Almost Final Sticker - Input Requested

[ArdWrknTrk]

Randy, I hadn't thought about plotter cutters in a long time. 💡

I suppose the technology has matured quite a bit since I sold commercial art supplies 40 years ago.

We had problems with acceleration and swivel knives dulling and dragging back then.

Any way, good to know, thanks for keeping me on my toes.

I assume good old drag knife/swivel plotters are still the bread and butter of the decal industry. I came into the industry just as the first Gerber blue machines were coming online. Before that, we cut everything with an Xacto knife and hand spaced everything.

I would imagine that technology has marched on since I owned my big Roland 54" printer/plotter. I think I left it in 2012? Went to work for state with motorcycle program and came back to industry as project manager. THose designer guys now blow me away. My mind won't even work that way like they do dirt track race car wraps. And they are cheaper than i used to be so no incentive to be in that industry any more for me.

You're talking to someone who actually used to cut and paste. (well... wax or rubber cement)

Stats and Rubylith were a thing for me.

I had almost ALL the Letraset and Pantone numbers in my head and could pretty much identify any one of thousands of hues.

Man! That was ages ago.

[rcarlisle]

You're talking to someone who actually used to cut and paste. (well... wax or rubber cement)

Stats and Rubylith were a thing for me.

I had almost ALL the Letraset and Pantone numbers in my head and could pretty much identify any one of thousands of hues.

Man! That was ages ago.

I remember rubylith. Screen printing, right? One company I worked for did a little screen printing for real estate signs.

THen I hand lettered signs for a small shop to help pay my way through college. Just before Plotters. One Shot and quills. Woo Hoo. I recently bought a set of cheap lettering brushes to use on the truck. Most everyone I know now doesn't know that I did the hand lettering thing.

I STILL have to use PMS colors quite a bit. And my fan out is terribly old and color shifted. Almost useless.

There was one sign I painted sometime between '86 and '89 that was still attached to the building in 2016. Barely legible but there. Then they razed the building for the "march of progress" a little after that. The oldest sign I know of that I lettered.

After college I got to run a first gen CNC router and Windows based Gerber plotter. They had a later gen machine too that had a monitor and would show you what you were doing before you sent it to plotter. I admire the folks that were able to make signs with the blue machines that had that little 7 digit LED display.

Crazy stuff.

[ArdWrknTrk]

I remember rubylith. Screen printing, right? One company I worked for did a little screen printing for real estate signs.

THen I hand lettered signs for a small shop to help pay my way through college. Just before Plotters. One Shot and quills. Woo Hoo. I recently bought a set of cheap lettering brushes to use on the truck. Most everyone I know now doesn't know that I did the hand lettering thing.

I STILL have to use PMS colors quite a bit. And my fan out is terribly old and color shifted. Almost useless.

There was one sign I painted sometime between '86 and '89 that was still attached to the building in 2016. Barely legible but there. Then they razed the building for the "march of progress" a little after that. The oldest sign I know of that I lettered.

After college I got to run a first gen CNC router and Windows based Gerber plotter. They had a later gen machine too that had a monitor and would show you what you were doing before you sent it to plotter. I admire the folks that were able to make signs with the blue machines that had that little 7 digit LED display.

Crazy stuff.

Yep! Serigraphs.

Color separations were still done on photographic films that were only sensitive to one of the three colors (plus black, in halftones)

IIRC when I got out there were only three giant vinyl printers in the world.

(Bus sized wraps) Belgium, Israel and Brooklyn, NY.

Hand lettering is an art.

Sold lots of squirrel tail quills and sharps. Plenty of One Shot as well.

I can still remember the woman who would make all the signs at A&P in brilliant tempra. She had a little Badger spray gun for fades and starbursts too

[rcarlisle]

Yep! Serigraphs.

Color separations were still done on photographic films that were only sensitive to one of the three colors (plus black, in halftones)

IIRC when I got out there were only three giant vinyl printers in the world.

(Bus sized wraps) Belgium, Israel and Brooklyn, NY.

Hand lettering is an art.

Sold lots of squirrel tail quills and sharps. Plenty of One Shot as well.

I can still remember the woman who would make all the signs at A&P in brilliant tempra. She had a little Badger spray gun for fades and starbursts too

Hand lettering is an art that I was mediocre at. No training, just "here it is - think you can do this?" after watching others do it. I jumped in and did ok. We made money.

The PC based programs really let me develop into a sign designer. When we bought our 54" Roland (SJ540), it was the first one in NC and one of the first dozen or so one the East Coast, according to our Roland guy. It's way obsolete, I think. I just had to look it up to confirm the model. Last I saw of mine was in my buidling at my ex wife's house. One thing I didn't want in the divorce. LOL

I learned along the way that I am not really great to work for. I didn't like having me for a boss. SO I went to work for someone else. At least now when I get mad at the boss, I have someone to be mad at that isn't me.

Wow we are away off subject now.... back to forum decals.

[Gary Lewis]

Hand lettering is an art that I was mediocre at. No training, just "here it is - think you can do this?" after watching others do it. I jumped in and did ok. We made money.

The PC based programs really let me develop into a sign designer. When we bought our 54" Roland (SJ540), it was the first one in NC and one of the first dozen or so one the East Coast, according to our Roland guy. It's way obsolete, I think. I just had to look it up to confirm the model. Last I saw of mine was in my buidling at my ex wife's house. One thing I didn't want in the divorce. LOL

I learned along the way that I am not really great to work for. I didn't like having me for a boss. SO I went to work for someone else. At least now when I get mad at the boss, I have someone to be mad at that isn't me.

Wow we are away off subject now.... back to forum decals.

I got this input from Skylar at Highwayman Signs:

Unfortunately with the window cling we are not able to print white so your sticker would be clear and black and the blue line around.. Anyways for 2.5"x3.5" you will get 56 decals for $40. Unfortunately we won't be able to sell just one sticker to someone we have a $25 minimum. As for the coloring you can definitely do color it wouldn't change the price any but there is the possibility of it fading with the sun or it being moved and touched multiple times, If you're wanting to stick with the window cling I would suggest just doing black.

After taking a look at the layout you have sent to us and talking with my manager more, we both think your best option would be to use vinyl instead of window cling, with the vinyl you have less chance of fading and you would have more color options as well as more use in the stickers. I have still attached the picture of the window cling sticker we have that I was telling you about so you can have a better idea.

So we have a decision to make: Do we want to to go with a clear sticker with black printing, or with a white vinyl with the logo on it? The vinyl is to be applied to the outside of the glass and Skylar says it is much heavier duty and will last longer. And they are the same price.

Here's a shot of a sticker they make for the local chamber of commerce:

[FuzzFace2]

I got this input from Skylar at Highwayman Signs:

Unfortunately with the window cling we are not able to print white so your sticker would be clear and black and the blue line around.. Anyways for 2.5"x3.5" you will get 56 decals for $40. Unfortunately we won't be able to sell just one sticker to someone we have a $25 minimum. As for the coloring you can definitely do color it wouldn't change the price any but there is the possibility of it fading with the sun or it being moved and touched multiple times, If you're wanting to stick with the window cling I would suggest just doing black.

After taking a look at the layout you have sent to us and talking with my manager more, we both think your best option would be to use vinyl instead of window cling, with the vinyl you have less chance of fading and you would have more color options as well as more use in the stickers. I have still attached the picture of the window cling sticker we have that I was telling you about so you can have a better idea.

So we have a decision to make: Do we want to to go with a clear sticker with black printing, or with a white vinyl with the logo on it? The vinyl is to be applied to the outside of the glass and Skylar says it is much heavier duty and will last longer. And they are the same price.

Here's a shot of a sticker they make for the local chamber of commerce:

How well can the black one be seen from out side the truck?

I just think it would not be seen being black.

Dave ----

[kramttocs]

How well can the black one be seen from out side the truck?

I just think it would not be seen being black.

Dave ----

I agree Dave. I don't see the black being a viable option.

[ArdWrknTrk]

I got this input from Skylar at Highwayman Signs:

Unfortunately with the window cling we are not able to print white so your sticker would be clear and black and the blue line around.. Anyways for 2.5"x3.5" you will get 56 decals for $40. Unfortunately we won't be able to sell just one sticker to someone we have a $25 minimum. As for the coloring you can definitely do color it wouldn't change the price any but there is the possibility of it fading with the sun or it being moved and touched multiple times, If you're wanting to stick with the window cling I would suggest just doing black.

After taking a look at the layout you have sent to us and talking with my manager more, we both think your best option would be to use vinyl instead of window cling, with the vinyl you have less chance of fading and you would have more color options as well as more use in the stickers. I have still attached the picture of the window cling sticker we have that I was telling you about so you can have a better idea.

So we have a decision to make: Do we want to to go with a clear sticker with black printing, or with a white vinyl with the logo on it? The vinyl is to be applied to the outside of the glass and Skylar says it is much heavier duty and will last longer. And they are the same price.

Here's a shot of a sticker they make for the local chamber of commerce:

My back slider is dark tint.

I don't think you would notice a black decal

[Gary Lewis]

My back slider is dark tint.

I don't think you would notice a black decal

Ok, sports fans, it looks like we need a white vinyl. Thanks!