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Hi I've been in the background reading and really enjoy this place. Everyone is so helpful. Now I've done a vinyl on aluminum, 24" x 18", leaving 1/2 border around the outside edge. I would really appreciate some of that expert advice to make this look better. I don't know how the coloring will show up. Its burgandy lettering for the name & phone and gold for the 3/4 backdrop and "excavating" and put a prism on that one word. I've use gray for shadows. I am thinking about $38.00. I'm in Central California. I'm looking forward to hearing! Thanks, Pat Foley
-------------------- Pat Foley Foley Signs 35812 Wells Road Coarsegold CA 93614 foleys@sierratel.com (559) 642-6264 Posts: 73 | From: Coarsegold, CA | Registered: Jan 2002
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Hi Pat, here's my opinion. Let's not call it "expert"advice. I dislike the gray shadow on gold, guess you'd be better off with the same black as for the ribbon. Two differently colored shadows on one and the same sign never look quite right to me. The price sounds too low for me,is the aluminium included in that? Welcome to the BB from another Newbie (not to the trade but to Letterville).
posted
The only advice I can give is the price. I'd charge triple that price for design, materials and production of that sign. For $38 I'd only offer 1 color on 1 side of coroplast.
-------------------- Brian Snyder Sign Effectz Woodbridge, New Jersey Posts: 723 | From: Woodbridge, NJ USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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The design elements are all good, except the ratios. Make the banner and excavating smaller and a bit larger for Reull. I don't really think orange background works with colors chosen, maybe pick colors with more contrast. When shading I like to use a darker version or neutral color of the background . Most importantly, given the complex nature of this sign $38 is much too low. Maybe a simple one color sign would garner that amount but not a sign like this. Good luck with the job.
-------------------- Wright Signs Wyandotte, Michigan Posts: 2785 | From: Wyandotte, MI USA | Registered: Jan 1999
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I couldn't help resisting the urge to redesign this job. The layout you have is way too much for a). the money, b). the size of the sign.
The following layouts were both done in under an hour. Hey... Canada was playing Finland, OK? :)The first is much simpler than the first and is very typical of the type of single sided sign our customers would expect for this kind of money.
The second is more involved and would garner roughly double the money because of the graphic and the fact that it is much cooler than the first. People will pay extra for the "coolness factor".
I hope that this has been a help to you.
Have a great one!
[ February 21, 2002, 12:42 AM: Message edited by: Bruce Bowers ]
-------------------- 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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All of you are so awesome... there just isn't a word to describe it! The support you have offered is just incredible. You all are so talented and it seems like you can just look at something and know what it needs! I really enjoy doing the sign stuff and art work, and of course color... and certainly hope with time and practice I can feel more confident. Now the pricing??... ah, that's a hard one for me! Thank you all for your time and sharing your experience! Pat
[ February 21, 2002, 12:16 PM: Message edited by: Pat Foley ]
-------------------- Pat Foley Foley Signs 35812 Wells Road Coarsegold CA 93614 foleys@sierratel.com (559) 642-6264 Posts: 73 | From: Coarsegold, CA | Registered: Jan 2002
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Sorry I'm late! first time posting a picture your design is basically ok just needs a little fine tunnig. Price too low! Keep graphics simple,unless the customer willing to pay! While pricing think about design time,materials,labor and what the customer is wanting to pay
Good luck
[ February 23, 2002, 08:13 PM: Message edited by: Don Southard ]
-------------------- Don Southard DS Signs and Design Omaha,NE 68142 Posts: 24 | From: Omaha,NE | Registered: Nov 2001
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As a beginner myself, i'll bow to the wiser heads about design (except to say i agree with them -- you have three "lines'" and they're all about the same size -- pick one and make it the important one and make the others smaller).
For pricing, i'll direct you to a copy of the "Official Sign Contractors Pricing Guide" which sells for about $24, (or you can by the three pocket volumes for $8 each, I think). Estimate is awsome (if you're running Windows), but its not much help if you don't know how long something takes. The Pricing Guide helps you to see if you're in the ballpark. Their suggested prices for a 3 sq.ft aluminum sign is $64 to $159. Yup, you're a bit low. The price range is based on complexity -- a single color sign is the low end, and a fancy job with shaded lettering is at the high end.
My only question for you is "why does an excavating contractor want such a small sign?" those guys have lunch boxes bigger than that!
-------------------- :: Scooter Marriner :: :: Coyote Signs :: :: Oakland, CA :: :: still a beginner :: :: Posts: 1356 | From: Oakland (and San Francisco) | Registered: Mar 2001
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Hey Bruce, where did you get that cool lookin backhoe clipart?
-------------------- Tony Broussard Graphic Details Digital Media Loreauville, LA Posts: 395 | From: Loreauville, LA | Registered: Jul 1999
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I got that image from "Art Today". It was a colored .wmf and I made it black and white. I have found that my membership there has been OK but I do prefer to have the actual stuff here so I don't have to go online to browse for it.
We have several collections of clip art at the shop from Vector Art to Beeline to Art Explosion not to mention the seemingly endless bunch of stuff I have drawn and scanned.
I probably have close to 200 pieces I have made and have often considered marketing a CD but why bother, you know? A hundred copies sold and a thousand being used. Too much hassle for me... I couldn't afford to pay the guys with no necks... LOL!
Glad you like d the layouts...
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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Hi all! I am so happy I came to this place! I'm thinking I need a digital camera(?)... is that the best way to get images to look good when posting them? The one I sent was a scanned, printed version from the computer artwork via Vinyl Master Pro. The completed signs are a little bit of everyone! The owner of Ruell Excavation brought me the picture of the dozer... it's his. I vectorized it from a scan. He loved it so that's what I had to use. (I liked Bruce's better!) Ruell choose the coloring as we live in Coarsegold... he wanted the gold background. I bought a better looking gold... Oracal. Ruell also wanted maroon & black as those are his truck colors. So... what I did... I changed the shadows to black. You're so right. Stay consistant with the color for the shadows! What a difference! Then I enlarged "RUELL", shrunk the banner and "EXCAVATION". Such a learning experience! Then, I used the closest font I could find to Bruce's and got that classic "cool" inverted triangle in the phone number, with no shadows. Hope that's okay Bruce!(?) You're an extremely talented man. Thank you. And for the pricing... I certainly don't want to and won't underprice the two existing sign companies in this area. They are so swamped with business they're in overload mode! Anyway, I did check Computer Graphics Pricing Guide and saw that $37 to $94 was the range. That's why I guessed $38. That was okay, except I have 3 colors, shadows and a logo! So, I went on-line and found these web sites that offer 24" x 18" at that low end price, I felt I had to compete with the internet. I showed Mr. Ruell the proposed layout, at the size he wanted, and with three colors and shadows, the cost is $90.00 plus tax. I didn't hesitate or say it as a question. I'm new at this and tried to think of how merchants sell to me! To sell something that I really enjoyed making... what a concept! Thanks again.... HE WANTS FOUR! (oh1 excuse me for yelling!) And frames to stake them at his job sites. Now how about that lunch box size!? This man is so excited about these signs it has really done my heart good! He wants me to work up some stickers for his equipment! I will do my best to get an image of a completed sign posted! Keep smilin'...
-------------------- Pat Foley Foley Signs 35812 Wells Road Coarsegold CA 93614 foleys@sierratel.com (559) 642-6264 Posts: 73 | From: Coarsegold, CA | Registered: Jan 2002
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