posted
I was sitting at a red light today and was besides a semi, the lettering was in Old english and was white, the truck was black. It also had a grey drop shadow touching the main white copy, the shadow was a light grey. I thought, who would have left that like that, it did not read good at all, the main copy and shadow were too close in value with no seperating contrast, and on a black truck the two elements blended together to form shapes that did not represent any language I know.
I see so many jobs like these, and I think I know why it happens, today we design on a screen that is illuminated by a light, usually 16 inches from our face and we say hey that looks good. And it may even look good on a truck veiwed many feet away but more likely not. Then we use materials with color predetermined at the factory as to shade & value, sometimes not even close to what we designed on that well lit screen, but hey its what we have in stock and the job price does not warrant a new roll. also it is usually not obvious that some element does not work untill all the vinyl is cut and or applied. making it very costly to redo so we just accept it
So what do we get? half measures at effective visual communication. Many times failures.
In my dominant paint days I would draw and color by hand and when I was lettering the doors it became obvious right away what was readable and what was not, a quick tweak could be done such as a paint shade changed or an ouline added to add contrast, quickly and cost effectively. Usually the light you lettered in was the same light it would be veiwed in. Spacing could be adjusted on the fly and kerning was just as easy. More times than not producing very effect visual communication and a success.
It takes more effort today to predetermine pitfalls and compensate for them, we design usually in a false environment in false lighting and in a false veiwing environment as well. hence why I beleive we see so much crap today, its just too much work to fix the problems, because the job is already done before its noticed and too costly as well.
If you cant read it what good is it?
[ March 17, 2003, 11:33 PM: Message edited by: Bob Rochon ]
-------------------- Bob Rochon Creative Signworks Millbury, MA 508-865-7330
"Life is Like an Echo, what you put out, comes back to you." Posts: 5149 | From: Millbury, Mass. U.S. | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
Interesting post Bob and for the most part I agree.
However I started doing most of my shade work by hand (depends on the job) and it affords me the opportunity to make those litle tweeks while it gets some (richly deserved) hand lettering time in.
It's not the perfect apeasment...but it aint bad!
The best part is if they want it repeated they can't get it done at the straight vinyl shop.
Good idea!
[ March 17, 2003, 11:28 PM: Message edited by: Monte Jumper ]
-------------------- "Werks fer me...it'll werk fer you"
posted
very simply bob....most doing vinyl(that looks like your example)have no ART ABILITY let alone any concept of color. they see pictures of something and try to imitate it. 1st off a shadow on old english(baddddddddd) to busy. most doing vinyl today cant even color in a coloring book and stay inside the lines...hehehehehehehe
-------------------- joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-637-1519 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
There is a funeral home across the street from my shop that has the name in Gemini letters, large letters, in old english all caps in a semi arch. I chill every time I look out the window at it.
-------------------- Maker of fine signs and other creative stuff. Located at 109 N. Cumberland ave. Harlan, Ky. 40831 606-837-0242 Posts: 4172 | From: Ages-Brookside, Ky. Up the Holler... | Registered: Jul 1999
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posted
Bob, I understand what you are saying about "tweaking" a color when using a brush , I do it all the time. It's also one of the frustrations we come accross when using vinyl, getting that "just right" tone or shade. To be tweaking a light gray shade on a black truck would be out of the question. It's the wrong choice to begin with. It just goes back to folks designing that have no background in the basics. A shadow should relate to the background, in this case be a dark color. As far as the Old English goes, not one of my favorites, but I bet there are a bunch of folks on here that could pull off using that letterstyle and make it look good. I'd also bet that not one of them would choose light gray for a shade color.
[ March 18, 2003, 11:21 AM: 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 find that paint mask is a great alternative if the right vinyl colors are not available. With the cost of mask being so much lower than HP vinyl, it makes up for the little bit of extra work. I'm still faster than by handpainting it, even though that is more fun...
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