So, you're a graphic designer! Congratulations! Now, how do you go about making a living at it? Several tips, strategies, and methods are presented here to allow you to make the most out of your graphic design business, whether you're freelancing by yourself or are putting together a larger firm.

The first thing to do is secure for yourself good, cheap art supplies. Dick Blick is an online store that regularly sells high-quality art supplies for all mediums, and their prices are always between 30% to 50% below what you'll find in any brick and mortar art store. Another place that caters to design papers of all kinds is Limited Papers, they sell custom paper sizes of a wide variety of quality papers, and they'll sell in broken carton quantities. That last point is essential as you must maximize the profitability of any given graphic design, and buying a whole carton of paper to produce one logo or sign is not the most efficient use of your budget. If you're a computer graphic designer, save your pennies and get the best graphics software out there, and get a decent computer to go with it. Adobe Creative Suite 3 is widely regarded as the top of the line total digital package for graphic design, and TigerDirect can set you up with a decent bare-bones kit that can handle your design needs without breaking the bank. I particularly recommend the barebones kits because putting a computer together these days no longer requires a computer degree, and is a great cheap alternative to getting one already set up.

Putting together a good studio is also important. A defined and separate workspace is often regarded as vitally important to continuity and originality of any creative endeavor, which the field of graphic design definitely partakes of. A separate studio will provide the optimal environment in which to work, protect delicate and expensive art supplies and computers, and may help to provide a working headspace from which to draw ideas. Any studio should have decently comfortable furniture with which to work, in addition to several sources of both natural and artificial light.

Many graphic designers take a job with a graphics firm for a few years after graduation from college in order to get the vital real world experience it takes to make it on one's own. While this is a good idea, there is nothing stopping you from putting your work out into the world independently while you are still employed at a firm. Whether starting a completely independent business or looking to build your own reputation on your nights and weekends, there are a few convenient ways to promote yourself without having to work at it too hard. DeviantArt is an artist's website where you can upload digital works into a gallery space, and the site even offers an option for a prints account where admirers can purchase prints of your works, thereby increasing the value of a given artwork.