Production Designer

Overview

Designer. We're an independently owned FASTSIGNS franchise in Irvine. Locally run, tight-knit, and growing. The team includes an outside sales rep, a store manager, a production crew, and one graphic designer. This posting is for that designer seat—the seat the rest of the shop revolves around. Without good art, nothing gets printed, cut, or installed. You will not be one of twelve designers shipping into a queue.

You'll be the designer. What you build today goes out the door this week and shows up on a building, a vehicle, a tradeshow booth, or a storefront soon after. We make signs, vehicle graphics, banners, wall and window graphics, ADA and way finding, dimensional letters, and decals—basically anything visual a local business needs. Customers range from single retail jobs to multi-location rollouts.

• Design and prepress (most of your time):
  Build new artwork from customer briefs, rough sketches, or “make it look like this.” Take customer-supplied art and rebuild or clean it up so it actually prints. Prep production-ready files: outline fonts, embed images, scale at output size, set bleeds, color-manage for our output devices. Maintain the customer logo and art library. Inspect every job before it goes to output: right material, device settings, size, colors.
• Run print and cut production:
  Operate the roll-to-roll printer, color management, media loading, RIP and print queue, quality checks. A desktop UV printer, a flatbed, and a second roll-to-roll are on the roadmap, and you'll be trained on and running those too.
• Operate the vinyl plotter: set up cut paths, load rolls, run cuts, weed, mask, and hand off (or apply, depending on the job).
• File prep for CNC router and laser cutter: clean vectors, proper tool paths, accounting for kerf, tabs, and material. Correct line weights and colors for cut vs. score vs. raster. The operator depends on you sending files that don't waste material or burn time.
• Light hands-on production: laminate prints, mount vinyl or paper to substrate, and help with applications and finishing when production is slammed.
• Occasionally be customer-facing: clarify direction before you burn hours going down the wrong path.

• Real proficiency in Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign with hands-on, practical experience.
• 2+ years of design experience; sign, print, or production background is a plus. We may consider strong designers from adjacent fields if you're willing to learn the production side quickly.
• Solid file hygiene: layered, named, organized files that can be reused across jobs months later.
• Comfort with print production realities: bleeds, color profiles, vector vs. raster, avoid using a 72dpi logo.
• Willingness to get up from the desk: this is not a pure-design seat. You will be on your feet part of the day, running equipment and handling materials.
• Ability to prioritize across 10 to 20 active jobs without dropping balls.
• High school diploma or equivalent. Formal design training is a plus but not required if you can do the work.

Growth here is shaped by how you contribute. Two real paths:

• Depth in design: take on harder, more creative jobs, own brand work for repeat customers, and potentially lead as we hire a second designer.
• Breadth into production: cross-train on the CNC and laser cutter so you can take a job from concept to finished sign without handoffs. As we add equipment, become the person who knows every machine in the shop.

• Full-time, on-site at our Irvine shop.
• Monday through Friday, daytime hours.
• Paid time off, 401(k) with match, and competitive pay.

Send a resume and a portfolio (link or PDF). Portfolio matters more than the resume, so show actual work. If you've done sign or print production, put that up front.

Compensation: $25.00 - $32.00 per hour

At FASTSIGNS, every day is unique and offers opportunities, including new ways to use your talent and grow your skills. We have a large network of independently owned locations offering competitive pay and ongoing training opportunities.

Are you ready to plan for your future? Discover your next career. Make your statement.

Learn more by exploring the positions offered by FASTSIGNS centers.

This franchise is independently owned and operated by a franchisee. Your application will go directly to the franchisee, and all hiring decisions will be made by the management of this franchisee. All inquiries about employment at this franchisee should be made directly to the franchise location, and not to FASTSIGNS Corporate.