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To make a long story short, our church youth needed a new logo. I made one up in photo shop and then they wanted a banner. Turns out they have a lynx-60 in a closet and ask me if I could do anything with it. This picture is the result of my first banner attempt.
I'm a director of I.T. but found I really like doing this. I read through a lot of posts here and on other boards and figured I couldn't let this be just cut it and stick it. I airbrushed the highlights and shadows to give it a little depth.
The name of the group is Deeper Impact.
comments?
(sorry about the black looking pole. It's my Digeridu leaning on it)
[ June 08, 2002, 11:24 PM: Message edited by: Michael Heffner ]
-------------------- Michael Heffner Norwalk, CA Posts: 4 | From: Norwalk, CA | Registered: Jun 2002
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Very good first attempt. As far as improving the sign, I would tighten the layout and leave a lot more margins. Also red on blue are not good visually together, something with more complimentary colors and more contrast. Airbrush highlights are a good touch and takes it out of the vinyl only, stamped out look.
-------------------- Wright Signs Wyandotte, Michigan Posts: 2785 | From: Wyandotte, MI USA | Registered: Jan 1999
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Do I read that right, did you say your church had their own vinyl cutter 'laying around in a closet' ???
A couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine made mention of me to a motorcycle shop he's working at, saying how I could do the stripes on the bikes (they fix wrecks) instead of them ordering a whole side kit. The response? "Oh, I've had one of those machines for years".
It never ceases to amaze me how a few of the one-step-up-from-a-lawyer-on-the-food-chain suppliers have marketed our supposed professional use only tools and wares directly to the customer. Makes you wonder when the drug companies will let us write our own prescriptions eh? yeah right.
But you didnt ask for a rant did ya? Sorry, just had my feathers in a ruffling mood I guess.
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THeres a guy around my area that bought a new vinyl cutting machine just to do his own race car! He does a good job too, he won't do anybody elses though.
-------------------- John Thompson JTT Graphics "The big guy with a little sign shop!" Royston/Hartwell Georgia jtt101@hotmail.com Posts: 626 | From: Royston Georgia | Registered: Feb 2002
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I think the red and blue are good for that type of sign. Red and blue on black has always been one of my favorite combinations and makes your eyes react differently, simular to being under a black light. In person, that effect must be awesome!
-------------------- HotLines Joey Madden - pinstriping since 1952 'Perfection, its what I look for and what I live for'
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Yea, the crowded look was also where I learned my first mistake. Never tell someone to buy something and not check it. I had all the vinyl cut painted and masked, opened my 3x10ft banner to find out they bought a 3x8 ft instead. So much for margins. I would have bought a new one, but this had a deadline.
Yes, strike another one up for sign warehouse. They actually received a flyer in the mail sayin g how they could save a bunch of money by buying this and doing them in-house..
The red on blue was meant to play with your eyes. here's the original logo from photoshop.
I had thought about cutting a grey border and doing a highlight in the center, but figured I may already be over my head so I did this one without.
-mike
-------------------- Michael Heffner Norwalk, CA Posts: 4 | From: Norwalk, CA | Registered: Jun 2002
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All the churches here have cutters, tables, vinyl, application tape, computers, rapid tac, airbrush kits, exhaust systems, and paint that works on vinyl too. Plus all of them are on the Sign Warehouse mailing list also. Sign Warehouse must have targeted churches. Yeah, right.
-------------------- Brian Crothers CR Signs 1790 C Tamarac St. Campbell River B.C. V9W 3M6 briancrothers@crsigns.ca Posts: 82 | From: Campbell River B.C. Canada | Registered: Apr 2002
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Well, so much for the warm welcome... Vinyl Cutter, yea they had one. Tables, most churches do have them. Vinyl, we ordered the colors we needed. Same for transfer tape. Rapid Tac samples didn't get here in time so I used soap and water (worked pretty well too). Computers... well being director of I.T. pretty much shows I'm a computer geek so..... Airbrush, old hobby making model rockets. Pasche H model. Paints, Testors model enamel. Seemed to work fine. Added a clear coat of Krylon from a can. Booth? Thats what the great outdoors are for..
As for the mailing list? All I know is they said that's how they got it. I have no reason not to belive them. If I did I'm at the wrong church...
Looks like I may have gained the cutter though. They're giving it to me in exchange for labor to make their banners. They'll but the supplies and I make them. Eventually it'll work out to where I charge them, but I have to figure out what a slightly used one is worth.
-mike
-------------------- Michael Heffner Norwalk, CA Posts: 4 | From: Norwalk, CA | Registered: Jun 2002
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Hello Michael, and welcome. Pretty darn good for a first try, I would say. David Wright's remarks also represent my opinion.
I'm going to kid around now, so please take this in the intended spirit. The first thing that popped into my head when I read your post was "Trinity Episcopal Church and Sign Company"
If you are a Car & Driver Magazine fan, you know they run photos of funny signs such as Fred's Used Cars and Detective Agency, so you see where the thought came from.
Getting serious again, I was in the basement of a church blessed with a very large congregation. They had a copy machine and setup that rivalled something at Kinko's. When they told me how many pages they duplicated and mailed a week it made sense. Sounds like some former administrator decided signs were easy, tried it, and gave up.
Have fun with your new project. Vic G
-------------------- Victor Georgiou Danville, CA , USA Posts: 1746 | From: Danville, CA , USA | Registered: Dec 1998
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No offence taken. Our church also has a Christian School that has about 800 students enrolled the last time I checked so there's a lot of stuff "lying around" that is just waiting for someone to start using it.
They have no intention of going into any business other than that which they are already in. I however am realizing that I really don't like being at a desk all day..
-mike
-------------------- Michael Heffner Norwalk, CA Posts: 4 | From: Norwalk, CA | Registered: Jun 2002
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For your first banner I would say it looks mighty fine! Nice job. Sometimes it is good to drop the top copy (deeper) down a tad so the underneath word is easy to read. Nice to see your work!
Posts: 3729 | From: Seattle | Registered: Sep 1999
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Michael, find the Future Live Meets button on the menu and watch for Letterheads meets on the west coast. There are usually one or two on the West Coast. You will want to attend one if you are seriously interested in this craft. Vic G
-------------------- Victor Georgiou Danville, CA , USA Posts: 1746 | From: Danville, CA , USA | Registered: Dec 1998
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![[Smile]](smile.gif)
Sorry, just had my feathers in a ruffling mood I guess. 
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