Publishing Solutions Group

Don Ayer

Production Manager
T: 617.274.9006
E: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

A self-described technophile (his favorite magazine is Popular Science) and Mac addict (after using a Mac for the first time he switched his major from Environmental Science to Graphic Design), Don Ayer joined Publishing Solutions Group in early 2009 as our Production Manager. With nearly ten years of hands-on and management experience in the publishing field, Don is a highly skilled professional. He is responsible for all aspects of book production: format and page design; page layouts and page proofs; page checks; placement of photos and figures; and delivery of files to printer. Don spends his days working in InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator. He is known for following client specifications to produce high-quality page layouts that are cost effective and always done within the schedule.

Don’s favorite types of projects are Teacher’s Editions. “The pages are complicated and the volume is heavy,” he explains, “but the regular patterns and formulaic nature of the layouts make for lots of ways to save time in page composition; you just have to know what to look for. If I see a step that will need to be repeated many times, I will always look for a faster and cleaner way to do it.” Another part of the job Don enjoys is building accurate and efficient templates. He loves finding little tricks and tweaks that can be incorporated to save a few seconds here and there while also incorporating measures to avoid possible problems further down the road.

Prior to working at PSG, Don did freelance production and consulting work for publishers and developers. Before that, he worked as the manager of the Art, Design & Production Department for a developer. There, he managed production for high-volume, fast-paced English and Spanish products for a variety of educational publishers. Years before that, while still in college, Don had one of his most memorable jobs: a night security guard at a private housing community on Long Island Sound. Basically, he was paid to hang out at the beach all night and keep people just like him from hanging out there.

When Don’s not working hard on his Mac, he’s playing Boggle or Rock Band. Tall and easy-going, he loves word games and can even hold his own against editorial types. A Rock Band expert, Don’s known for easily getting a score of 100% on Modest Mouse’s Float On. Three things he couldn’t live without? His MaciLife, any newspaper with a crossword or Sudoku, and his iPhone.