A restaurant owner is opening a new restaurant and wants her sign to be just like the one at the other location. This sign has flat acrylic faces. They are red with white letters. Clarendon Bold....for a Chinese restaurant?? I told her that I would price her painted faces. Well, she doesn't want painted faces because those from another location had faded badly. She wants "the computer letters". My question: Wouldn't lacryl or gripflex paint outlast translucent vinyl? How could I convince her when she's dead-set on vinyl?
Anyway, wouldn't you have to apply red vinyl to the whole face and reverse weed the letters without having a seam somewhere(they're 4x8 faces)? If I used red acrylic that wouldn't work either would it? You'd have to apply white vinyl to the ouside of the faces and then they would look black at night. Thanks
edited typos
[ February 19, 2004, 01:28 PM: Message edited by: Wayne Webb ]
Posted by Checkers (Member # 63) on :
Hiya Wayne, Don't try to change her mind unless it's going to save you a whole lot of headaches. Quote the job both ways and make a note on how long you'll warranty either application.
Havin' fun,
Checkers
Posted by Jim Bagaas (Member # 3808) on :
Pretty much your looking at white plastic with red vinyl covering with the lettering cut out.
White letters on red will show dark at night like you said.
Posted by Wayne Webb (Member # 1124) on :
Well, Seeing as our plotter is 24'', I can't do this one without a seam.
Haven't climbed up there to see but, I'd be willing to bet that her present sign faces are painted acrylic too.
Posted by Marc St.Denis (Member # 3329) on :
Did you consider applying vinyl behind the face (on a clear sheet) that way the seems shows less and it's also more durable...
just my two cents...
Posted by Wayne Webb (Member # 1124) on :
They show less than on a white sheet? Then put white translucent in the letters Wouldn't the seam still show?
Posted by Tim Whitcher (Member # 685) on :
Red transluscent vinyl works fine, and you could always subcontract the vinyl letters (Gregory Inc., or maybe a letterhead with a 36 or 48 inch plotter). Gripflex BACK-PAINTED then sprayed white would be the most durable. Translucent vinyls are only rated for 5 years, that I know of. I know of many back-painted faces going on twenty years that still lookk good. Good luck!
Posted by Brian Snyder (Member # 41) on :
1-Apply a 4'x8' sheet of vinyl to white trans acrylic. 2-Cut the letters out of cheap vinyl. 3-Apply letters to sign. 4-Trace letters with x-acto knife. 5-Peel out the letters. 6-Have a beverage.
I have a 30 plotter so thats how I do them.
Posted by James Donahue (Member # 3624) on :
Awesome Brian! Posted by Sheila Ferrell (Member # 3741) on :
Marc an' Brian s'ed it well . . . . but I'm still wonderin' are'nt clear acrylic panels still bein' painted on the inside?? (I'm like you Wayne, that grip-flex on the inside just lasts forever).
. . .heh, heh, but then, I have'nt worked around the 'lectric signs in quite a few years, 'cept I remember the one MAJOR drawback to painted faces . . . DENATURED ALCOHOL AND 19,000 PAPER TOWELS to clean out the ol' business an' bring in the new . . . MAN, I hated that job . If only I wudda just had to tear off vinyl in them days . . . Posted by Craig Shaub (Member # 3119) on :
Hey Wayne...
I have to agree with Brian and James... that sounds like a good solution... I might have to try that one... cheap vinyl and hand cutting them out of the good stuff... don't forget the beverage either!!
Like Checkers said, too, give your client a bid on both ways and warranty them respectively... I usually give my clients two bids if I have the time or if they are unsure of what they should do. I usually try to give them an economical solution and a top o' the line remedy.... One of my clients wants a 8x24 foot sign for a building, so I gave him a quote for a DiBond Substrate/Vinyl sign(econmical) and one that is all Laser Cut Acrylic from GEMINI... $$$$$.
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(I'm like you Wayne, that grip-flex on the inside just lasts forever).![[Frown]](frown.gif)
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