This is the trailer graphics for an approximately 53' trailer that I came up with. The black stripe is pre-existing. I'd sure appreciate what I'd understand to be a shoot-from-the hip cost & time estimate concerning this job, folks.
I've already started it, but I gotta admit, it's kickin' my butt. It took me a WEEK just to lay-out the characters and get them mostly painted since I'm working on site inna junkyard of all places & the owner was too impatient to allow for proper prep-time for patterns...this is supposed to be the first one of many, so any advice (starting with the estimates would be apprieciated) remember...I'm inna southeast, so prices tend to be lower here.
[ April 16, 2007, 10:28 AM: Message edited by: Christopher Cain ]
posted
A few questions. I assume 2 sides, back also? Is it smooth or corregated?
In your area, $2500?
PS.....Don't bet the farm on this being "the first of many"! After you have been around a bit longer, you will find that to be a common ploy to get lower prices.
-------------------- Si Allen #562 La Mirada, CA. USA
(714) 521-4810
si.allen on Skype
siallen@dslextreme.com
"SignPainters do It with Longer Strokes!"
Never mess with your profile while in a drunken stupor!!!
Brushasaurus on Chat Posts: 8831 | From: La Mirada, CA, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
| IP: Logged |
quote: After you have been around a bit longer, you will find that to be a common ploy to get lower prices.
C'mon Si,, your being nice.. ITs a common LIE to BEAT the prices down.
-------------------- Leaper of Tall buildings.. If you find my posts divisive or otherwise snarky please ignore them. If you do not know how then PM me about it and I will demonstrate. Posts: 5274 | From: Im a nowhere man | Registered: Jul 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
Nothing onna back...two sides this one is smooth w/rivets others will possibly be about anything...the guy hired me to paint these monsters onna salary(no I won't tell you fer how much 'cause, frankly, I needed the day job)
[ April 16, 2007, 12:30 PM: Message edited by: Christopher Cain ]
posted
well,he's got more of these coming... other paint projects...including more trailers....lissen, I'm just trying to get this guy to understand how long a decent job this involved should take (as well as the cost). I've already admitted I'm rusty, which i know is affecting my time onnit, but all of this (except the C & W Cores, pho-numb, & donewright copy) is hand-painted.
posted
Here is one completed side of the trailer starting with a "before" shot & including detail shots of the cartoon characters.
There was so many vehicles in the yard I have to apologize for the severe angle of these shots.
Here are the "detail" shots of the cartoon characters:
There is a little tweaking I still need to do...particularly the "G" in "Recycling". All of this was laid out by hand since facilities to do proper patterns weren't available at the time I started. I don't mind telling you that this took too long, but I've not worked onna project this size in a very long time.
I need to brush up on vinyl application over obstacles such as rivets since by the time I got the uppermost copy onna trailer I was to the point that I felt I woulda been better off had I hand-lettered it.
After all of the advice all of you gave so freely, the least I could do was show you how this is turnin' out.
posted
Those look good Chris. Since you're on a salary, did the owner buy the materials? I can't see trying to lay that much vinyl. I really don't like rivets and paint would be less expensive on the front end.
-------------------- Mike gatlinburg Sign Crafters Posts: 1051 | From: Gatlinburg, TN | Registered: Oct 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Si, $2500? might do 1 side. Set up on the art work alone and prints are worth more than $1500 even before it reaches the truck!
Those that do full semi wrap large format printing and installs could bring the cost per truck down substantially on multiple trucks.
Nice job, Christopher. Hope the learning curve in production, lettering, application and the valule of the job all come together for you. The next one, if ther is a next one, will be much easier)
posted
Dave I agree; $2,500 would be about right for one side. I also agree with Si about the sales pitch "If you do this one really cheap I'll have a hundred more for you to do". I guess it comes with experience; you can just smell it when a customer is running a game on you. I don't know how experienced you are Christopher but you certainly did a great job on the lettering and graphics. This is ladder work also; that means that 2 hours on a ladder is equal on the tireness scale of 8 hours on the ground. I hope you're getting at *least* $25 an hour for this. My advice (not that you've asked for it) is to take more control over your situation; charge your price; do the job at your place and keep things in your favor. If you let him screw you on this one he'll do the same on the others - if there are any.
-------------------- Ricky Jackson Signs Now 614 Russell Parkway Warner Robins, GA (478) 923-7722 signpimp50@hotmail.com
"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Sir Issac Newton Posts: 3528 | From: Warner Robins, GA | Registered: Oct 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Thank you ALL for making me feel good about a difficult job!
The owner/employer picked up the materials tab & he doesn't know it yet, but he's gonna be gettin' me MORE stuff VERY soon. Since I last spent any serious time telling you all about this adventure, I HAVE taken more control of this situation since the "bosses" have NO clue what these kinda jobs actually take (I IGNORE any comments concerning time spent on the first side....don' like it? FIND SOMEONE ELSE...oh wait...there IS no one ELSE!!!). Had I followed my own (rusty) sign instincts, I woulda be MUCH further along with this project at this point than I am; unfortunately, I let myself be talked into rushing this process instead of investing the proper time in preparation...no more.
I just got back from a friend's house who has one a them knock-off plotters, having run the rest of the crucial patterns for this job so I don't have to go thru hand-layout on the cartoons (which are my own design, based on their description of what they wanted), which proved to be the most time-consuming part of this process.
These guys think that they can eventually have me runnin' a crew that gets TEN of these things out a week...so their education will be continuing since I have a difficult time believing that's even possible no matter WHAT kinda equipment or man-power is placed at my disposal.
Any direction towards tips on technique in dealin' with vinyl app over rivets would be most apprieciated...thanx to you all once again!
[ April 30, 2007, 01:15 PM: Message edited by: Christopher Cain ]
posted
I did what I could with what I had and what my "employer" wanted. Perhaps you'd like to tell us why the layout don't work.
If yer gonna shoot from hip, at least have the courage to explain to us why you THINK you hit the target.
One more thing...I see where some people are posting why they're having to leave this field for non-related work anywhere they can get it. I wanted to see what'd take to make this work & I won't apologize for it when others are finding it hard to stay in this line of work at all.
While I have no intention of being taken for a ride I see no good coming from a philosophy of "I'll show YOU! I won't do NOTHIN'!! By the way, you want FRIES with that?"
This was a chance to re-establish myself in this line of work after many years absent. Nothing's permanent including the current arrangement, which as I said, is about to change, or I WILL walk away from it. We got guys down here offering signage along with their WELDING services fer cryin' out loud.
Wanna take pot-shots and run? Fine. I'm sure Nova Scotia has many squirrels for you to take hit-n-run pot-shots at...doing it in this forum is just simply in poor taste & useless to boot.
Handlettering, Airbrushing, Vinyl,Digital, Brochures,Web, Banners, Business Cards, Tattoos, Vehicle wraps, Pen and Paper drawings, Animations, Logo Designs, Striping, Murals, Film props, Protrait Paintings, Billboards Gold Leaf Carve and Sculpting
Shall I go on about the work I have done... Here in the little province of Nova Scotia.
Now as for why you layout doesn't work!
The phone number is in the wrong place! Look way up! No I mean way up the get a phone number to contact the client.
If I was driving by this trailer all I would see is Biffy and Recycling.
Hell I be all over the road trying to see it or write it down! First contact for customers is PHONE# They don't give a Shizz if your name is Sir Chris. They are looking for a service and what you do and charge for this service.
I don't hunt squirrels but Nova Scotia has some of the best fishing in Canada.
-------------------- Stephen Deveau RavenGraphics Insinx Digital Displays
Letting Your Imagination Run Wild! Posts: 4327 | From: Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia, Canada | Registered: Jan 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
Fair enough.....this was what the customer wanted...he got it as I explained. He WANTED recycling the most prominently featured word since the trailer is the storage facility for a mobile recycling station.
posted
Fair enough.....this was what the customer wanted...he got it as I explained. He WANTED recycling the most prominently featured word since the trailer is the storage facility for a mobile recycling station.
I wasn't calling your experience into question, just your posting tactics.
posted
Not to put a fly in the ointment of this convo, but.......as far as the phone number goes who cares where the heck it is? If someone needs to get hold of the company chances are they will remember the name of the company and look it up in the phone book. How many times is someone going to be driving, passing the truck and writing down the phone number? Only if they happen to have a pen and paper on their dash and nothing else on their mind. And if they are writing and driving I don't want to be in the other lane. The phone number may be important when the truck is standing still, or when the viewer is stationary. In which case it doesn't really matter where the phone number is does it?
I think your trailer looks great Chris. Hopefully your future projects with this guy are more profitable for you. Sometimes things work out, sometimes they don't. Either way you are back in business.
-------------------- Deri Russell Wildwood Signs Hanover, Ontario
You're just jealous 'cause the little voices only talk to me. Posts: 1904 | From: Hanover, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Dec 1998
| IP: Logged |
There were many factors (most of 'em explained, some not) that made this layout neccessary. I want to make clear that I am more than happy to hear from anyone with constuctive suggestions concerning this project no matter what those suggestions are.
I just didn't like "Your work sucks...see ya later!" postings. We're all here to share & learn, amoung other things.
"Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things!"
There are people here with overinflated egos and insecure personalities. They take great delight in jabbing at others.... seems to help cover their inadaquacies.
Ignore them and move on!
-------------------- Si Allen #562 La Mirada, CA. USA
(714) 521-4810
si.allen on Skype
siallen@dslextreme.com
"SignPainters do It with Longer Strokes!"
Never mess with your profile while in a drunken stupor!!!
Brushasaurus on Chat Posts: 8831 | From: La Mirada, CA, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
| IP: Logged |
posted
Chris, I think the trailer looks awesome. Your customer is correct in his layout and sometimes that's why graphics artists do have to pay a LITTLE attention to what the customer wants.
The main object of the lettering on the trailer is to get people to see 'RECYCLING' and remember it enough to save their cans, aluminum, etc. and bring it to him... they most likely won't even call, just take it to where they saw the big 'RECYCLING' trailer.
I see them around here as well, and yours looks 10X better than any I've seen... and all they say is RECYCLING (painted with a broom) with no graphics, phone numbers or anything...
BTW- Your cartoon characters are cool, too!!
[ May 01, 2007, 11:13 AM: Message edited by: Jon Jantz ]
-------------------- Jon Jantz Snappysign.com jjantz21@gmail.com http://www.allcw.com Posts: 3395 | From: Atmore, AL | Registered: Nov 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Honestly the only thing I would have done is bring the black line down a little further to give the recycling a little more breathing room between the other copy, but it's not the end of the world. I too love the charcters.
-------------------- "Keep Positive"
SIGNS1st. Neil Butler Paradise, NF Posts: 6277 | From: St. John's NF Canada | Registered: Mar 1999
| IP: Logged |
"There are people here with overinflated egos and insecure personalities. They take great delight in jabbing at others.... seems to help cover their inadaquacies."
Sorry Chris! Here is a round of applause to you! Great Work! Keep it up! Sorry that I wanted to point out something! Hell of a good job! Love the layout! Heres a pat on the back!
I didn't mean to stick my nose into it! Just offering some words of wisdom.
Nice Micro block style lettering!
Customer is happy and you got paid! You can't ask for anything more.
-------------------- Stephen Deveau RavenGraphics Insinx Digital Displays
Letting Your Imagination Run Wild! Posts: 4327 | From: Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia, Canada | Registered: Jan 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
I tend to disagree on the importance of the phone number. I've read statistics that show people initally 1. Try to figure out what you do 2. Take a second look and identify the name of the company and 3. Check to see if you've shown a city or location.
They don't have the time or pen in hand to write down a phone number. The go home and look you up if they're interested. Or these days, they go home and search for you on the internet.
-------------------- Bruce Evans Crown Graphics Chino, CA graphics@westcoach.net Posts: 912 | From: Chino, CA | Registered: Nov 1998
| IP: Logged |
posted
I H-O-N-E-S-T-L-Y do NOT mind ANY crtical comments fired at me...I REALLY DON'T....just gimmie the reasoning behind it!...
Example:Neil Butler's RIGHT. I shoulda widened that pre-existin' black stripe for the exact reason he stated as well as given the "donewright" copy more breathing room. The only reason I didn't was I was beginning to get self-conscious about the amount of time the first side of this project had taken. I was already fielding complaints concernin' my need for "Perfection" from the boss-guy. I have since settled on an attitude of "what does HE know". Especially since he was happy with the results.
I also liked what Jon Jantz had to say since that pretty much operates at the core of my philosophy concerning giving the "customer" what he wants & needs. Besides, I think customers are much more satisfied with a result that they feel like they successfully participated in.
So there. LOL
I too, like Bruce, have had my moments regarding the actual usefulness of phone number copy, particularly if it's at the expense of something that might possibly be more important in the layout.
P.S. Ya shoulda seen the look on my face when I opened the ol' outlook express an all these "reply notifications" hit me inna face!
Thanx to you all once again...mebbe I'll post some other stuff from time to time. This also wound up onna airbrush artist site as an example of when NOT to reach fer an airbrush. Having spent time in a resort area, I've seen what happens when there's an active "freehand" airbrush community and people go to them for commercial work onna vehicle. The results are NOT pretty. More overspray than a bad off-Broadway "Hairspray" revival.
[ May 01, 2007, 09:37 PM: Message edited by: Christopher Cain ]
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
The next one, if ther is a next one, will be much easier) 
Printer-friendly view of this topic