40 years.
Today is a notable day in Sacramento graphic design history.
Page Design is celebrating 40 years in business.
Back on May 1st of 1980, after working for another design firm for a few years, a young Paul Page decided to set up his own shop and open up his own graphic design firm in downtown Sacramento.
There were no computers or cell phones.
Gas was $1.22 per gallon.
The Kings were in Kansas City.
Late Night with David Letterman and CNN weren’t a thing.
Walter Cronkite delivered our news.
“The Empire Strikes Back” had just been released in the theatres.
And there was no internet… simpler times.
Pen to paper, hand to blade, Click to mouse.
Graphic design was completely done by hand, analog, using odd-shaped tools we don’t even remember what they’re called. It was a land populated with french curves, rapidograph pens, photostats, hot wax, and rubber cement. Poisonous chemicals challenged our every breathing moment. Chromatics, Letraset, burnishers, and X‑acto blades were used on a daily basis.
We are lucky that some of our Page Designers today are part of that generation of graphic designers that successfully bridged the gap between keyline, paste-up, and the digital world of Macintosh computers. They made the switch. This perspective gives us an experienced understanding that; regardless of the tools or the medium, the goal has always been the same — clarify our client’s message and amplify it to the world.
Over the course of the next month or two, we will be sporadically sharing little moments in the history of the last 40 years of one of Sacramento’s longest-running graphic design studios. Check out our Instagram feed to see a sometimes inspiring, sometimes hilarious collection of work samples created over the last 40 years. And check our NEWS section for future interviews with some of the people that helped create the legacy of Page Design.
We’re currently booking our 647th client and completing something close to our 30,000th project. There’s been a lot of changes, a lot of learning, and a lot of growth. This knowledge and experience has been constantly shared from generation to generation through to the hearts, hands, and minds of our wonderful staff. We want to thank all of the past Page Designers that helped to build this legacy.
The scrappy bunch at Page Design.
Our current team is made up of a lot of young faces and a lot of “experienced” faces. We will celebrate the long-term service of two employees this month. One has worked for us for 25 years and the other 36 years. This cultural mix provides a magical combination making Page Design such a fun place to work.
Hard work, flexibility, and good old fashioned luck continue to play big parts in making the dream continue. But Page Design couldn’t have existed without so many generous clients. A handful of these clients have been with us for over 25 years, and their level of dedication to Page Design only adds to the legacy.
Our printers are also amazing and it’s wonderful to have worked with such a dedicated group of people over these years. These people are in a tough business, with their own set of challenges, so we want to thank them for all their continued support in making our clients’ work look fantastic.
As my partner, Mike and I help to lead this company into the next 40 years, we stand on the shoulders of giants. This success is all about the strength of a team dedicated to the same mission. We will continue our dedication to provide the best service-with-a-smile to all of our wonderful clients. Thanks for the last 40 years!