I am currently heading into my third week of the Image Works internship. I have been working hands on and building experience at the shop. Assisting with installing vehicle graphics has helped me gain confidence and realize that some of these tasks are not so difficult. We typically only use three different types of printing material. Banner, Vinyl, and Perforated Window Vinyl can be used to create most of the products we have to offer.
Last week, I was assigned my first independent project. I have to create a book cover for a war veteran. The book title is “Birds in Flight,” a book of photography work. I feel lucky to have received this opportunity so early in the internship. I have already almost finished it, I’m creating the book layout in the Adobe Cloud InDesign application. He has already chosen a color scheme. After I came up with a proof, he came in to approve it. This week I am moving forward from there.
In the picture below, we are applying a perforated window vinyl to a pickup truck. It has to be done really carefully in order to avoid bubbles or creases. If it is implied improperly, it has to be reprinted and reinstalled (which rarely happens). As the length of piece was so long, it required two people to properly apply it.
The internship is going great so far, I am learning more everyday. I hope to take on more projects as the summer progresses. My boss and coworkers seem to be very please with my work thus far.
Great to hear that you have a combination of hands-on and creative tasks at your internship. And it’s nice to have the chance to realize your work in a concrete form like on a truck or book cover. Your are getting a good view into the operations side of things. Are you asking questions about the other aspects of the business? How do they get new jobs? How do they determine fair pricing for their services?
My boss, Mrs. Sherri has been running the business for up to 15 years. Being in small areas like Orange City and Deland has help her build cliental that is very consistent. She is also apart of an organization named FAB (females about business) which allows her to network and find potential clients in the area. The shop is just pass I-4 on a busy road so random people stop in for services as well. Most of the printing prices are average, but if something has to be designed then it’s calculated by the number of hours put in plus the material that needs to be printed.