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Blog Entry 4 of 4 Art Tips & Techniques
Meininger Art Supply has been a family owned and operated business in Denver since 1881. With over 125 years of expertise in the art supply business, Meininger's has valuable creative tips and techniques to share with artists, teachers, students, kids & parents. We'll let you know about cool art products, special art events at our store, fun art lessons, and more! Visit our Denver store at 499 Broadway, Denver, CO 80203 (phone 303-698-3838); our Colorado Springs store at 201 South Weber, Colorado Springs, CO 80903 (phone 719-578-8070); or online at www.meininger.com.

Blog Url: http://denver.yourhub.com/~MeiningerArtSupply

How to Make a Killer Portfolio

Contributed by: Meininger Art Supply   on 5/19/2008

On Saturday May 10th, Meininger's Denver store at 499 Broadway held a portfolio seminar for artists and designers wanting to make a killer first impression. Tim Mullen, owner and designer of Pina Zangaro (a high-end presentation product line) traveled from San Francisco to teach local artists ways to make their portfolios stand out from the crowd & impress clients and galleries. Just in case you missed this seminar, we took notes! Here's what you need to know:

There are many different types of portfolios: portfolio books (screwpost bindings, three-ring and multi-ring bindings, welded pages, zippered/handled books), cases, boxes, on-demand print ports, websites, CD and DVD's, etc.

There are many ways to make a portfolio: Buy an off-the-shelf product, modify an off-the-shelf-product, make a custom portfolio yourself with parts purchased from an art supply store, order a custom portfolio, etc.

There are several options for putting your work into a portfolio: Polypropylene, polyester, or vinyl sheet protectors, hinge strips, inkjet sheets, mounting sheets, and DIY solutions such as cloth hinges, etc. Side note: hinge strips or inkjet sheets might be the way to go. You can print out high-quality images from your personal inkjet printer and load them directly into your portfolio without the need for sheet protectors, negating any obtrusive glare from the protector. If an edge gets torn or the sheet gets damaged, simply print out a replacement.

Off-the-shelf and custom portfolios come in many different sizes, and landscape, square and horizontal formats. Use what fits your work the best and makes a statement, or what is popular in your industry.

How to Make a Killer Portfolio; A Basic Checklist:
1) Know your audience.
2) Keep it current. No old student work.
3) Don't overload the portfolio (20-30 pages or less is ideal).
4) Never use originals (you may not get them back) or low-quality prints.
5) Communicate who you are not just with the content but with the packaging.
6) Customize your portfolio to each client.
7) Organize the prints for good flow. Some good work might be inappropriate.
8) Don't leave your portfolio with a client unless absolutely necessary.
9) Keep it clean - no fingerprints or scratches.
10) Don't send CDs unless specifically asked to.
11) Ask friends and colleagues for opinions before showing your portfolio to clients.
12) Include call-back info: a resume or bio and a business card.

Of course, if your client has specific instructions on how to submit your portfolio and what to include, you will want to customize your portfolio to their specifications.

The sales associates at Meininger's are happy to help you pick out the perfect presentation product for your audience. Visit us at 499 Broadway, Denver CO 80203 (p. 303-698-3838) or at 201 South Weber, Colorado Springs CO 80903 (p. 719-578-8070). http://www.meininger.com/

Want to learn more about Tim Mullen and Pina Zangaro products? Visit http://www.pinazangaro.com/



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CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Meininger Art Supply

Denver , CO

Meininger Art Supply has posted 4 blog entries and 0 comments since joining on 11/22/2006. Meininger Art Supply's average blog rating is 0.
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