posted
I've got a client giving me a hard time about the lettering on a new E-350 extended Ford Van. Upon measuring the various body lines on the truck it's obvious to me that nothing is square with the truck but the roof and rocker. I'm lining up the lettering with the truck, not with the screwy body lines which go off at different angles from everything else. How do you guys who do them all the time line up the lettering? With the truck or with the body lines? If with the body lines. Which one?
posted
I pick the body line that is about halfway up the truck, just under the window. Any square type logo will look crooked no mater what you do. I toyed with the idea of tapering a large rectangle logo already, but never tried it.
-------------------- Carper's Signs 594 Union School Rd. Mount Joy, PA 17552 carpersign@earthlink.net Posts: 157 | From: Lancaster, PA, USA | Registered: Aug 1999
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posted
I lined it up with the rocker and drip rail same as I've done for almost 40 years and that doesn't make em happy. guess I'll try that hard body line. It's going to look crooked from far enough away to not see the body line. I wonder why Ford felt that making lines that are parallel to nothing or themselves was a trick styling idea?
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I hated the very first ones I lettered like that. Now I'm glad I dont do vehicles anymore. The manufactures just dont get that the majority of these trucks are used for advertising and the problems it causes everyone.
-------------------- Bob Stephens Skywatch Signs Zephyrhills, FL
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This has been a problem since '91 when this series came out.
The only line I use is the longest one that is above the door handle. If your layout is linear, then your lines of copy will be parallel.
The front doors present their own problem---that same body line drops off towards the front, and you sort of have to eyeball it when applying lettering there. Sort of a split the difference deal.
The whole truck has a sort of "coke-bottle" shape, and you are right---there are no parallel lines. Even the drip rail at the edge of the roof isn't straight.
FWIW
bill preston
-------------------- Bill Preston Fly Creek, N.Y. USA Posts: 943 | From: Fly Creek, N.Y. USA | Registered: Jan 2000
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posted
Ford vans must be done with the centerline like has been said. However, your eyes are the best judge for these vans. Stand at various angled before actually installing it.
If you ever have the privledge of owning one, you will feel it is well worth the extra effort to own one. What a fine, dependable machine. (OK, Flame away!)
""Good judgment comes from experience; and a lot of that comes from bad judgment" - Will Rogers Posts: 3485 | From: Beautiful Newaygo, Michigan | Registered: Mar 2003
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posted
I've done a few of those and, fortunately all of them have been at the client's shop.
I just tell them the problem and stick the masked lettering up on the side with masking tape and ask THEM how they want it aligned.
The response is, invariably, "Do it the way YOU think it looks best, yer the guy with the eye for that kinda stuff!"
-------------------- Dave Grundy retired in Chelem,Yucatan,Mexico/Hensall,Ontario,Canada 1-519-262-3651 Canada 011-52-1-999-102-2923 Mexico cell 1-226-785-8957 Canada/Mexico home
posted
take a digital picture then lay lettering over the pic and distort the letters to fit the van... no measuring devise...use a good eye same thing as the side of a boat... make it fit
posted
These things are wedge shaped. There is one line on them that parallels the rocker. You need to go by that one. If you go by the others, it will look good up close and short distances, once you get back from it and the eye starts to relate to the rocker, it'll look crooked.
-------------------- George Perkins Millington,TN. goatwell@bigriver.net
"I started out with nothing and still have most of it left"
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I rarely if ever use vinyl for anything except subordinate copy on vans. The people that come here want paint. On the latest generation Fords, I measure off of the beltline for the bottom of the logo and keep the top parallel to the drip edge. It helps if you don't use all caps for the main copy. The newest GM vans with the window areas stamped into the sheet metal drive me crazy, incidentally.......
-------------------- Ed The Signwerks 1951 SR 254 Orangeville, Pa. Posts: 199 | From: Orangeville, Pa. USA | Registered: Dec 2000
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posted
We measure off of the band that runs around the midle of the van. I've seen vans lettered where they obviously just hooked the tape measure on the drip rail and went from there. I find it hard to believe that whoever did that didn't notice how crooked it was. The The big side panel from the roof to the band tapers 3" from front to back.
-------------------- Lou Pascuzzi www.economysigns.com Fine Hand Lettering since 1973 Danbury, Ct 203-748-4580 "IOAFS" Posts: 341 | From: Danbury, Ct | Registered: Feb 2000
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posted
I simply tape the layout on the van, adjust it by "EYE" and when it looks right..........tape it down!
Not everything is laid out by exact dimensions. It has to "look" right also.
-------------------- Tony Vickio The World Famous Vickio Signs 3364 Rt.329 Watkins Glen, NY 14891 t30v@vickiosigns.com 607-535-6241 http://www.vickiosigns.com Posts: 1063 | From: Watkins Glen, New York | Registered: Sep 2001
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posted
I cut it to fit to start with, then align to both lines. Once it is on the van, nobody notices that one end of lettering is taller than the other, but I have had a few people notice that it doesn't look crooked like most Ford vans.
I keep the file, cause most customers that buy Fords will buy Fords the next time. Once you do a couple of them, the process is fairly quick and painless.
-------------------- Don Hulsey Strokes by DON signs Utica, KY 270-275-9552 sbdsigns@aol.com
I've always been crazy... but it's kept me from going insane. Posts: 2275 | From: Utica, KY U.S.A. | Registered: Jan 1999
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