It depends how professional you are.
If you are planning to make this a business, then what can I say? You
should know! You need some training if you don't. It sounds to me
like you are just starting out in graphic design (because you don't
know what a GD studio needs. . .)
Anyway, for an amateur but fairly serious graphic design studio,
here's what I personally would recommend:
-Macintosh computer, preferably with tablet. (Most art programs run on
Macs and Windows or only Mac.)
-A printer. If you DO intend to go pro (you need training) you need a
top-of-the-line industry-quality printer that can print very large
pieces of paper (posters, for example). These are very expensive, and
very very large. For amateur purposes, almost any printer would do.
-A scanner. May be incorporated into printer, but good scanners tend
not to be. For this, whether you are amateur or no, you want good
quality. Large bed, good image quality.
-Some software. Adobe makes the best (In My Humble Opinion). You want
things like InDesign, Photoshop CS, PageMaker, etc. Talk to the people
at the store. They'll hook you up.
-A professional camera, probably. Go for the models for photographers,
not for public use. If you're doing big work like billboards, you're
looking at over 4000 bucks on a camera. You need over 10 megapixels,
frequently.
-A normal camera, and maybe a photo-developing room.
-A large font collection. I recommend buying a gigantic bundle and
spending a few hundred (i.e. like 600 fonts) as opposed to buying
as-you-need. Waaay cheaper. Of course, if you only occasionally need
text, use websites like dafont.com for free fonts. I have over 850
fonts on my computer right now.
Note that that's from a mainly digital point of view, as most GD
studios are. However, if you want more hand-made stuff you also need:
-A good adjustable table, like that used by an architect, with good
light. Also maybe a lightbox would be good.
-Every art supply you can get your hands on, really. Most art studios
have watercolour, acrylic and oil paints, plus charcoal, pen, pencil,
pen + ink, and loads of other mediums.
-High-quality paper.
Anyway, that list isn't comprehensive. It totally depends how much
money you want to spend, and whether you're making a career (in which
case you should know all this!) out of GD, or whether it's just a
hobby. Honestly, if you're just starting out, I recommend taking your
computer, download Gimp for free, and start messing around. Then if
you like it, but don't really want to buy Photoshop CS (it's pricey!)
go for Photoshop Elements. Truth be told, I frequently use Elements
just because it's simpler. It's also a lot cheaper, and has most of
the features of CS. (It doesn't have all capabilities, though, of
course. It's intended for those just starting out, but even it still
has a steep-ish learning curve to it. Photoshop CS is not for those
just getting started! If you are getting started with Photoshop,
though, check out www.good-tutorials.com. Trust me, do a few of their
tutorials, and you'll be well on your way to graphic design
excellence.)
I sort of feel like I deserve five bucks for that. :-( |
