I wanted to make a few comments regarding what some on this board have perceived as "fluff" and "filler" in clipart collections for signmakers and engravers, including specific references and to Volume 3 of the old product line for Vector Art. After twelve years in this business, I have learned to listen very carefully to what the market wants by way of digitized artwork. I have also learned that artwork that is considered awful by some is perceived by others to be incredibly beautiful, and people have built a whole business around a few topics that others may not like at all. What we like and do not like is a very subjective experience, and if I tryed to run my business based on what artwork I "liked" I would have been bankrupt long ago.
I realized this AM, that the Letterhead group is mostly capable of generating their own designs and artwork...that is to say, most have some art ability, and are therefore highly critical and individualistic...that is the very basis of your business success...your art talent...you sense of taste and design.
But, as you know so well, there are thousands (35,000 or so in North America alone) of "sign shops" and many are run by people that have no art talent what-so-ever, and would not even be in business without products like The Vector Art Mega Collection, $2000 plotters, and computers for $599 at Sam's Club. These people don't bitch about this or that fluff or filler, etc., etc. They are delighted to get as many different clean vector art designs as they can and suck up our products as fast as we can ship them out the door.
We have shipped 3000+ Mega Collections into the world wide market since Jan 7 2002, and expect to ship 12,000 this year, and several new products are on they way for 2003. Also, we pay substantial royalties to some of your peers who are amoung the best in the world, at all kinds of sign and vehicle graphic work
Like it or not, mom and pop can get into this business for about $3000 bucks and operate out of their living room or garage. They can output high quality art work after 2 hours training on the computer. Several of our dealers are offering a plotter, vinyl, software and The Vector Art Mega Collection for around 3k.
I do not know if this is a good or bad thing for the "tradition" of sign making, but it is what it is, and we try as best we can to adjust our collections to a very broad range of users, and fully understand that every one we sell to will never use all of the 6500+ high quality, clean vector art designs.
Best regards to all
-------------------- Andrew Holmes Vector Art Inc Pacific Grove, CA 93950
quote:...people that have no art talent what-so-ever, and would not even be in business without products like The Vector Art Mega Collection... These people don't bitch about this or that fluff or filler, etc., etc. They are delighted to get as many different clean vector art designs...
The key word in there Andrew is DIFFERENT! I call stuffing in an extra 50 designs that are identical except the most basic slight distortion possible to be "filler". That is not bitching, that is a fact. And furthermore one that was only brought up because of your extensive & excessive "bitching" about all the thieving, taking & stealing you fear to be going on with your products.
I pay for, use, & and appreciate your products, but as much as your input on the clipart issue presents a unique point of view we don't always hear, your attitude doesn't impress me. If you listen as well as you say to your customers I might guess that this new Mega-whatever-pack may be without the excess meaningless flipped, inverted, or resized rehashed duplicity that your earlier products contained. The fact that you take issue with this duplicity, without acknowledging it's accuracy, makes it seem a little less likely that you are in a position to take advantage of this opportunity to advertise that this is no longer your M.O.
[ May 01, 2002, 11:39 PM: Message edited by: Doug Allan ]
di novello tutto par bello; nullum est jam dictum quod non dictum est prius
Now, if that ain't the truth!
Now go have a great one!
-------------------- 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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-------------------- 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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