Lol I am really glad to see a concluding follow up here. To be completely honest, it’s going to take a couple more years of real-world working to learn the in’s and out’s of the production process. Your BFA can only teach you so much. I didn’t feel 100% confident in my process until about 5 years working full time after graduation. I mean, you learn a lot in that first year or two afterwards, but it’s a completely different thing to have full confidence to telling printers and clients exactly how you want things to go. Know the limits of the presses you’re running projects on, and use it to your advantage.

If you end up loving the print production process, try to find clients who are printing pieces in the 10k+ quantity ranges so that your projects can run on offset presses. It’s a great learning experience. Always ask if your printers can offer press checks. Show up on time and once you’re in the back with the pressman, ask all the questions you want. I’ve never found a pressman who is stand-offish and doesn’t want to share knowledge. You’ll know roller sizes, how to ask for hickeys to be cleaned off, what they mean when they say it’s a work and turn, and so much more.