A production artist is someone who is creative, computer savvy and very skilled at content design. An effective production artist has an excellent eye for design and graphics and will have good interpersonal skills for collaborating with other employees in the creative department.
They must be both technical and creative, using those skills to create a finished product that meets organizational and/or client branding goals.
What does a Production Artist do, typically?
A keen eye for detail is essential for any production artist and well as an eye for aesthetics. Their combined knowledge of both graphics and technical skills makes production artists essential to design teams. Their daily responsibilities include:
- Creating and manipulating graphics through Adobe Creative Suite apps such as Illustrator, Photoshop, and Dreamweaver
- Formatting graphics as well as collecting, processing and proofing various graphics files
- Assisting design teams in producing print, packaging, advertising, point-of-purchase, and digital graphics
- Assessing project specifics and creating a final product that adheres to those requirements
- Collaborating with the design team staff to define design goals
- Reviewing and proofing graphic materials before the product is marked as complete
- Following a product workflow and timeline to ensure projects progress in a timely manner
A Production Artist is not:
An Art Director
An art director is more of a managerial role. Production artists are more occupied with the day-to-day tasks of design and creating graphics while an art director oversees the range tasks being completed to ensure a quality final product. See our full description for an art designer here <<link>>.
A Graphic Designer
A graphic designer works on conceptual/strategic ideas which the production artist then takes and implements the mechanical files for the solution. However, it’s important to note that in some in some cases, a graphic designer may double as a production artist in certain situations or within companies.
