I don’t know why I get this persistent feeling this is a means of foisting responsibility on others and failure to own one’s work. Designers are supposed to be paying attention to details
In the world of copy editing, every time you go through a manuscript you will find something you need to correct. Conversely, your ability to spot errors in that manuscript reduces drastically every time you go through it.
Could one say the same thing about design?
Graphic Design has never been “simple.” Imagine making a mistake back in the 70s during paste-up or type-setting.
It’s just a different skill set, and I’d expect a professional level of attention to detail even with today’s “complex” work. Design itself hasn’t changed. Just the output methods.
On a professional level, offering a service also carries with it certain expectations. Why would someone want to pay for an extra set of eyes if those eyes don’t have a vested interest in being correct?
I see the OP has downgraded this idea of proofing to a personal project rather than something at a professional level. I suspect the post was made more out of a sense of frustration with this personal project than any real desire to hire a “graphic proofer.”
Loving things one’s parents put together for them doesn’t depend on perfection — it depends on the love that went into making it. An outside professional critic couldn’t add anything to that.
I think so — at least to a some extent.
There are finished projects I was pleased with at the time. Looking at them a few months later, however, made me question my judgment.
The reverse can be true too. I’ve sometimes abandoned ideas out of frustration that weeks later seemed much better than what I remembered.
Really the best way to get “feedback” might be to run a digital press proof of your work. That way you can see things you need to fix. In addition, if you do run a press proof, ask the printer what the max safe art area is and use it all for experimentation. Do 2-3 of the same design with different blacks, techniques, design elements…
If you are asking someone, or if you yourself want to “fix” your files, that is what production artists/designers do.
Tell me about it.
“I have this graphic I want to print. Can I see a proof at actual size on these 10 different media so I can decide which works best?”
“Uh…that costs money.”
“Oh.”
Yeah I always tell clients if they think of it, we can probably do it. The real question is “Does the customer want to pay for the time it takes to do it right?”
It’s amazing how running off a $75 press proof can save $1,000’s down the road on color matching.
I need to reassess my pricing structure…
I should stress that is a digital proof.