Expert: Sean Trapani - 7/19/2010

Question
Mr. Trapini,
  Hi, I have two quick questions.  For and Art Director, would I need a certification from adobe on their products?  I assumed not, since the portfolio shows your proficiency, or lack thereof but I figured I'd ask.  Next, do all print campaigns have to be 8 1/2 x 11, because I made 2 of mine 8 x 9.75 (I saw someone do it online), or should I change them.
Thanks for your time,
  Peter

Answer
Peter, no certification is required. And there are no standard sized, per se. However, you should demonstrate an understanding of the media for which you're developing your work. If you tell a potential employer, "this is a magazine ad," you'll want to make certain that the dimensions of your ad reflect the actual size of the intended media. You can, of course, change the overall size to scale based on the needs of your portfolio.

ST