Art Director - Hello! Magazine

Position Summary

The Art Director is responsible for managing the end-to-end production workflow of HELLO! Thailand and its annual special editions. This role ensures seamless coordination between the Editorial, Creative, Advertising, India Production Team, and Printing House to deliver high-quality publications on schedule. The ideal candidate is highly organized, detail-oriented, and experienced in print production, publication workflows, color management, and stakeholder coordination.

Key Responsibilities:

Publication Management

• Coordinate the monthly production of HELLO! Thailand
• Manage the production schedule for annual special editions, including:
  • HELLO! Education
  • H-LISH
  • Taste Guide
• Ensure all production milestones are achieved within established deadlines.

Editorial Production

• Prepare and finalize layouts for all editorial sections.
• Coordinate with editors, writers, and designers during the editorial review process.
• Submit editorial layouts to the Editor in Spain for final editorial approval.
• Incorporate editorial feedback and ensure all revisions are completed accurately.

Advertising Production

• Review and verify all advertising materials before submission to the India Production Team.
• Ensure advertisements meet technical specifications and publication requirements.
• Coordinate with internal and external stakeholders to resolve artwork issues when required.

Proofreading & Pre-Production

• Consolidate proofreading corrections and updated editorial files.
• Submit approved files to the India Production Team for color separation.
• Prepare and communicate detailed image retouching instructions where necessary.
• Monitor production quality throughout the prepress process.

Production & Print Coordination

• Coordinate with the India Production Team throughout the production cycle.
• Manage the return of completed production files and arrange digital proof generation.
• Liaise with external printing vendors and internal stakeholders to maintain production timelines.

Digital Proof Review

• Review digital proofs for editorial pages, advertisements, typography, image quality, and color accuracy.
• Coordinate corrections where required.
• Provide final proof approval before proceeding to print production.

Final Artwork & Print Preparation

• Prepare and distribute the final dummy to the India Production Team.
• Coordinate preparation of final print-ready files for printer imposition.
• Review imposed files prior to final production approval.

Prepress & Printing

• Coordinate with printers during the imposition and prepress stages.
• Support the final verification process before printing commences.
• Track printing schedules and ensure timely completion of production.

Press Check

• Attend press checks at the printing facility.
• Inspect magazine covers, advertisements, color accuracy, image quality, and print consistency.
• Resolve production issues in collaboration with printers and the production team.

Post-Production

• Receive final publication PDFs from the India Production Team.
• Archive production files and maintain organized documentation.
• Prepare cover files for digital publishing and coordinate delivery to the online publishing team.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Publishing, Printing Technology, Visual Communication, or a related discipline.
• 3–5 years of experience in magazine, newspaper, publishing, or print production.
• Experience managing end-to-end publication production workflows.
• Knowledge of prepress, color separation, digital proofing, and print production processes.
• Experience coordinating with printers and external production vendors.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong project and production management skills.
• Excellent attention to detail and quality control.
• Knowledge of print production, color management, and publishing standards.
• Ability to manage multiple deadlines simultaneously.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Problem-solving mindset with the ability to work under tight publishing schedules.
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (particularly InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator) and Microsoft Office.

Success Measures

• On-time publication of all magazine issues and special editions.
• High production quality with minimal print errors.
• Efficient coordination across editorial, production, advertising, and printing teams.
• Timely approval and delivery of print-ready files.
• Consistent adherence to publication schedules and quality standards.