The Assistant Production Manager is responsible for helping the production manager with the actual mechanical production of printed material the agency develops and designs. These include advertisements, brochures, leaflets, flyers, sales pieces, billboard sheets, direct mail material, pamphlets, and all other advertising and promotional materials turned out by the agency. The individual has varied duties depending on the size of the agency, its structure, and the number of people working in the department.
The function of the production print department is to coordinate all the print ads and materials. This includes taking the ad sketches, photos, and other ideas and turning them into the actual advertisements that will be used in newspapers and magazines. The main goal is to make sure that the advertisements and other materials end up looking the way the copywriters and artists wanted them to look. To do this the individual may assist in a number of ways. Depending on the agency once again, the assistant may begin by physically collecting the finished sketches and layouts for the advertisements from artists, copywriters, and account executives.
He or she may be responsible for searching out suppliers including typographers, photo-reproducers, airbrush artists, photostaters, photographers, engravers, electrotypers, art services, and paper suppliers. The individual may be required to assist the production manager not only by finding these companies but also by obtaining estimates on various projects from a number of different suppliers in any given category. To do this he or she may call or write for proposals and estimates on the projects as they are assigned. He or she may also be responsible for asking various suppliers for bids on services or products. For example, the production department may need to have 100,000 copies of a booklet reproduced. The assistant is required to get estimates or bids on the paper required in addition to the printing.
It is as important to have work done on time as it is to get the best price. Paying a lower price on a service does not do much for the production of an ad if it is not ready when it is supposed to be. Newspapers and magazines do not hold up their production to wait for an advertisement that is late. It is therefore important that the department knows that the company they are dealing with usually meets their deadlines. The assistant may be required to check out references of the various suppliers who will be used to complete projects. He or she may be responsible for bringing the sketch—or comprehensive, as it might be called—to the supply houses to turn it into the finished ad. He or she might also be responsible for explaining exactly what colors, types, and sizes, are required.
While the production manager is responsible for setting the timetables of when things should be finished, the Assistant Production Manager might be the individual responsible for making the various suppliers aware of the date and schedule. The individual must check in with the suppliers at periodic intervals to make sure that things are going according to schedule. He or she may have to follow up and constantly remind them of the deadline times and dates.
The Assistant Print Production Manager is responsible for checking finished type for accuracy. Every letter, punctuation mark, and space must be correct and placed where they are supposed to be. Colors, graphics, and sizes must also be checked. The grade of paper, ink, and finished sizes must all be accurate. The individual is also responsible for checking the quality. Messy, poorly printed advertisements and promotional materials are almost never useful. Everything on the finished piece of work should conform to the original comprehensive and mechanical the artist designed. The Assistant Production Manager may be responsible for checking size requirements for advertisements with magazines, newspapers, or other publications. He or she may be required to obtain actual deadline times and dates from the advertising departments of these publications. The individual may or may not be required to deliver the finished ad to a publication.
The Assistant Production Manager may also be required to input data into computers. This information could include information on suppliers, price quotes, estimates, and references. Data might also include specifics on advertisements such as deadlines, colors, and sizes. Billing information may also be required. The Assistant Production Manager is responsible to the print production manager. The individual in this type of job comes to have a broad understanding of every part of the print production department. He or she usually works normal hours. As in other advertising positions, however, the individual may be required to work overtime to finish a project that needs to meet a deadline.
Salaries differ from position to position in this job category. This is because in some agencies this is an entry level job, and in others the individual is required to have experience. Earnings will differ, too, depending on the duties and responsibilities of the individual and the size and location of the agency. Annual earnings may range from $23,000 to $36,000 or more for Assistant Production Managers. The lower end of the salary range will be for those who have little or no experience. The higher end of the range will go to individuals who have more experience and more responsibilities, and who are working in larger agencies.
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04122010
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