Are there any graphic designer-types in the house?

[awp101]

OK, I started back to school this month and my degree is going to be in Graphic Communication. The first class I'm taking related to that field is Basic Graphic Design and we are using Adobe InDesign. Later in the semester we will be using CS6 or Illustrator 6, I don't recall which.

I'm doing this because it's something I want to learn as a hobby, not to get into the graphic design industry so here's my question(s):

My main focus will be photography and digital imaging so is there a reason to get ID or CS6 when Photoshop (or even GIMP) will handle pretty much all I want to do (AFAIK)?

As it will be a hobby/relaxation thing, I'd prefer to get one of the boxed packages rather than go the monthly subscription route. If it were for a business, etc I could see it but there's no reason I can see to pay $30+/mo when that would go over the cost of buying the software after a year or two and I can live without having the "latest and greatest" features as soon as they come out.

The best my instructor could suggest was to try ID and CS to see which I liked best but didn't address the hobby aspect. I suppose since the class is geared towards those wanting to do it for a living, it may not be anything she's had to consider or give an opinion on.

So, what are your thoughts and am I missing anything in my train of thought?

[deafrn]

If you are enrolled in a college or tech school, you should be able to get a student discount on the Creative Suite 6 package, and that is what I'd recommend for most people in your situation. Yes, you can do most - if not all - of the photo manipulation with just Photoshop 6, but my guess is that there will be times down the road when you will feel like you are behind the 8-ball without either InDesign or Illustrator.

The initial outlay might be more than just PS6, but one way to look at it is that all the included software never loses its ability to do what it does when new, and if you don't see a need to upgrade, you may be set for a long time.

(FWIW, I've been a full-time production graphics man since the days when Amberlith, swivel knives and stat cameras were the tools of the trade.)

[bakamorgan]

I've tinkered with CS5 vs GIMP and I seem to have more issues with gimp just acting up, crashing or just sometimes not working properly. Is one or the other really better then the other, hard to say I'm not a pro and I just mess with them in my spare time to make fun pictures of family members by adding effects and other stupid stuff.

The adobe suite with all the extra packages is way nice, once you use some of those it's hard to switch to another platform.

[1894c]

i really hate to mention this, but in my other life i was a senior art-director for a couple of ad-agencies in NY...i have over 23 years as a graphic designer--i would tell you to acquaint yourself with any graphics program that you think you'll need...(in my day the ability to draw was huge)...i would also tell you to work with type and start looking at print-media ads--see what makes them successful in your mind...the biggest piece of advice i can give you is practice, and when you're done practice some more...and by the way i need that project you're working on finished and a .pdf on my computer in the next 20 minutes...boy that felt good... :)

[Hobie]

My daughter is in the field. She has found that the more experience she has with all the programs the better. Of course she has her preferences but it doesn't matter to clients or bosses.

[awp101]

Thanks all! I can see a reason to go with CS6 Design Standard since it includes ID, PS, etc.

Another thing I'm going to have to take into account is computer costs. The desktop is a 32 bit version of XP, the laptop is a 32 bit Vista and CS6 takes the 64 bit Win 7 (or Mac equivalent) or higher. And I don't think there's enough RAM in either existing 'puter here at the house.

Between the student cost of CS6 ($450-ish) and a new box of black magic, I'm looking at almost 2 cases of ammo...

30wcf, talk to the instructor. She said we can't work on any of our projects outside of class or lab time....

deafrn and 30wcf, I may be picking your brains at some point.

[olyinaz]

If you are enrolled in a college or tech school, you should be able to get a student discount on the Creative Suite 6 package, and that is what I'd recommend for most people in your situation. Yes, you can do most - if not all - of the photo manipulation with just Photoshop 6, but my guess is that there will be times down the road when you will feel like you are behind the 8-ball without either InDesign or Illustrator.

The initial outlay might be more than just PS6, but one way to look at it is that all the included software never loses its ability to do what it does when new, and if you don't see a need to upgrade, you may be set for a long time.

(FWIW, I've been a full-time production graphics man since the days when Amberlith, swivel knives and stat cameras were the tools of the trade.)

Well I hesitate to add to that as I feel "the man" has spoken! But in my humble experience I've found CS6 to be much easier to work with than GIMP. It's not that GIMP can't do whatever, it's just that everyone and everything is sort going in a CS direction so those are the tutorials and help and info that you find out there so abundantly, and that certainly matters to me.

Computers have come way down in cost so that's a help, but do take care regarding the monitor - your professor may have some suggestions there.

Good luck!

Oly

[deafrn]

Another thing I'm going to have to take into account is computer costs. The desktop is a 32 bit version of XP, the laptop is a 32 bit Vista and CS6 takes the 64 bit Win 7 (or Mac equivalent) or higher.

Even though I have a strong preference, either platform can do the job. I have been a Mac user since the days of the Macintosh Plus and still keep a fairly new iMac here at home, but the workplace insisted I cross over to the PC about six years ago because they wanted to be an all-windows organization. The current Dell at work running Windows 7 is not a bad machine, but as olyinaz mentioned earlier, get a good monitor if you really need to nail down color calibration; too many purchasing types in a business think that a monitor is a monitor, but brother, they ain't all the same.

(I cuss the monitor I am "blessed with" very time I open up Photoshop, but about anything will do for vectoring a logo in Illustrator.)