See if you can spot the obvious goof I made with this sign before you read on:
I fabricated and installed this sign about 4 years ago. The job came through a local sticky shop, as a lot of my work does. These two dentists had been in business at the same location for 40+ years and needed a totally new sign. They wanted something low key, with colors to match their building. I surveyed the site and did the design, (just like you see above), which I then printed out and faxed to the sticky shop. They in turn took it to the dentist office, where it was approved. After I got the materials together, I whipped it out in a couple of days. D/F sign, routed HDU on an MDO box. No big deal, and my buddy Bert (pictured above), helped me with the install.
When we were done, both dentist came out and inspected the sign carefully. They liked it, and thanked us for a job well done. We loaded up my truck and split. End of story? Not exactly.
About three MONTHS later, my phone rang one morning and it was the sticky shop calling:
"Mark, there are problems with that dentist office sign you did for us a while back. You left a "T" out of "DENTISTRY". You spelled it "DENISTRY".
"I did whaaat? Oh, sh...."
"Not just that, but you got one of the dentist's last name wrong. You have it "NICKLES". It's supposed to be "NICKELS".
Here's the kicker, y'all. The errors were eventually spotted not by the dentists or anyone else that worked there, but rather by a patient that had come to get her teeth cleaned! Imagine how embarrassed everyone in the place, especially Dr. Nickels, was at having it pointed out!
Of course, I was embarrassed too. And although I had supplied a proof that was approved by all parties involved, I agreed to fix the sign if the sticky shop would spring for another sheet of HDU, which they did.
I've since done more sign work for the same dentist office, but I don't go there to get my teeth worked on. Ask me why!
Ok, I know that "NICKLES" could slip by anyone, (even Dr. Nickels), but how many of you spotted "DENISTRY" right off the bat? Be honest, now!
That's my biggest goof to date! Who can top it?
(Edit for spelling! )
[ May 16, 2007, 04:49 AM: Message edited by: Mark Tucker ]
Posted by Frank Magoo (Member # 3950) on :
Kawasaski......8'x16'
[ May 15, 2007, 11:22 PM: Message edited by: Frank Magoo ]
Posted by Mark Tucker (Member # 6461) on :
Yo, Frank, you had it Polish, not Japanese! Posted by Frank Magoo (Member # 3950) on :
Posted by Dave Grundy (Member # 103) on :
Sheesh..an extra "T" mighta helped????
edited to say..why ask and then tell the answer?? seems kinda silly.
I feel kinda silly too, for actually answering.
(reminder to myself...don't reply to posts that are already answered)
[ May 16, 2007, 12:01 AM: Message edited by: Dave Grundy ]
Posted by Mark Tucker (Member # 6461) on :
Well, Dave, I went on to give the answer because it slipped by sooo many people. While I was fixing the sign, I called up all of my friends and family and said; "Spell Denistry". Of course, I pronounced it just like I spelled it on the sign. Everybody got it wrong and spelled it just like I did, including my Mom, who is a spelling champion and was a semi-pro Scrabble player before she went blind. When I told her the correct spelling, she said; "I could stick my head in a bucket of beets!" Posted by Jon Butterworth (Member # 227) on :
The word "AIR BP TOOWOOMBA" ... six foot high letters marked out in chalk 150 ft long 30 feet up on a hanger wall.
Couldn't understand why I was over 6ft short of the length of the building. No way I could see the chalk marks from the ground.
Oh well, up the scaffold and start painting. Got to the "M" and suddenly realised I was missing the fourth "O" Duh!
Easy fix re-marking and it filled the gap on the end!
But then there's the time I made a spelling mistake on a window splash and the customer phoned next day to tell me about it. No Problem I said. I'll be down to fix it right away. No, don't bother he said. I got all these extra people coming into the shop just to point it out to me and half of them buy something!
Posted by Mark Tucker (Member # 6461) on :
quote:Originally posted by Jon Butterworth: No, don't bother he said. I got all these extra people coming into the shop just to point it out to me and half of them buy something!
Posted by Ian Stewart-Koster (Member # 3500) on :
That happened at an antique shop I had to reletter. The former signie spelled it "ANTIGUES" with a G in place of a Q, except lowercase.
Over time it faded, and we were asked to repaint it.
Anyway, he wanted it left incorrectly done, as the free publicity he got on the radio talkback shows and drivebys was worth lots!
Edited to add, I misspelled an Indian doctor's name once- it was Ramnamanan, and I had one m where there should have been an n in the middle. Not too hard to fix, fortunately, and a mental note to self to be more diligent in the furure!
[ May 16, 2007, 02:15 AM: Message edited by: Ian Stewart-Koster ]
Posted by Jon Butterworth (Member # 227) on :
Stewey ... Did you ever notice "Andererson's" on Anderson's Carpets in 3ft letters down the James Street fence? It was there for a couple weeks before it was corrected.
Wonder if he was charging by the letter?
Posted by Ian Stewart-Koster (Member # 3500) on :
no, but you've reminded me of one of my first billboard lettering jobs in the early 80s- Elders had a calf sale, and for years, the sign said "TWICE WEELY". I had to paint in the K to make it weekly.
Posted by Clinton Cooper (Member # 6802) on :
The first window I ever did by myself. Was for a "Burger King" store, that had burnt down.I noticed that a few people had gathered behind me and were laughing. I wrote "Bugger King".
Posted by Mark Tucker (Member # 6461) on :
I'm loving it, and I have one more to add. I was a designer many years ago for a large sign company in S. Florida. I did a design for a "party warehouse" type business that involved a new D/F internally illuminated pole sign with 6' x 10' pan-formed and embossed plastic faces. In the design, I misspelled "Balloons". I spelled it "Baloons". The design was approved by the customer and the job went through sales, fabrication and install with NO ONE catching the mistake, including my tyrant boss (the owner), who put his thumb print on everything that went out of the shop.
A month later, the customer called to complain and wanted the faces replaced. My boss, Mr. Bill, refused to do so because the customer had signed off on the drawing. When I caught wind of what was going on, I thought it was pretty funny until later that same day Mr. Bill came storming into my office with a 6 inch thick Webster's dictionary, slammed it down on my drafting table and screamed: "Take this home with you tonight and study it carefully, you IDIOT!" Posted by Doug Allan (Member # 2247) on :
quote:Originally posted by Ian Stewart-Koster: ...and a mental note to self to be more diligent in the furure!
I once did a 12' banner that said Americian Indian on it.
Last week, a lawyer I'd done signs for became a judge & we do the signs for the courthouse too... so we had just finished doing some new lawyers signs at the old lawyers office when we got the call to do Judge Keith Tanaka's new signs.
My employee cut & reverse applied his version of Kieth's name on 2 plex signs & backsprayed them. They came back a few days later to be redone. Today I noticed he had wrapped them up & penciled in the job name to identify what was in the wrapping. He wrote it wrong at first, but scratched it out to correct it. (I decided it would look better rewrapped)
I had made an error ten years ago on another reverse applied plexi sign for the courthouse... but these ones were screenprinted, & done simultaneously... so it seemed odd that I made the film, burned the screen, printed the job... & after drying it I backsprayed it... all the while missing the rather obvious error among the group of signs...
... but when they were done & I peeled the protective kraft paper from the front... the entire sign having backwards letters finally stood out pretty good! Posted by Ian Stewart-Koster (Member # 3500) on :
thanks, what an interesting typo, Doug...
furore & future in one word!!!
(edited to fix yet another typo- I'm getting bad at this...)
[ May 16, 2007, 04:33 AM: Message edited by: Ian Stewart-Koster ]
Posted by Jon Butterworth (Member # 227) on :
hahahahaha Doug! BTDT: Been there done that.
Back in the days when we used to handletter windows in reverse! Those sneaky letters used to pop up now and then the right (wrong) way around!
Posted by Ian Stewart-Koster (Member # 3500) on :
ah, you just reminded me of another, Jon...
The Bridge Street Barber Shop- I did his window & door in reverse on the glass in 1986. by 2000, the window was flaking a bit, but the door was still good- complete with original error- and it's still there now on the door, after someone redid the window in vinyl. I lettered "an" instead of "am" in the opening hours, done in script in reverse, about 1/2" tall, before painting a white background over it all.
I spoke to him a year ago- it's now 21 years old, and he still doesn't want it redone...
Posted by Mark Tucker (Member # 6461) on :
Doug, tell 'em to just look at it in their rear view mirrors only and everything will be fine! Posted by Doug Allan (Member # 2247) on :
I'll bet a lot of people in the courthouse would love to be looking at things in the rear view mirror right about then. Posted by Neil D. Butler (Member # 661) on :
I got one that will top all those, When I first started in this business, about 30 years ago now, I was working as an apprentice sign painter by a local shop. We had 2 20 ft box trucks to hand letter, hand lettering is all we had in those days, remember? lol. Any way over the course of 2 or 3 days we finished both trucks, when Friday came owners of both trucks came in from out of town to pick them up, they started walking around the trucks sizing them up all the while scatching their heads, when finally one of them said "Nice Job!"... But.... we have a problem/// you guessed it.... We lettered the wrong trucks... the lettering was done right just we did the lettering for the wrong owners? Glad I was only the apprentice.. the shops owners son made the goof. He spent the entire weekend trying to get off the lettering .... TOP THAT!
Posted by Mark Tucker (Member # 6461) on :
Who can top Neil?
I swear, y'all, I'm rolling on the floor and laughing my AZZ OFF!
Toooooo much!
Posted by Jon Butterworth (Member # 227) on :
Wonder who routed this double sided sign Mark?
Then even went ahead and erected it so the arrows pointed the right way!
Posted by Raymond Chapman (Member # 361) on :
When I make one I'll let you know. Posted by Mark Tucker (Member # 6461) on :
C'mon, Raymond! We know you have at least ONE! Posted by William DeBekker (Member # 3848) on :
Just Recently, The Higher Limits Sign/Lettering The U's and V's are Backwards on the front of the Building. Mr. Peach had Pointed that out to me. I didn't do it but the Buck still stops at the top. My first major goof was I made 50 "Reality" Had to drive all over town changing letters.
The first Digital print Sign my wife did. She made one side. Flipped it over. She did the second Side.. Upside Down.
Posted by Monte Jumper (Member # 1106) on :
Two come to mind...
The first was a hand lettered set of side boards for a pickup for a transmission shop...2 years after I did them the customer called and wanted me to redo them for her "free".
On one side board I lettered it to read AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION REPAIR..the second read AUTOMATAMATIC TRANSMISSION REPAIR...I remebered thinking at the time I was having trouble "picking up" on the second side but never caught it.
The customer finally agreed they should have caught it after 2 years (a customer pointed it out) and I got to do both over for a slightly reduced fee.
The second was done at a shop I was shop foreman...1200 signs for Public Service Company ( the utility company for Colorado) the company rep brought them back with a smile on his face but said they didn't think his boss was going to ok payment for 1200 signs that said PUBIC SERVICE COMPANY. geeze I don't know why not ...look at all the attention it would have given them.
Some peoples kids!
Posted by Mark Tucker (Member # 6461) on :
quote:Originally posted by Monte Jumper: PUBIC SERVICE COMPANY.
Edit to say: Neil, I think you've been topped!
[ May 16, 2007, 10:14 AM: Message edited by: Mark Tucker ]
Posted by KARYN BUSH (Member # 1948) on :
one comes to mind from this winter. i had to letter the outside of a big igloo(those big round tents that have heat in them) for the snowtubing park at one of the ski areas. i lettered it 'artic blast'...instead of arctic blast!!!! the next morning i realized my mistake when i typed up the invoice and spellcheck caught it. of course by then the bad weather came in and it was bitterly cold with below zero windchill and the vinyl was coming off in 1/8 inch slivers. luckily i resolved it by printing up a much cooler banner and double sticking it to the igloo.
oh and i've screwed up the arrows on an aframe before too.
Posted by KARYN BUSH (Member # 1948) on :
oh wait...my memory is coming back!
i do alot of lettering on location for my excavation contractors. well i had one call and tell me their excavator would be at such n such a place and i could letter it there. so i drive down this road and i see equipment all over....so i lettered the piece that didn't have anything on it. well it was the towns eqpmt not my customers! haha that got a good laugh.
Posted by Ray Rheaume (Member # 3794) on :
Lettered a race car a few years ago. The driver placed in the top 3 almost every weekend and , as a result, the racing mags around here ran a lot of pictures of it.
On the last day of the season, as he drove out to accept the track championship on the front stretch, a woman in the infield pointed out the typo on the hood...
"EQUIPTMENT" Rapid
Posted by Donna in BC (Member # 130) on :
I'd have to say the most memorable 'goofs' happened when attempting to snap up thicker stripes on REPAINTED vehicles.
Never NEVER do this with reflexite or 911 products! I've exposed more metal than I care to admit... now if it goes on slightly crooked, it stays, period.
I had to do this 3" patch between roll doors. I even wet the product, but yep, did the snap up. Voila, no more paint. At all. The huge firetruck was taken out of service yet again and head back to the paint shop for weeks for that lousy 3" panel. I didn't charge to do the initial job nor the fix it part either. LOL
In my earlier days I did the 911 along a long strip on a brand new truck. It was the old product where you got no 2nd chances. (new stuff you can bring up now if it's a factory paint job) It went on slightly wrong (I'm totally anal about not being crooked, can you tell??) so I proceeded to snap it up. ONE LOUSY CELL AT A TIME. Here's the kicker. The rep of the product at the time installed a prior truck WITH me to train me and made me the key person for others to contact on how to use the stuff... LOL
Posted by David Harding (Member # 108) on :
I once ripped off Mark's artwork for a dentist's sign.
Posted by Mark Tucker (Member # 6461) on :
quote:Originally posted by David Harding: I once ripped off Mark's artwork for a dentist's sign.
Posted by Bobbie Rochow (Member # 3341) on :
I stuck a litle coro sign up in my shop & had it there for a few years, then my snippy sister-in-law came over when Iw as not here, & Jon showed her the shop.
My sign said, "50% DOWN-REMAINDER DUE APON COMPLETION OF WORK. Sometimes I still swear that Apon looks better than Upon!
Posted by jake snow (Member # 5889) on :
Did an install back in the winter at a gas station. One side of the building said "Stop n save food mart...discount tobacco outlet store.Lettering varying from 18" tall to 12" tall
Now the other side was to say "stop n save food mart...AND THAT WAS IT.
I was supposed to put the other "dicount tobacco..." on the FRONT of the store.
Well after the second side was done, we moved the ladders and plank around to the front of the store. Sent my helper back around to the truck to get the "discount tobacco..." letters and when she came back she just looked at me real funny and said "Theres no more letters in the truck, did we leave them at the shop?"...
@#$%^&*(()$%^&$%^&*!!!!
So we moved the ladders BACK around the building and proceeded to take down the "discount tobacco..." (luckily the silicone had not set up all the way) It left a lovely mess on the building also.
Oh and on this particular day in sunny TN, it was a high of 29 deg. Posted by Mark Tucker (Member # 6461) on :
quote:Originally posted by jake snow: I was supposed to put the other "dicount tobacco..." on the FRONT of the store.
Man, Jake, you had a rough day!!! Posted by Doug Allan (Member # 2247) on :
quote:Originally posted by jake snow: I was supposed to put the other "dicount tobacco..." on the FRONT of the store.
lemme guess... you also broke an "S" during the de-installation? Posted by David Harding (Member # 108) on :
Mark,
He ripped off your artwork on that one, too.
Edited to add one of our embarrassing incidents from about 25 years ago:
I sent an employee to install lettering on a large double face monument sign for a division of Union Carbide. Temporary dyslexia set in and he reversed the “b” and “d”, spelling the sign “Union Cardibe” on both sides of the sign. This went unnoticed for a long time. The company had their Christmas card photos taken with all the employees in front of the sign, etc.
About two years later, I got a frantic phone call: “The sign is wrong!” I went out, and sure enough...
I called the installer in and asked him to draw me a lower case “b”. I then asked him to draw me a lower case “d”. He did both correctly. I told him to take those drawings out to the sign and use them as a reference to put the letters in their correct locations.
That installer is now a City of Dallas sign inspector. At least spelling isn’t usually a concern for getting permits.
[ May 16, 2007, 02:02 PM: Message edited by: David Harding ]
Posted by Mark Tucker (Member # 6461) on :
Y'all are killing me! STOP! I'm in tears, I swear! STOP!
Great stories all, but Neil Butler gets my vote so far for the greatest!
"Son, guess what you're gonna be doing this weekend."
Posted by jake snow (Member # 5889) on :
AAaa shud up Dougy!
Posted by David Harding (Member # 108) on :
Another incident from the annals of pre history:
We sent our sign painter out to change the sign at an apartment complex clear across town. The next day, the customer called, livid: "You were supposed to change the sign yesterday!" "We did." "Well, it reads the same as it did before!"
I called the sign painter in and yes, he had repainted the sign at the wrong apartment complex. Worse yet, being somewhat directionally challenged and in an unfamiliar part of town, he never could again find the place he had done wrong. Those folks probably never knew what happened.
Posted by Mark Tucker (Member # 6461) on :
quote:Originally posted by David Harding: This went unnoticed for a long time. The company had their Christmas card photos taken with all the employees in front of the sign, etc.
SSSTOP!!!! Posted by Frank Magoo (Member # 3950) on :
OK, one more from me, it's not so much it was misspelled, but just a funny sign.....
Bob's Engine Rebuilding, any American six cylinder, $79.95, parts and labor extra.....
Also, sign installers hung a billboard sign upside down for "The Brickyard" here in Vegas, I called customer to make amends and figure out when to come and install it properly, his reply? Leave it, in the few days it's been up there upside down, office has fielded more calls than ever before, stayed up for over 20 yrs. till owner died and so did business....it was a full billboard, 16 4x8's.....
Now Mark; make up your mind, as author of this post do you want input or should we honor recent requests to STOP????? Posted by Mark Tucker (Member # 6461) on :
quote:Originally posted by Frank Magoo: Now Mark; make up your mind, as author of this post do you want input or should we honor recent requests to STOP?????
No, hell no don't stop!
I'm truly starting to see effective sign work in another light! "Make it ugly, misspell half of the copy, hang it upside-down and WATCH WHAT HAPPENS!"
I mean I'm almost serious! It gets attention and that is what a sign is SUPPOSED to do!
"Upsyde Down Signz" I love it! Posted by Dusty Campbell (Member # 4601) on :
Oops.
I'm trying to think of some that went out at shops where I've worked.
I stopped by a friend's shop and he just applied some digital prints. Only problem was he did some flipping and stacking to maximize the stuff he could fit for printing and Illustrator just does what you tell it so some things had drop shadows on the bottom and some were on top.
Posted by Brad Farha (Member # 931) on :
The only word I've ever misspelled on a sign in 30 years was "tailoring" which I spelled "tayloring," but I caught it while I was painting the next word in the line and fixed it while it was still wet.
Posted by Chuck Peterson (Member # 70) on :
I hand letterd in script on the glass door of a beauty salon "Wecome". Its one of those words that didn't look wrong until someone came along and pointed it out to them. I went back, red-faced and changed it to "Welcome"
Posted by Michael Clanton (Member # 2419) on :
When I was in college, the athletic department contracted me to paint "University of Central Arkansas" across the sideline fence of the football field- a huge sign for me, 3 foot tall letters well over 100 feet long.
The existing letters needed to be covered, so the athletic director contacted the maintenence department to have them send over someone to paint the background. They kept forgeting to send someone for about a couple of weeks- finally one day I noticed it had been painted, so I laid out all of the letters by hand with a yardstick- took some rollers and started cutting in and filling the letters. I spent most of the weekend finishing it up and I was proud of the work.
I didn't bother telling the athletic department that I was finally starting on the sign.
It seems that on Monday morning the Athletic Director drove by, glanced at the fence, thinking it was the old sign and called the maintenence department and told them he was tired of waiting on them and wanted that fence painted over RIGHT NOW--
they sent a huge crew over and painted over my entire weekend's work in about 30 minutes.
Posted by Michael Clanton (Member # 2419) on :
I used to sandblast mirrors, hand cutting the stencil patterns with an X-ACTO-- a huge, long process. I was making 4 small mirrors that had a detailed logo and read: "Fellowship of Christian Athletes".
1-- I misspelled "CHRISTAN" 1-- I misspelled "ATHELETES" 1-- I misspelled "FELLWSHIP"
The 4th one was the only one correct-- only to be knocked of the work table before it could be framed. Posted by Monte Jumper (Member # 1106) on :
How the hell does anyone know if a word is mispelled in Australia
When I was an apprentice I was given a suite number in the Petroleum Building (downtown Denver)that said to remove all the copy from the office door (no other info) as I arrived I saw the gold leaf on the outside of the frosted glass and there was a business name and about 8 names stacked neatly beneath.
I sprayed the glass with a soapy water solution so as not to scratch the glass and just as I was about to scrape off the name a scream came from within the office...I froze...the secretary came out and asked what I was doing...I told her and showed her my work order...she read it and replied "this says the Petrolem Building" I said yes ma'm and I'm here to remove it...she glared at me and says "You're in the Security Building.
Man was that close... same address one block over!
Oh... and the correct door had one name lettered in black.
Even tho I had to take credit for being in the wrong building, I told the boss about it...every work order from then on described the copy to be removed.
A good lesson for both of us I guess!
[ May 17, 2007, 09:45 AM: Message edited by: Monte Jumper ]
Posted by Jane Diaz (Member # 595) on :
For wedding presents, we often do sandblasted glass signs that say "Barb & John Nafziger" and the date of the wedding. They usually are a big hit... UNLESS you misspell their name!! We made them a corrected version.
Posted by Chuck Peterson (Member # 70) on :
The time I was on my way to a far away install and 20 miles into the trip I discovered I had forgotten my toolbox. I yelled so loud I had a sore throat for a day. When I got back to the shop I couldn't find it only to discover it was in the truck behind something the whole time.
[ May 17, 2007, 12:45 PM: Message edited by: Chuck Peterson ]
Posted by Joseph Diaz (Member # 5913) on :
This is a clasic, but when I red this poost I thought of this comercial. Posted by John Byrd (Member # 825) on :
My first sandblasted sign system for a multi family residential development re-naming the place "Chateau Glen"( even did up some billboards for this project) man I pulled out all the stops on the Main I.D. sign and tricked it out with all the "SignCraft Magazine" extras...fully carved flower blossom, multiple decorative posts on each side. Anyhow, sent out my brother-in-law who was doing our installs at the time, with my 35mm camera with the instructions to stop off at the one-hour photo mat and develop the pictures on the way back to the shop (remember those days?). Well he got back late that afternoon and we were both proud as peacocks and ohh #*!!%^#!! Chateau is spelled Chateau...not Chateu. Still have a picture of that job somewhere.
Posted by Frank Magoo (Member # 3950) on :
Man, I can't get enough of this post, another one, slightly distant, but funny just the same....some here are aware that I came from a newspaper background, as a kid my grandfather(senior editor of family newspaper business) decided that I was up to being a "cub" reporter, this was timed to coincide w/upcoming Boy Scout outing, a jamboree....when first issue came out, my report declared J___J______(one of my worst enemies in school) was the camp burglar, the following week, the retraction stated he was now the camp bungler, finally after the third time, I got it right, he was the camp bugler....... Posted by Mark Tucker (Member # 6461) on :
Some classic, CLASSIC stories in here! Michael Clanton's story about the fence job has me ROTFLMAO!
"What CAN go wrong WILL go wrong." So true!
I feel much better now about my previously mentioned goofs!
Y'all keep 'em coming! Everybody should have at least ONE!
Posted by Jon Butterworth (Member # 227) on :
Variation on the "spelling Mistake"
Handlettering a shop Awning in One Shot one day. "Suzanne's Boutique". Nearly finished.
Voice below: "You spelt it wrong" !!!!
Yeah, yeah, hear that all the time ... ignore it.
"You spelt her name wrong!"
BS! ... check anyway ... no problems ... mutter mutter ..get these smart arses all the time when you are painting ... finish the job.
Get down ... same guy comes up to me ... MY WIFE's name is spelt "Susanne", she own's the shop!
DUH! ... Sue, MY wife's name is spelt "Suzanne"!
Edited to correct spelling!
[ May 18, 2007, 03:30 AM: Message edited by: Jon Butterworth ]
Posted by Deri Russell (Member # 119) on :
Christmas, 2001. Had a small residential sandblasted to do for people by the name of Disney. (No, I wish!) As usual I was behind because it was Christmas. The draft was approved 2 weeks before Christmas, I finished Christmas Eve day. They picked up their sign at 10 in the evening. Gave it to their parents and called Christmas Day. I do usually get about a half a dozen calls Christmas day with customers that are just thrilled with their sign. So that was what I was expecting. But no. I had spelt Disney Disnesy. And hadn't noticed. Nobody else noticed either until new company came in for Christmas dinner and their 7 year old said "Gee, I didn't know you spelt your name differently than we do."
Yes I did a new one.
Posted by Sue Brown (Member # 6677) on :
We do alot of alum signs for some of our clients.. We had a day with over 150 18 x 24 signs to knock out all differant.. This one is one of the last ones we did that day.. Bryan (my partner in crime) cut the vinyl.. i weeded it.. taped it.. applied it.. all was well till i started rounding the corners.. Thats when i notice this one.. It was for Avon..and Im glad we caught it before it went out the door.. As i was rounding the corners.. I asked Bry.. UMMM.. How do You spell alcohol??? .. anyway.. Here is Bry posing with the sign before we fixed it.. .. He looks like he sampled some of the drugs.. lol..
Posted by Michael Clanton (Member # 2419) on :
We had a few of the "spelling" mistakes at the t-shirt shop I worked at, here are a few I would like to forget:
1. A college psychology club came in with handwritten instructions for the art-- the word "psychology" was spelled 3 different places, each one wrong. I didn't pay attention and just spelled it the first way I read it from the instructions-- "PSYHOLOGY" The job went through 5 people in the shop, including the owner who printed the job, and we finally noticed it after it was finished.
2. I was creating t-shirt art for a school-- an old world flat map with all of the continents and oceans labled -- After printing over 500 t-shirts FRONT & BACK, the customer spotted that I had labled the "ARTIC OCEAN" and the continent "ANTARTICA" - we tried to save face by claiming it was a "Southern" map, but the customer was not very happy and we got to print another 500 t-shirts with the correct map.
3. We contract printed about 800 t-shirts for a local salesman -- when he gave us the information for the sponsors, he couldn't read his own writing, so he just made up the name from memory-- but he got to pay to have them reprinted because "Dr. Jim Roberts, D.D.S." didn't appreciate being listed as "Dr. Tim Robertson, D.D.F." (still not sure what he thought D.D.F. stood for).
Posted by Rick Sacks (Member # 379) on :
We have a local theatre company, Gloriana Opera Co. After a dozen years they were performing an assemblage from their previous performances. At the entrance to the city they had this sign installed advertising the event "Gloriana's Biggest Hits" There was this yellow background with big blue letters, and the B and H were huge. Well, being an early morning person, I snuck up to the sign around 4ish and measured the big letters. Later that day in my shop I cut another letter in blue, a big T, and stuck it onto a piece of yellow vinyl that would cover the H on the sign.
Well the next morning came and I snuck up behind this sign at the intersection. I waited a couple lights till there were no cars or trucks there, and came around the front of the sign to cover the H. Stuck the vinyl on, squeegeed it down, then disappeared in the morning darkness back to my truck. I drove out across the fields with my headlights off giggling like a little kid.
I went up the road and made a U turn to come back to face the sign and view my vandalism. I was the only car stopped at the red light, and while stopped I read the "Gloriana's Biggest Tits" and saw the vinyl actually slide down the sign and fall on the ground. Morning moisture? Act of God? I was the only one to enjoy this mischief.
I realize this wasn't a mistake, but thought it might fit into the exchange well.
Posted by David Harding (Member # 108) on :
This wasn't a goof, but it could have been hard to live down.
About twenty years ago, we installed a sign for Dal-Tex Glass Corpration using 24" upper case letters facing LBJ Freeway, the most congested road in North America.
My installer started putting up the letters from the back of the sign toward the front. He got up "CORP." and the last three letters of "GLASS" and noticed it was pushing 6 PM. He packed up the ladders and started to drive off, glancing back at what he had done so far.
The realization hit him that he had better install at least one more letter before he left or we would have lots of explaining to do. The fact that I am able to relate this story shows he did the right thing.
Posted by Jon Butterworth (Member # 227) on :
Painting a name down car lot back wall "Peter Roberts Honda" ,,,, finished up to the 2nd "t" and stopped for lunch not realising what it read. !!!!
Lucky Peter is a good friend and has a sense of humour!
Posted by Mark Tucker (Member # 6461) on :
I was 8 or 9 years old and the eldest son of a divorced working Mom. I wanted a dog desperately, and while Mom was at work one day and with no permission or knowledge from her, I found some paint, some wood and a brush and painted my first sign:
"ATTENTION! THIS IS A HOME FOR UNWANTED DOGS!"
It was crude but effective, and after I somehow planted it in the front yard it didn't take long...an adult female Lab mix was promptly dropped off by our postman, who evidently saw the sign and went scurrying home to get what he had to help me out. I took my new dog down into the basement to surprise Mom when she got home, and named her "Princess", even though she appeared overweight and wasn't very friendly. Didn't matter,...I had me a DOG!
Mom got home late that evening from a hard day's work and I drug her down to the basement for the grand surprise, but in the interim, "Princess" had birthed a litter of about 12 pups and met us with a threatening snarl. The way my Mom looked at me could have cut glass, and I got chewed out the way you get chewed out and never forget about.
Mom somehow managed to get the dog and pups to the pound the next day and was furious with me for about a week when she then said; "You did a nice job with that sign you painted, son. You may be stupid, but you ARE talented!"
[ May 20, 2007, 09:32 PM: Message edited by: Mark Tucker ]
Posted by Donna in BC (Member # 130) on :
LOL Mark...
My first official sign was painting sale signs for a greenhouse I use to work in, must have been around 12?? yrs old. I had no idea what I was doing but thought it was cool all the same. I found some paint and set to work. I'd done alot of painting but never a real sign viewd by the general public!
The next day I was in charge of all these plants for sale at some flea market. It was a VERY hot sunny day and my instruction was to water them every couple hours in between those expected busy sales moments. And I proudly did. Biz wasn't busy at all but plants got watered just fine. When the boss returned, I had managed to scorch every one of them. He didn't tell me to not get the leaves wet...
Even though I 'really helped big' that day, he still told me with light heartedness, "These signs ARE great though! I just love the colours you used together! Very effective! You have a future in this!" To this day, wish I still had them to see what the heck I had done to impress him so. I didn't even pay attention to the colors!
Cody's first sign was last year at the campsite. We were there all summer and situated in a busy part so he got a brainstorm that he'd like to make some money while sitting and playing. He promptly found a piece of paper and pencil and scrawled, "good singing, 5 cents." He sat at his picnic table beside his sign with this hopeful look and even gave out 'free samples'. (unfortunately, my boy canNOT hold a tune) In an hour or so he came to me upset and asked why no one wanted to hear him sing. I told him they were too busy but I'll buy, and paid him a nickle. Guess I should have suggested he try a lemonade stand instead... LOL
[ May 20, 2007, 12:40 PM: Message edited by: Donna in BC ]
Posted by Stephen Broughton (Member # 2237) on :
A sign I made for a bicycle and motorcycle workshop except it said "Bicycles & Motorycles" for 18 months before anyone noticed
[ May 22, 2007, 06:37 AM: Message edited by: Stephen Broughton ]
Posted by bob bergen (Member # 7697) on :
My first van was "JIM'S MOBILE LOCKSMITHING". I started on the back, working in a small garage where I couldn't step back & look at it. AT least not till I went dwn the steps leading to the basement. On my return I saw "JIM'S MOBILE LOCKMITHING" I fixed it as it was only the first color but have for ever regreted not going w/ my first thought which was to have a bandit making off w/ the S under his arm! I did save a picture of the misspelling to keep me alert in the future. The bandit would have been great though.
Posted by Ricky Jackson (Member # 5082) on :
I've misspelled "Ophthalmologist" - TWICE! ...hand lettered of course. I also mispelled "Recreation" as "Recreaction"; once again, hand lettered with a fitch on concrete block.
Posted by Joe Endicott (Member # 628) on :
I made a banner for the Untied Methodists.
Posted by Mark Tucker (Member # 6461) on :
quote:Originally posted by Joe Endicott: I made a banner for the Untied Methodists.
Must have been a singles group! Posted by David Harding (Member # 108) on :
This didn’t happen to me but it happened not long after I left a company I founded.
A truck was sent out to the Valley Ranch area to remove a sign. The crew called back to the shop. The conversation went something like this:
“We’ve removed the faces and need a cutting torch to cut off the posts.”
“That sign has wood posts.”
“No, they’re steel.”
“They’re wood, just saw them off and come back.
“These posts are steel. We need the cutting torch.”
“Um... what do the faces say that you removed?”
“Dallas Cowboys.”
“PUT THOSE BACK!”
Posted by Mark Tucker (Member # 6461) on :
Posted by Kelly Thorson (Member # 2958) on :
quote: Post Your Worst (or Funniest?) Sign Goof!
Consider him posted. Posted by Mark Tucker (Member # 6461) on :
Kelly, that is GREAT!!! Posted by Kelly Thorson (Member # 2958) on :
Worst or Funniest?....Hmmmmmmnnn.... Posted by Jillbeans (Member # 1912) on :
Shart? Isn't that a wet fart? Love....Jill
Posted by David Harding (Member # 108) on :
Goofus... doofus... I think I resemble that!
Now, where's that cutting torch?
Posted by Peter Manzolillo (Member # 1062) on :
Many of the funny ones that come to mind are ones I've seen fellow signpainters do (I'm like Raymond, haha).
"Swedish Body Massage" came out as "Swedish Body Massacre."
"200-count Filler Paper" came out as "200-count Killer Paper."
Both by the same guy.
One of my favorites is one I spotted when I visited the Don Garlits Racing Museum in Florida years ago. Hand-lettered on one of his rail dragsters is the line "Top Elimator." (!!!) I have a picture of it somewhere; I'll post it when I find it.
Posted by Richard Flint (Member # 6602) on :
I misspelled the word concrete on truck doors. Funny thing is.......he never noticed CONRETE was not the correct spelling - but a customer of his did - 3 Years Later!
Posted by Jon Jantz (Member # 6137) on :
Hahahahaha, Jill... I didn't notice that in the sign the first time I read it. That's a pretty funny sign goof in itself! Good catch!!
(Sorry, Kelly...)
BTW- that's one of the most hilarious parts of 'Along Came Polly..'
Thats what I get for trying to be funny at 1:00 AM. Posted by David Harding (Member # 108) on :
Another one that happened at my old company after I left... Have you noticed that I never admit to being personally involved in any of these?
An employee was sent to coat out a billboard on site. It was a gusty day and he painted the six hundred square feet of sign and sixteen cars in the parking lot below as a value added bonus.
Knowing the kind of trouble he would be in as soon as the phone started ringing at the shop, he quit on the spot once he returned.
The next day, he hired on at a paint and body shop. The first job he had to do was repaint sixteen cars "some idiot sign painter" had splattered paint all over.
The way I see it, rather than being an idiot, this guy was brilliant because he managed to get paid twice to paint all those cars.
Edited 'cause I spilled paint all over my spell checker.
[ May 27, 2007, 01:15 AM: Message edited by: David Harding ]
Posted by Mark Tucker (Member # 6461) on :
ANOTHER CLASSIC!!! Posted by Mark Tucker (Member # 6461) on :
Here's one featuring our future president!
I didn't do it, I swear!
Posted by David Harding (Member # 108) on :
It depends on what your definition of "Tomorrow" is.
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