James Atwood – Designer Extraordinaire

As part of new little series we are introducing you to our lean and mean team here at Impact Sign Co.  As a team our core employees, in which we have three, have been here a minimum of four years.  We are basically family, bicker like family, but in the end we always pull together to get the jobs done.  For our first installment you get to meet James!  James is our graphic designer, Roland & Laguna Router expert.  He even helps Roland out with questions on our VersaJet UV Flatbed Printer.  So without further ado, meet James!

Give us the one minute overview of you, your background and how ended up here in Portland? I grew up in rural southeastern Arizona on a cattle ranch. After college at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, my wife and I were looking for new opportunities and found that Portland is very similar to Flagstaff culturally, so we decided to move and it has worked out really well.

What keeps you excited about about being here everyday? Sign making, much like graphic design, is evolving every day. New technology and techniques bring about different challenges, and it’s exciting to be part of an industry that is continuing to grow and change for the better.

What is your favorite project you have done?  We did a first and second surface acrylic print for Day One Outdoors as a component of their trade show display that turned out really nice.  That method of printing creates a three dimensional effect that always looks sharp.  It’s a good example of our capabilities, going from idea to execution, using our router and the technology of UV printing.

What is the hardest project or material you have worked on?  Design wise, vehicle wraps come with their own set of challenges.  Putting a two dimensional design on a three dimensional surface can be tricky, but the end result makes it worthwhile.

What is your favorite machine in our shop? Our Roland UV Flatbed printer.

If you weren’t working here whar would you be doing?  I do a lot of art and drawing in my spare time, so probably that, or something where I could work with dogs.

Favorite snack at work?  RX Bars & Chicken Sriracha Epic Bars

How do you take your coffee?  Black with almond milk and hazelnut, from Coffee Rush.

Anything else you want to share?  As a graphic artist, working for Impact is a valuable opportunity.  Being able to have a hand in not only the design, but how things are printed and installed has made me a better designer, hands down.  I think it’s something tha anyone looking to get into the design industry should experience, and I wouldn’t  have the chance otherwise.