posted
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 ]
[ May 15, 2007, 11:22 PM: Message edited by: Frank Magoo ]
-------------------- Frank Magoo, Magoo's-Las Vegas; fmagoo@netzero.com "the only easy day was yesterday" Posts: 2365 | From: Las Vegas, Nv. | Registered: Jun 2003
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-------------------- Frank Magoo, Magoo's-Las Vegas; fmagoo@netzero.com "the only easy day was yesterday" Posts: 2365 | From: Las Vegas, Nv. | Registered: Jun 2003
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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 ]
-------------------- 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
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
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!
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
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 ]
-------------------- "Stewey" on chat
"...there are no limits when you aim for perfection..." Jonathan Livingston Seagull Posts: 7014 | From: Highgrove via Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Dec 2002
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posted
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.
posted
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.
-------------------- "Stewey" on chat
"...there are no limits when you aim for perfection..." Jonathan Livingston Seagull Posts: 7014 | From: Highgrove via Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Dec 2002
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posted
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".
-------------------- Clinton Cooper General Manager ASGI Posts: 43 | From: St Marys NSW Australia | Registered: Sep 2006
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posted
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!"
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!
(edited to fix yet another typo- I'm getting bad at this...)
[ May 16, 2007, 04:33 AM: Message edited by: Ian Stewart-Koster ]
-------------------- "Stewey" on chat
"...there are no limits when you aim for perfection..." Jonathan Livingston Seagull Posts: 7014 | From: Highgrove via Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Dec 2002
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posted
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...
-------------------- "Stewey" on chat
"...there are no limits when you aim for perfection..." Jonathan Livingston Seagull Posts: 7014 | From: Highgrove via Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Dec 2002
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posted
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!
-------------------- "Keep Positive"
SIGNS1st. Neil Butler Paradise, NF Posts: 6277 | From: St. John's NF Canada | Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
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.
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!
-------------------- "Werks fer me...it'll werk fer you"
posted
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.
-------------------- Karyn Bush Simply Not Ordinary, LLC Bartlett, NH 603-383-9955 www.snosigns.com info@snosigns.com Posts: 3516 | From: Bartlett, NH USA | Registered: Jan 2001
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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.
-------------------- Karyn Bush Simply Not Ordinary, LLC Bartlett, NH 603-383-9955 www.snosigns.com info@snosigns.com Posts: 3516 | From: Bartlett, NH USA | Registered: Jan 2001
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posted
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
-------------------- Ray Rheaume Rapidfire Design 543 Brushwood Road North Haverhill, NH 03774 rapidfiredesign@hotmail.com 603-787-6803
I like my paint shaken, not stirred. Posts: 5648 | From: North Haverhill, New Hampshire | Registered: Apr 2003
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posted
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
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!
-------------------- The Word in Signs Bobbie Rochow Jamestown, PA 16134
724-927-6471
thewordinsigns@alltel.net Posts: 3485 | From: Jamestown, PA 16134 | Registered: Oct 2002
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posted
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.
-------------------- Snow's Sign Works 865-908-0076 snowman@planetc.com www.snowsigns.com
I'm out of my mind, but feel free to leave a message... Posts: 1640 | From: Sevierville, TN | Registered: Jul 2005
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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 ]
-------------------- David Harding A Sign of Excellence Carrollton, TX Posts: 5084 | From: Carrollton, TX, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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