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I have NO idea as to what im doing. it really is true it's hard to teach an old dog new tricks.computers? E mail? letterhead? plotters? I don't know if I can go back in the sign buis, again?
Brian Dougherty B.C. Dougherty Signs Tamaqua, PA 18252 bcpainting@hotmail.com
[ October 02, 2001: Message edited by: Steve Shortreed ]
It's folks like you (who have years of experience under your belt)that keep the "real" sign business alive. You can learn all you need to know about the computer from some of the experts here.
But there's a catch. You must teach the old dog tricks to the new puppies!
-------------------- Kathy Joiner River Road Graphics 41628 River Road Ponchatoula, La.70454
Old enough to know better...Too young to resist.
Posts: 1891 | From: Ponchatoula, LA | Registered: Nov 2000
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well lets see....i was at the duck soup meet 2 weeks ago and saw a lot of brush-slingin goin on....and this week iam doing nothing but paint....so..whats your problem.....hehehehehehehehehehehv your in the right place..now fill out the register so we know who u is!!!
-------------------- 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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I'm much closer to an old dog than a puppy, so come on in. There's plenty of bewildered geezers here typing with one finger.
Posts: 4117 | From: Lilburn, GA USA | Registered: Feb 1999
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welcome there is plenty of us old farts here. The only stupid question is the one that's not asked and we would all sure like to learn from you to Posts: 656 | From: Toowoomba Queensland Australia | Registered: Nov 1998
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I belive you might be looking at this from the wrong angle.You don't HAVE to use a computer, e-mail,plotter,etc.... They just speed the process up.As an old brush slinger,I can tell you that the influx of the vinyl cutting/printing has just put a greater value,moneywise on what you ALREADY know."Hand Painting" You can laugh all the way to the bank with this knowledge.Don't tell the young pups this ,But.... it takes LESS time to learn how to push buttons and "click" a mouse than it does to learn how to letter with a brush! Even if you are a DUCK
-------------------- PKing is Pat King The Professor of SIGNOLOGY Posts: 3113 | From: Pompano Beach, FL. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Amen what Pat said - the nitches in the market these days are the individuals with the ability and courage to buck the technology and market the traditional heritage of the trade. You can elevate yourself above the hectic high-volume, fast-turnover mindset. While that will knock you out of the bidding on a BIG piece of the overall pie, there will be very little competition for the jobs that remain. Not too shabby a tradeoff.
posted
Seems almost all my customers in the last couple of years ask the same question,..."Do you still paint signs by hand ?" Most of my work is word of mouth referral & alot of the customers actually make the mistake of telling me how much trouble they had in finding a "real" sign painter at which point the old light bulb switches on between the ears saying,...If folks like me are so hard to find,time to raise my prices ! hahahahahahahahah
[ September 28, 2001: Message edited by: timi NC ]
-------------------- fly low...timi/NC is, Tim Barrow Barrow Art Signs Winston-Salem,NC Posts: 2224 | From: Winston-Salem,NC,USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Welcome aboard! I don't have a plotter and still cut my vinyl with an x-acto! (...and that's to use for a mask for airbrushing!)
You'll find quills, flats and fitches in my kit, which has no plug on it, no software to download and no earpiece to keep up with.
Ya may have to order a lot of your supplies as the shops are catering mostly to the stickee aspect of signage...but that's not so bad!
Come back often and you too can be amazed by all the news paints, hardners, resins, etc!
Do you gold leaf? What's yer story? If you paint signs, we know you have a few good'uns!
With all this technology, you can take pics of some of these new "things" and get answers all day long from these guys! Just ask and stand back, it's what they live for!
I don't care how old and dusty your tools are, there are some here who would love to see them and how they work and why they're used. Some folks here do signs, and have never picked up the first brush! Some like it that way, and some want to change that...they're just not blessed to have a master available to take them under their wing and teach them, first hand, how to do it!
Feel free to hit the chat room and be able to type in real time with these guys and gals! The talent is impecable and the ideas fresh and exciting! You'll be welcomed with open arms!
posted
Who said we are a dying breed? By this post just look at all of us old guys who are replying. Tim has the right idea. By the way Tim, you didn't have the beard in Kentucky, did you?
-------------------- Bill Riedel Riedel Sign Co., Inc. 15 Warren Street Little Ferry, N.J. 07643 billsr@riedelsignco.com Posts: 2953 | From: Little Ferry, New Jersey, USA | Registered: Feb 1999
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Unregistered, no reply but yet has the sense to add the confused icon in the correct place. Well just maybe he can teach us a thing or two regards to posting on the UBB.
-------------------- HotLines Joey Madden - pinstriping since 1952 'Perfection, its what I look for and what I live for'
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Welcome I too am curious how an unregistered person posted on this bb. Not that I don't welcome new people, but I think it should be a requirement to post, it says so on the sign up. Please do so at your earliest convenience, Thank You Welcome Brian, I just scrolled down and your name is there now. I am an old sign painter myself. If you can do it by hand. You can Certainly do it with a computer, better, sometimes even. It just takes a little getting used to.
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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Now I see, You are registered, you must have not filled out your profile and signature. Click on the my profile at the top of the page, and enter your password and fill out the signature file as to your name and address, and e-mail if you want etc then update profile and it will show on your posts. Good Luck Brian Dougherty, Where are you anyway?
-------------------- 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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You never did say what your age is !! If you look closely, most of us dudes have gray hair and/or gray beards, or, no hair and no beards. So, just get to doing what you did best and try to improve on that and make MONEY !!!
'Cause, you see, it's like this . . .. I tore the sign off my shop, sawed it up and chunked it in the trash !!
-------------------- John Smith Kings Bay Signs (Retired) Kissimmee, Florida
Posts: 822 | From: Central Florida - The Sunshine State | Registered: Jan 2000
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Brian is registered. He just had the bad luck of registering at the exact time we were having problems with the BB. We think we have the weirdness fixed, so his future posts should be ok.
-------------------- Steve Shortreed 144 Hill St., E. Fergus, Ontario Canada N1M 1G9 519-787-2673
posted
Brian give the computers a miss! We do vinyl etc - more and more people are sulking through the door "can you fix this for me" (work done by the increasing flow of "cowboys" with NO knowledge of the craft" BIG demand for hand written signs again (typical comment "I dont want that plastic that peels off!)
Kevin Smith Signs Mudgee NSW Australia
-------------------- Kevin Smith Kevin Smith Signs Mudgee, NSW
Posts: 13 | From: Mudgee NSW Australia | Registered: Aug 2000
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Welcome to another Pennsylvanian, a coal cracker no less. For those that don't know Brian's profile says he's in Tamaqua, Pa., legendary northeast Pa coal country. Haven't been to Tamaqua for about 6 years. I'm about two hours away north of Harrisburg. I've had more customers this year insist on paint over vinyl, I'm by no stretch of the imagination skilled at hand lettering but we did it. Turned away a few jobs that were brush slingers larger than I could handle, one was in your backyard..Shamokin..
Good Luck
Dave
-------------------- Dave Ginley Ace of Signs Selinsgrove, Pa. www.aceofsigns.com
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Hi there 'old signman'. 11 years ago is when I got my first computer. I was completely intimidated by the thing. When I had to move it..I would mark all the plug-ins just so I could get them back in place the right way. But....I was soooo excited to do the computerized vinyl lettering. Little did I know that 10 years later I missed handlettering immensely and now am trying to get back into it again. Oh I love the internet.....and even vinyl lettering...but just don't completely give up your handlettering. You will miss it!! As far as computers, I am lucky to have my kids help me. I find that computers are alot like Volkswagens.....they sort of 'fix themselves' sometimes. Othertimes you feel like throwing them out your window. Have fun!
Posts: 3729 | From: Seattle | Registered: Sep 1999
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It can be done if you accept the challenge of the computer world and all it's glitches.
You are lucky to have the basics of design/typography already. Working through a computer may feel like working with thick heavy gloves on for awhile, but once you know your way around, you'll start having some fun.
That's not to say you won't go through a huge learning curve yet again. It takes awhile to develop good drawing skills on a computer.
We have an old time sign painter in our town and he didn't want the computers in his shop. His biz eventually died and he retired, but he was simply honest about biz. He used other people and their computers to output that work for him if necessary and kept to the painting side of it. He was a true letterhead, sharing his knowledge even though he wasn't online to get involved with this bb.
I commend you for wanting to stay current and grow with the industry. It takes strength to move in that direction. You can do it!
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