posted
How is that so many customers show up with some font in their logo and no one has any idea what the font is and no clue as to the whereabouts of the person responsible for designing it in the first place?
And why is it always the signmaker's responsibility to waste valuable time and effort worrying about it?
Just wondering ... there are lots of answers, I'm sure.
BTW -- Been super busy here for past two months, now all is quiet and frighteningly slow . . . How is it in your shop?
-------------------- Michael Gene Adkins The Fontry 1576 S Hwy 59 Watts OK 74964 Posts: 845 | From: Watts, OK USA | Registered: Jun 1999
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Michael, I guess our customers just don't get the proper information or files from whoever created their logo. I wonder why most customers do not realize that many signmakers have the ability to create their logo. Business has been steady but has slowed down at present for me. Judy
-------------------- Judy Pate Signs By Judy Albany, Georgia USA 229-435-6824
Live simply...Love generously...Care deeply...Speak kindly...Leave the rest to God. Posts: 2621 | From: Albany,GA,USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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There is a website that you can find most fonts called whatthefont.com you just upload a jpg of the one you want to find and they will list svereal that match, very good site. My business is booming, but we just had a hurricane. I lost a week of work and a fence and a few trees. Bill
-------------------- Bill & Barbara Biggs Art's Sign Service, Inc. Clute, Texas, USA Home of The Great Texas Mosquito Festival Proud 10 year Supporter of the Letterheads Website www.artssigns.com "MrBill-" on the chat page MailTo:biggsbb@sbcglobal.net Posts: 1020 | From: Lake Jackson,Tx | Registered: Nov 1998
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Like David pointed out, this situation has been around forever. It didn't become a "problem" until everything became computer driven. In the days B.C. we would either hand draw the "font", replicate it using a grid or project it. No big deal. Nowadays, to be able to use the plotter or printer we need the exact font in question...enter the "problem". What was once part of the daily routine has now become a nightmare. If a customer can't supply the exact font, I substitute a horseshoe font.
[ November 10, 2008, 08:54 PM: Message edited by: George Perkins ]
-------------------- George Perkins Millington,TN. goatwell@bigriver.net
"I started out with nothing and still have most of it left"
posted
I use whatthefont.com it has about 80% success with hitting it the first time. Then it will give you a list of fonts to choose from... I search my system to see if I have it - if not I look on the internet to see if there are any alternative names for the font in question that I might already have in my system
hope it helps
[ November 10, 2008, 05:42 PM: Message edited by: Dave Cox ]
-------------------- -------------------- Dave Cox C2 Media Services (Formerly That Sign Guy) dave@c2mediaservices.com -------------------- Full Color Printing Posts: 295 | From: Sacramento CA | Registered: Jan 2003
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Just as soon as signmakers stop using those expensive programs & fonts, and set M$Publisher as their signmaking standard, with 5001FreeFonts + windows defaults as their mainstay, we'll all have clients who'll be easy to please!
-------------------- "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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Yeah, sometimes I feel so dumb... like the customer knows more about fonts than I do.... like here a while back, I get a call.. I swear this is pretty much how the conversation went.
"Yeah, man, you do dem stickas, doncha?"
"Yes, I do vinyl lettering... if that's what you mean..."
"I wont a windshiel' sticka that says Cold Chillin and I wont it Drip Style..."
"Ok, you want it HOW?"
"Drip Style.. man, yo ain't never heard of Drip Style??"
"No, I guess I haven't heard of that style."
"You know, DRIP style... make da lettas looks like dey drippin'..."
"Trippin'?"
"No, man.. DRIPPIN'.... like deys got drips comin' down from them..."
"Ok, you want it so it looks like the bottom of the letter is dripping down... yeah, I've got a couple fonts like that, I think..."
"YEAH, dude... dat's DRIP style... dat's what I want.... I thought you'd know what dat was"
"Hey, I do now, thanks man..."
Educated by the customer, ain't it great...
-------------------- Jon Jantz Snappysign.com jjantz21@gmail.com http://www.allcw.com Posts: 3395 | From: Atmore, AL | Registered: Nov 2005
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the endeavor of chasing fonts down depends on how busy I am and/or how bad I want the job. If the job is profitable, "don't worry, i'll find the font, just leave it up to me". If the job is rinky dink, Me: "Do you know what font it is"? Customer: "No, but I think my wife's brother might know , but he's in East Cupcake, Texas and well, uh"'''''' Me: "ok, don't worry, I'll find the font ,, just leave it up to me."
A customer walked in the other day and told me to letter his 2' x 6' grand opening sign in a font called "Joker."
I looked at him, smiled, and said, "How about a nice, narrow block?" Typed it in, showed it to him, explained to him how narrow was really the only choice, and proceeded to sell him the sign.
Never even asked him what the "Joker" font looked like-!!!
-------------------- Michael Gene Adkins The Fontry 1576 S Hwy 59 Watts OK 74964 Posts: 845 | From: Watts, OK USA | Registered: Jun 1999
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I just looked Joker up. That is one freaking ugly letterstyle.
-------------------- Bruce Bowers
DrCAS Custom Lettering and Design Saint Cloud, Minnesota
"Things work out best for the people who make the best of the way things work out." - Art Linkletter Posts: 6451 | From: Saint Cloud, Minnesota | Registered: Jun 1999
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What's the problem? It's part of our job right? It's our expertise, not the customer's, to know about such things as letterstyles etc. That's why they are hiring us.
Let them know you will be charging them for your time in researching their font. Then it becomes their decision whether they want to do that instead of paying you to.
Knowing and dealing with umteen fonts IS a part of our job discription, and something we get paid to do. As it should be.
~nettie
-------------------- "When Love and Skill Work Together ... Expect a Masterpiece"
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Janette, you mean I'm actually supposed to get PAID for the time I put in? OOOHHHHH .... I GET IT NOW!!! LOL
Bruce doesn't know a good font when he sees one. He should quit the sign business and go to work at a factory!
-------------------- Michael Gene Adkins The Fontry 1576 S Hwy 59 Watts OK 74964 Posts: 845 | From: Watts, OK USA | Registered: Jun 1999
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DrCAS Custom Lettering and Design Saint Cloud, Minnesota
"Things work out best for the people who make the best of the way things work out." - Art Linkletter Posts: 6451 | From: Saint Cloud, Minnesota | Registered: Jun 1999
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I'm the middle of an economic slow-down and considering lobbying the government for a small yet comfortable bail-out package. I'll be sure to ask for enough so that you can walk away with a healthy golden parachute-!!! No sense in you having to work for all that money-!!!
-------------------- Michael Gene Adkins The Fontry 1576 S Hwy 59 Watts OK 74964 Posts: 845 | From: Watts, OK USA | Registered: Jun 1999
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