This image was taken at work, where the primary computer runs Windows. At home, I'm Mac only. The draw back to being cross-platform is getting the hot keys mixed up. There are few differences between the platforms, however, I have a personal preference for MacOS. It seems the line between platforms is becoming blurred. Cross-platform fonts, and the ease with opening documents on either platform is making this industry stable. The main difference between Mac and Windows computers, name your poison. There will be features you don't like, no matter what, pick the platform you can like more. And make sure you get enough computer to do the job.
Websites I visit:
From Design Into Print
Adobe.com
PhotoshopUser.com
LayersMagazine.com
There are plenty more sites that I visit, these are just a few. This is the short list.
I have been working in a print shop since 1999. I got the job, because I made a comment to a friend and suggested that I knew all there was to Pagemaker. When she found out that the shop was looking for someone, she said, "Call PJ." They did. I was given a test project and got hired, even with amateur skills.
Though my skill were amateur. I wanted the job, I had to be fearless with the software. I wanted to know more, I began taking classes at Austin Community College, the skills were polished. Now I look at a file from that time period, and all I can think is, did I really set up that file, that way, that badly? If the file works, it's left alone, if it requires changes, it gets updated to a better layout. The software progressed, I progressed. There are still areas of interest that I would like to know more about, Security Printing, Packaging, and whatever I can learn to benefit my current job.
I am good at matching fonts. I seem to remember the names of my favorites, and least favorites for the most part. The fonts I recognize and don't remember the name, I use Identifont, answer the questions and get the name I am looking for most of the time.
I have a print broker that calls me a geek. I earned the title. Dan brings me forms that requires setting up tables. There was a project he had been trying to match a font on for two weeks, brought it to me and I matched in three minutes. My first guess from the Bodoni family was wrong, then I saw the "R" and it said, "Engravers Roman." We had a good laugh. Every time I tell him about something that can be done with InDesign or Illustrator, he says, "I learned something new today," or he calls me a geek. I don't mind, we have a good laugh most of the time. If you can't laugh, it's not a good day.
I've been hanging out on Twitter and Facebook. Connecting with friends I've lost contact with and making new friends. Thor Ramsey said "Twitter is like grown up baby talk." He's right.
My hobbies? What hobbies, I spend my free time learning new things about the software, because it's fun.