been working on this quote for about 6 months now. You know layouts, digital pics customer gets back with you bout every weeks or so, but its cool building is under construction.
this building backs up to a very busy road and he wants the name of his company to show up on the dark brown brick......no problem. i suggest an ivory color, not tacky and loud but soft enough to stay in the "theme" of the building and at the same time be visible.
he calls today and informs me that his interior designer chose bronze letters for the building. WTF!!!!!!! ok so bronze letters on dark brown brick, here we go again.
i made a post a couple weeks ago about who the hell is choosing these colors in my area, now i know. its some chick that does curtains and toilet seat covers.
but you know what, i told him my thoughts on that color and i WILL NOT be responsible for any lettering that cannot be read. i see this as not looking good at all.
this is reason #88 i am starting to hate the sign business. I know what works and i know whats effective. i know whats subtle but yet visible. i choose colors to be effective SHE"S choosing colors to coordinate.......coordinating aint getting it when your advertising.
Posted by KARYN BUSH (Member # 1948) on :
could you take a digital picture and superimpose the bronze letters on it...show him and say...this is what it will look like...can ya read it pal? no? i didn't think so...shall we go with what i suggested?
its so funny who people put their trust in.
Posted by Jon Aston (Member # 1725) on :
Why not propose a creative solution to accomodate the designer's vision without compromising the effectiveness of your client's signage? Maybe an ivory outline?
Posted by james chrimes (Member # 5864) on :
Tell them to paint the interior of the building Ivory so that it will match and then everyone wins.
Posted by Russ McMullin (Member # 5617) on :
Sometimes customers do need to see an example. I think I would do what Karyn suggested first, and then try Jon's suggestion if they still insisted on the bronze over brick combo. I would also be looking around the neighborhood for similar examples to photograph.
Posted by Jim Moser (Member # 6526) on :
I have had the same problem with graphic artists (which is what we all are) who design a letterhead that looks great when seen up close, but is unreadable on a sign or vehicle....
Supperimposing the bronze letters and your ideas on photos of the building is a good idea !
Posted by Kissymatina (Member # 2028) on :
Make sure the photo appears as an overcast gray day. Bronze could be slightly visible on a bright sunny day with the light glinting off it, but on an overcast day it's gonna be a blob, just like dusk.
Posted by Curtis hammond (Member # 2170) on :
ya,, just like RED lettering on a window.. IT wont work..
Posted by Bruce & Deb Newton (Member # 2312) on :
Approached it like a Contractor.
Supply what's spec'd, get paid. Then get paid again when they issue a change order, because it didn't work.
I feel your pain!
Bruce
[ June 19, 2006, 06:53 PM: Message edited by: Bruce & Deb Newton ]
Posted by Si Allen (Member # 420) on :
hahahhahahaa....listen to Bruce!
Posted by bruce ward (Member # 1289) on :
there will be one hell of a long explanation of what im not responsible for when he signs off on this job. he's a great guy and i have ahad a ball with working with him.....but this nosy bitch needs to keep her ass inside the building
"I think i will start helping folks pick out their interior furniture and windown treatments since im so good with color"
Ill let them pick out colors from a old one shot color chart
Posted by bruce ward (Member # 1289) on :
oh and btw i am laying out the way this would also look with the bronze letters and taking karyns advice on the crappiest cloudiest day i can
Posted by George Perkins (Member # 156) on :
This must be the "in" thing these days. I'm seeing a lot of it. A business that just opened in a new strip mall here in town has bronze letters and red letters on a reddish brown brick. Totally unreadable. Oh, sure, they show up great at night, due to the backlighting............the place closes at 5 Posted by Russ McMullin (Member # 5617) on :
I'm betting that lots of those things are never mocked up. They get produced on the mental image alone.
Posted by Deri Russell (Member # 119) on :
I am not having too much trouble with the Interior Designers but the *%$%^^% architects are killin me
When I design a building- I will let the (*&(*&^&* architects design my signs
the last one was for a cemetery- sandblasted HDU- for part of it he wanted 1/3" high blue lettering on black- 5 ft wide sign and 1/3" x 4 1/2" wide lettering?- cripes!
Posted by bruce ward (Member # 1289) on :
i made a post a while back about architects also. great at buildings and dimnesions....abosultely HORRIBLE at signage.
they have a tendency to overwork the signs and cram crap into them. they have no sense of layout or design of the sign either, now this is what i have gathered from about 8 designs i had to redo from them.
i actually got in an argument to one architect in a construction trailer about eh longer the lettering gets the taller it gets.......THAT DOES IT IM GOING TO START DESIGNING BUILDINGS FURNSIHING THEM AND DO THE DAMN SIGNS Posted by Dusty Campbell (Member # 4601) on :
Maybe George could send a pic to you of the building he mentioned. An actual picture of the problem would go farther toward convincing them than a photoshopped version.
Edited to add: Come to think of it, I think I know where one of these is. I'll get a pic later today.
[ June 22, 2006, 02:01 AM: Message edited by: Dusty Campbell ]
Posted by bruce ward (Member # 1289) on :
oh no need for dark letter pics on dark bricks we have plenty around here
Posted by Patrick Whatley (Member # 2008) on :
Dude, quit bitching and go back to work. I'm about to give you another bad example. "We" are putting black letters on dark grey painted cinder block intended to be seen from 200 yards away. Ought to be lovely and effective.
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