Direct Digital Design: 1994-2001+

I have been associated with Direct Digital Design since 1994, when they moved me from Florida to San Antonio, Texas. At that time, there was a San Antonio location called Gazlay Graphics. In 1995 Gazlay Graphics was merged and moved into the Kansas City location Direct Digital Design (I stayed in San Antonio).

Director of Geekdom

A great deal of the work performed in the shop is aided with databases, automation, and specialized software tools. I oversee the development and implementation of these items - geek work (A form of grunt work).

The projects link to the left describes some of the main projects I've done.

DDD is creative company offering print and non-print design, digital photography, Internet services, and is a full service pre-press shop. For those non-graphic folks, pre press is the process of taking color (usually) photographic, graphic art, and text elements and preparing them for print. In a simple work flow we receive a layout, usually an electronic format like a QuarkXpress file, from a client, substitute color prepared electronic pictures placed in the file, and create four pieces of film that goes to the company that will do the actual printing. Each piece of film represents a specific ink color, cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.

The process involves creating the original images in electronic format, usually done by scanning the photographers work with a scanner, or taking the photographic electronically using a digital camera. Images have to be manipulated - backgrounds removed or added, sweaters colors changed, or creating shadows and masks. The finished product is a piece that is printed, and the print process is 'color additive', meaning the color is create by adding an amount of a primary ink - cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (K, the inks together are referred to as CYMK) - to while paper. In CYMK space you start with white (0% ink) and adding any primary creates color. A computer screen is 'color subtractive', which is where a screen dot is white when all the primary color - red (R), green (G), and blue (B) - exists at 100%, and lowering the amount (removing color) of any primary creates a colored dot. An important part of the work done is converting a color from RGB space to CMYK space.

The client base includes catalogers, publishing houses, ad agencies, and retailers. DDD specializes in work that requires a high number of image reuse such as catalogs. Unlike a magazine, where an image is used perhaps once, catalogs may have the same photograph used several times in a book, and may be used more books being produced at the same time. This requires heavy database and server management to be sure if an image is modified (color correction, removing a telephone poll, etc.), every page of every book that uses that image gets updated.

Towards the end of 2001, I changed my employee status from DDD to Toolbox Studios. The reasons were very simple: my talents were underutilized, and the benefits DDD was able to offer me (located 600 miles away) over time became less useful to me. By leaving DDD as an employee and joining Toolbox, I was able to still provide DDD the same services they were getting before, while being able to spend the majority of my time on challenging projects driven by Toolbox Studios, and the fact I could go to a local doctor with any level of coverage didn't hurt either.

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Mini-Concepts, Inc.: 1983-1994

General Manager (1988-1994). Oversaw the operations of the companies two (for several years three) locations in Daytona Beach, Gainesville, and Deland Florida. Fully responsible for inventory management, ordering, service, support and training. Each store had a store manager who reported to me, and I reporting directly to the owner/president. In spare time sold systems and even trained at installations.

Service Manager (1986-1988). Oversaw all service related activities and the Daytona Beach and Deland Florida locations. Each location had at least one technician who reported to me. Responsibilities included service inventory, warranty contracts, warranty reimbursement paperwork. Sold systems and trained at installations.

Service Technician (1983-1986). Service repair. Apple Computer Level One Certified in Macintosh, LaserWriter, and AppleShare systems.

Sears: A really long time ago

I can fix lawn mowers, washing machines, and drive a forklift!