Sample Making

As a Sample Maker, you’ll play a key role in bringing point-of-sale concepts to life by producing high-quality prototypes for internal review and customer approval.

A core part of the role is operating our digital cutting table to produce both plain white and printed prototypes. You’ll prepare materials, set up cutting jobs and make sure every component is cut accurately to specification before being assembled or passed to the next stage.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Operating the digital cutting table
• Preparing materials and setting up cutting jobs
• Producing plain white and printed POS prototypes
• Hand-cutting, assembling and finishing samples
• Checking structural fit, construction and overall quality
• Preparing samples for presentations, photography or dispatch
• Handling materials carefully and working to minimise waste
• Maintaining a clean, safe and organised sample-making area
• Producing consistently accurate prototypes to a professional standard

What we’re looking for

• A recent college or university graduate in graphic design, print, packaging, product design or a related subject
• A good working knowledge of Adobe Illustrator and the wider Adobe Creative Suite
• A basic understanding of artwork setup and print-ready file preparation
• Excellent attention to detail and a methodical approach
• Strong practical skills and an enthusiasm for making things
• The confidence to work with physical materials, tools and equipment
• Good organisational and time-management skills
• The ability to follow specifications, dimensions and technical instructions
• A proactive attitude and willingness to learn
• Pride in producing accurate, high-quality work
• The ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team

Previous experience in point-of-sale, packaging, large-format print, prepress or sample making would be useful, but it isn’t essential. Training will be provided in our equipment, systems, processes and production requirements.

Learning and progression

You’ll work alongside experienced graphic designers, structural designers and production specialists, gaining a broad understanding of how POS projects move from an initial concept to finished production.

As you grow into the role, we’ll support you in developing the areas that best suit your skills and ambitions. This could lead towards:

• Creative artworking and graphic design: developing your artwork, layout, visualisation and creative execution skills
• Structural design: developing your understanding of materials, construction, CAD and the structural development of retail displays

There is no expectation to choose a specialism immediately. The role is designed to provide hands-on experience across both sides of the studio, creating a solid foundation from which your career can develop.

About the studio

Studio INC is the creative design studio within InContrast. Our team brings together graphic design, structural design, 3D visualisation, production artwork and sample making to develop retail displays and point-of-sale campaigns from initial concept through to production.

This is an ideal opportunity for someone at the start of their career who wants to gain valuable prepress and production experience, learn from a multidisciplinary team and build towards a longer-term career within creative or structural design.

How to apply

Please send your CV, along with a portfolio or examples of relevant college, university, personal or practical work, to chris.broad@sti-group.com.

We’re interested in seeing how you think and what you enjoy making, so don’t worry if your portfolio doesn’t include commercial point-of-sale work.