My name is Zach Schafer, and I am a Graphic Design Intern at Actual Size. My tasks vary from project to project: Some days I am creating templates for a particular client, sometimes editing photos, while other days I am helping revise layout and crank out body content changes.

So far, I am truly enjoying my time at the office because everyone here is extremely supportive, understanding, and kind. They all truly do genuinely like each other, work well together as a team, and I am glad to be a part of all the fun we have here! I like the walks we take to grab lunch at Whole Foods or Bird-on-the-Run, watching “Wife Swap” on TV during our lunch breaks and petting/playing with Pretzel the office puppy! For my very first internship, I could not ask for a better environment like Actual Size where fun is made a priority. (And argued over who is more fun.)

On the job, I have learned an incredible amount of best practices and proper exporting techniques in the various Adobe programs from my intern supervisor, Eric Yeamans. From creating various batch processes in Photoshop to using InDesign “Find and Replace” tool to select and format large sums of body copy within InDesign in just a matter of seconds (Although it does take me a little bit more time to efficiently do this just yet! I am getting there though!) These professional practices really get the projects that I am assigned to moving much faster. On that note, my number one goal that I wish to attain at Actual Size is to become more efficient and develop a stronger sense of file management when working with a Design Firm in my future.

When an entire productive week is over at Actual Size, I enjoy biking and/or running on the weekends. I spend most of my downtime at the park or outside in someway and fill the rest of my weekend working as a Lead Sales Associate at my local Dollar General. Finally, I look forward to sharing my experience with you as the summer passes along every week!