Be A Hardcore Graphic/Web Designer [...]
Funny the point 14.
oh god…
#4 You’ve requested a vector logo from a client, and instead, they email you a 72 dpi image they grabbed from a website…
… and placed it into a word doc!
so true and so sad.
[...] Part 1 * Part 2 [...]
# 25
This is why I don’t post anything online. Ah, so lame. It always seems like the work I love is the work everyone hates, and the work I hate, people love.
tis life!
Why qualify it to IE6? IE7 is only frustrating because the bugs it has are all different (and therefore break the hacks you spent ages working out) from ver6…
I hear Microsoft keep on the IE development team because they’re training them to make *really* bad products- when they’ve graduated they join TEAM VISTA!
Funny how the top three hardware suppliers put their fingers up to microsoft and will still ship XP2 till July 09 - and they also ship linux distros too, because it seems corporate clients want stuff that works.
Sooo true facts :))…
Classic. They are all so true for me, but #14 about the “four fingered short cuts” made me laugh out loud. It reminds me of memorizing a über-difficult finishing move in Mortal Kombat.
Number 14 is just brilliant ! Made my day.
Yes, number 14. Perhaps the proudest I’ve ever been was when I used and committed to memory my first four finger shortcut.
I have to live trace, or hand trace when it’s too small, tiny logos pulled off websites all the time!
Then there are the clients with complicated colored logos who make you figure out how to make them black and white to do a one color print.
Very true indeed! I have used a font for texture! Well I cheated with a destroyed lookin font, but I got the job done!
Ding! 25 out of 25….I’m officially a “Hardcore Graphic/Web Designer”!!! Well done!. :)
9 describes my social life
[...] I was reading Bittbox earlier today and came across the latest post by them entitled 25 MORE Reasons You Might Be A Hardcore Graphic/Web Designer and thought that some of you people that very rarely frequent my blog might find it quite [...]
I usually hate lists but this was some pretty funny stuff. Every visitor to this site must be guilty of #7. I’m still trying to figure out WTF i’m going to do with all your vectors. lol.
Make the logo a bit bigger…
and that text a bit bigger…
and the logo a bit more bigger…
Oh god, it hurts!!
#4 Classic! Then you learn and tell your clients it has to be vector-file like AI or EPS. Only to experience them downloading a shuddy gfx editor which can save their 72 dpi logo from the website as an EPS file… §#@&%$*
Great list - however, I haven’t been pestered a lot by familiy and friends - lucky me, I guess!
i have to include another point.
client: oh, can we please modify our sponsor-logo, it looks so disgusting on our merch. “talking about sponsor-prints on soccer-shirts”
100% spot on.. going through almost the entire list with a current client.
24 out 25…
mmm…
[...] Bittbox - 25 More Reasons You Might Be A Hardcore Graphic/Web Designer [...]
Excellent!!
Can I add two?
- You´ve heard many times: Come on, it´s a little change, It will take you about 1 minute to do it…
- The client describes what he wants just by saying: I want it to be cool.
EXACTLY!
Ha you know nothing the city where i live you could swear it was
XIX century germany EVERY damn sign in here is done in gothic textura balck with a red shadow
i decided i live in gothic city
aoohhh and how they fear open spaces, if it doesxnt look like a barroque altar, you are just wasting their money
[...] on BittBox, almost all apply to me but these in [...]
You also might be a hardcore graphic designer, if everytime you see the big lots commercial about changing their “Logo” from a mermaid to a merman, you yell at the screen “That’s not a logo!”
I agree with the one about the Papyrus font. I hate that font but see it everywhere. It’s weird. I don’t see the attraction.
haha its all so very sad and very true
I once had a client tell me they felt Papyrus really expressed who they were as a company. I told them that was impossible unless their company built pyramids.
Forget about “papyrus” what about “Comic Sans”, give me a break. A client just insist to add that font in the work……sucks!!!
also like pmc27 says:
“- The client describes what he wants just by saying: I want it to be cool.”
…..and something fresh, and modern, and actual……but without loosing the classic concept……
Really good points!!!
#18 is backwards. It should read: #
The only thing that would make you happier than world peace is the demise of IE6.
so so so so so true!!! ALL of them. No. 10 particularly relevant this week. What’s the matter with them?
About half of these are daily occurrences. Especially 1, 2, 4, and 9.
Would it be bad to give up your first born for the demise of IE 6? (no, i dont have kids)
Don’t forget…
- Dealing with those lovely people that use Microsoft Publisher which qualifies them as a “designer”.
- Requesting a vector logo and they respond with something they have copied and pasted in Word. “It looks great when I print it out on my deskjet, why isn’t it good enough for you to use?”
I’m printing off this list and posting it at work. Even if “they” read it, they won’t get it.
We should all just implement a “You want me to use Papyrus, eh? That’ll be $500 extra.”
How can you describe my life so well? Great list that makes me laugh and cry… I hit at least one of them every day (and that’s a good day).
#10 made me laugh out loud. (Who knew you could laugh and cry at the same time!? =) )
For #18, I think the demise of IE6 might actually make me happier than world peace. =)
This reminds me of a logo I made about a year back for a business department I was interning with. They had complained about the gray and white checkered background, I’m not sure whether they figured out what it was I had left by that point :p
ughhhh flash :( I hate it, I hate making them, I hate when i’m FORCED to make them into intros, especially the ever popular logos that “write themselves” *shudder*
#24 the best if when you do your best to make it updating friendly and even go out of your way to write it down and explain, they still give you a look like ?? or screw something up and blame it on you.
You know me far too well.
This is not the kind of thing you want to be reading at a coffee shop where people look at you sideways for falling off your chair laughing.
Literally.
Favorites: #s 5, 11, 13, 14, & 18
You’ve just described me -to the letter!
And I thought I was the only one who knew about the Ctrl+Shift+Alt+E shortcut (see No.14) … dang!
This is one of the funniest posts I’ve read in a long while and it made my day.
Thanks Bitt!
I love #4, #7, #24.
What’s funny about 24 is that these are usually the people who want to spend less on the site… even though what they’re asking for requires more.
But my favorite is #9! I want to go home and tell my husband about my tragic day at work. Which usually ends in “you talk to much” and/or “you’re a nerd”.
Thanks!
Good lord, #23 reaks of truth.
As well as asking for something “cool” i also get the word “slick” a hell of a lot, especially with websites. WHat does this mean!?
omg im number 7 and 14 (and others too…)
Haha, I guess that #26, or a candidate for the 3rd edition of “25 reasons” might be this one:
- After a long day’s work you start to use Adobe shortcuts for navigating webpages.
It happens to me pretty often, and I guess I’m not the only one, am I, folks?!? :)
Everytime you say the word “client” I instantly think of Marketing Managers.
They generally think they know everything about design and good taste!
#4!!! OMG Soooo true…
I thought i was the only one…
thanks for the post and greetings from VENEZUELA
Sad, so sad…. #4 just happened this morning: 80×50px, snagged from google image overview I think *argh* Bittbox, all your points are so true and regarding the 100 comments it’s so a nice feeling that I know I’m not alone ;-) You saved my day!
Bitt, good shit!
I would have to say at least 10 of these have cropped up in the last week alone.
Mann.. this list are damned true!!
#10 - Ha! Ha! Ha!
#14 - every time when using Photoshop
#15 - I hate it when it happens!!
#23 - cannot sleep when I think about it
#24 - just like want to smack their face
Great list..love it!
haha
“The only thing that would make you happier than the demise of IE6 is world peace.”
we were talking about this at work the just the other day.
I think it’s backwards though. I would rather have IE6 disappear off the face of the earth than to have world peace, hands down.
I can’t believe I have experienced all this! HaHa! Funny stuff.
#2!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!
made 3 logos for a client - 2 kid-like and one with a ‘cleaner’ look (b/c it’s for a kid’s program but obviously parents will make decisions about their kids’ participation) ….
… and the client picked the ‘cleaner’ one …
… and then asked me to make it “MORE KID-FRIENDLY”!!! …
…and put a scale in it.
I swear!
All so true–someone understands me!
Oh #25. “If I only had more time…”
I would have to say that for my current job, #10 & #11 are a never ending process..
Client: “Enlarge the logo”
Me: “Enlarges it, .001″
Client: “Did you make the logo larger?”
Me: “Yes”…
Oh the drama!
I’ve had just about every single one of those. Some of them have happened to me so many times it just makes me want to scream. Especially 1, 2, 10, and 11.
If I may propose an addition…
26. You’ve had a client who gave you a specific (and allegedly important) deadline, so you sent that client a first draft and asked for feedback; but the client didn’t bother to respond, and also ignored the next dozen e-mails you sent them, reminding them of their own deadline… until finally you got an e-mail from them two days (or maybe just ONE day) before the deadline, semi-angrily wanting to know why you haven’t finished.
I’ve had THAT one more than once, too. (Most recently this very week.) Makes me so mad I sometimes contemplate giving it all up and joining the Army.
weee! I’m a hardcore graphic designer..
No. 25 hits me..
You’re never more than 99% happy with your final product because you believe that EVERYTHING can be improved upon. (especially with those tight-deadline projects)
[...] 25 MORE Reasons You Might Be A Hardcore Graphic/Web Designer [...]
Finally it’s all bout being an machine to execute since client’s are always on the hot seat (to guide us, may be control us) and the rest of our lot (for the sake of bucks) follows to the crap 24/7. Love your job. :)
most of these rang true for me as well. it’s nice to know others out there share the same issues.
Honestly, that has got to be one of the best lists (on the topic) I’ve seen in a while. Spot on! Well done!
[...] via BITBOX Fortsetzung [...]
You forgot two…
#26 - Have you ever fired a client for being annoying?
#27 - Charged client an “Annoyance” Fee?
I laughed aloud at #18 and almost got fired for disrupting the office.
And until I found this website I thought I was the only one with these problems. This is some funny stuff.
You think a Papyrus request is bad? We had someone request Comic Sans for a DVD cover once.
Haha! Again… brilliant. I have one:
When you look away from your screen, the world looks blurry…. and you realise you haven’t blinked for 20 mins whilst drawing a clipping path!
Oh man…such a great list.
Number 3 just happened yesterday. I tried to explain to the client gently that Papyrus is completely overused, but he insisted on using it.
Oh, and number 13 “You feel like you’re “On Call” half of the time because clients procrastinate so much.” is the most accurate desciption of my current job. Seriously, these people wonder why they aren’t getting their stuff when they don’t freaking approve any of the proofs you send them!!
These are awesome. My boss is having me enlarge and shrink images on my layout when I’m using the latin placeholder text! I’ve given up on telling him it’s irrelevant until he writes the actual text that’s going to replace it! I think he’s put me through hell with all 25 as have every other boss I’ve had!
You forgot to mention them sending you a pdf and asking you to make major edits! Or better yet, you design it in InDesign, Quark or whatever and then they ask you to send the “original Word” document so that they can completely edit it or rewrite what you’ve spent several weeks going back and forth with them to make fit. Hello! if it was in Word what the hell would you need a graphic artist for!
Dani
Yo
Love the list.
Here’s an addition:
26) You’ve received artwork from someone who’s a great designer but obviously knows NOTHING about production. Example: An Illustrator EPS of a vehicle wrap in which all 4 sides are in one file, next to each other. AND - it’s full of masks and hidden objects and the raster effects is set to 72dpi and if you’re REALLY lucky - there is type in it which hasn’t been converted to outlines! And then there are also all types of transparencies and blending modes and it takes you all day to take it apart and flatten transparency and then it STILL won’t RIP or print correctly!!!!11!!!!11oneoneoneeleven!!!
Oh, and it’s from like UNIVERSAL RECORDS or something equally impressive! You’d think they could hire designers who know their ass from their elbow! AAAAARGH!!!!
x_X
White text on black background - the client asks you to add more contrast. Still looking for answers on that one…
This one and the other 50 you wrote are daily occurrences…
Oh, and I wish I could reach to that 99% happy.
Thanks for this list! It makes me feel more part of the graphic community!!! lol as I have always worked with non designers. Sooo frustrating when they think they know better than you! lol
or this call at 22.30:
Client: Hiya Tim.. can you please make me design for a cool looking poster for this gig im planning?
Me: yea sure love to.. when is it due?
Client: tomorrow 12.00
Me: errrrr…..
Ha! How many times have I had to do 16 for 4! GRRRRR! lol
This is fab, something we can all rant/laugh/cry about…
//drea
Here’s another….
You understand that the term “Final Version” is a relative description, because you also have “Final Final version” and “Final Final Final Version”.
Another…
When your girlfriend says she is “P.M.S.ing”, you ask her what number.
“font” is a computer word, made up by some guys from the PC world. true designers call them typefaces……it will always be typefaces. never font.
thanks.
* you have to explain to your client what a certified pdf is.
8.
You’d rather have a free font than a free gallon of gas.
18.
The only thing that would make you happier than the demise of IE6 is world peace.
Haha this shit is so true. I relative to all of them but these 2 are the shit.
Thanks for the great article and keep up the good work