I just ordered me a new truck. Little red hot rod Dakota. The not-so-old Ford 1 ton was just too big for our current needs. And we are supposed to keep the economy rollin and all that...
I also got a great deal.... almost straight across for the old truck. It's a custom order and it won't be here for a few weeks.
Anyway.... it's time to think about a new lettering job.
My question is
How many folks use vinyl on their shop trucks and how many use paint??
My last truck as all vinyl Made it a lot easier when I traded it in! Which is one large plus nowadays especially if you don't keep trucks for too long. I also tend to change the graphics once in a while. Last truck wore two different styles in three years.
I have had this re-occurring dream that I would love to do it in real gold leaf with four typpes of gold and airbrush and hand lettered .... the works.
Or a wild vinyl job I can easily change when the old one gets tired.
Hmmmmmmm..... so many decisions, so little time.
What's on your shop vehicle??
Paint or vinyl?
-dan
Posted by Mark Fair Signs (Member # 289) on :
congrats on the new truck dan.
i would not limit myself to just vinyl.
if i were doing this truck for the imagination corporation i would pull out a variety of techniques.
by viewing your wonderful website i think this would call for mixed media.
maybe a combination of paint and vinyl as well as an appointment here and there with your 3-D effects.
i have no doubt whatever the ideas you come up with will live up to the name of your company.
mark
Posted by Samazon (Member # 408) on :
Hi Dan
Good taste in vehicles!
Here's my lil' Dakota, which has vinyl lettering cuz that's what I do:
This is a fairly popular vehicle where I live. I've offered to letter others' red Dakotas (at cost) so they'd look like mine, but so far no one has taken me up on the offer ! I don't get it!
Please post pics of what you create!
Sam
Posted by Doug Allan (Member # 2247) on :
There you go Dan, you could get "samazon" put on it cheap!
HeHe, No seriously, what about a few panels mounted on your lumber rack that have paint & goldleaf? You will have a rack right? Then stick with vinyl on the body itself.
Posted by Jon Butterworth (Member # 227) on :
My van is all vinyl although 80% of my work is paint!
Simple reasoning is that the graphics are easy to remove when you "recycle" the vehicle.
Vinyl is not limiting ... you can airbrush fades and shades and multi layers ( my logo is presently 5 deep!) and next time it will use sign gold too!
Your "thing" is 3D ... why not do something 3D in foam and glue it to a vinyl background on the truck ... peel it off later and put it on the next one
Posted by Arvil Shep' Shepherd (Member # 2030) on :
What about ....Really "DOING" the truck... and then later ......when you decide it is of no longer an asset as a shop truck........you can incorporate in one of your designs for a customer. You guys do really GREAT WORK Shep'
Posted by Dave Grundy (Member # 103) on :
Dan... A couple of years ago I was picking up supplies at Canadian SignCrafters and Pete Payne was in the process of lettering his new truck. If I remember correctly, he was laying gold leaf on vinyl. Anyone who knows Pete will agree that anything he tackles is done to perfection!
In subsequent stops at his place there doesn't seem to be any deterioration to the job. If you wanted more info you might try calling him.
Posted by George Perkins (Member # 156) on :
Put my vote down for paint,paint,paint. Yes vinyl is easier to remove when trading in and just for that reason of trade ins a lot of folks around here go the extra step and don't bother to get the truck lettered at all. Jon, I'd argue about vinyl not being limiting. Color selection is very limited especially when going for the exact shade of say aqua. Tinting is impossible,. Then you have to paint the vinyl or use a color that isn't "just right". Ever try to sponge on or splatter vinyl? Five color pinstriping? You want a nice loose whippy personalized script? Then you have to scan, edit andd all that crap to end up with something that, although close, just doesn't measure up to the look of hand lettering. Here's a suggestion for ya, do one side in the four types of gold, airbrushed, hand lettered , the works and give the other side your best shot with vinyl, post some close up shots and we can all vote on which looks better. I'll prevote for paint
BTW I had a red truck before my present one, I kept it two years and traded it in, it was done in gold leaf and paint. Duct tape, EZ Off and a little buffing, about twenty minute for both doors and it was ready to trade in.
Posted by cheryl nordby (Member # 1100) on :
I like to change the lettering on my truck aLOT. So I use vinyl. Eventhough I like paint and gold leaf best. I just changed the lettering AGAIN.....when you use vinyl it is so easy to let the truck sit in the sun..then peel off the old vinyl...and re~letter. Ta~~Da!!! I have also used clear vinyl as a background for customers. It looked good! I rounded the corners and unles you were right up close you couldn't tell it was on clear.
Posted by jon peterman (Member # 528) on :
I have a bright yellow ford van that is finally getting lettered after four years it has signgold, paint, and vinyl and in a couple more days its gonna have a sign-foam shark and some letters attached with epoxy and no two sides the same. maybe I'll post pictures. jon
Posted by Dan Sawatzky (Member # 88) on :
Dave Fisher was kind enough to send me an email with some pics of a work in progress on his own Ute.
The work shown was understated and at the same time STOP IN YOUR TRACKS UNBELIEVABLE!! With subtle use of shadowing and highlights the lettering appears to be formed into the truck panels. NICE JOB!
He took a beater old truck (like most shop trucks)and transformed it into a work of art.
I have the links to his site where he posted the pics for me but I wouldn't post them without his permission. He is talking about posting final pics in the next week or so.
Make him POST IT for all to see!
Preston McCall also sent me some pics and tips of his red shop truck with NICE gold leaf. He should post some pics too!!!
Now, if I do some gold leaf with nice borders like Preston's and maybe add some cool shades and highlights like David's I can come up sith something original of my own....
Maybe on an angle like Samazon's..............
Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.
Inspired in Bristish Columbia!
-dan
Posted by Samazon (Member # 408) on :
I have to credit Mike Meyer with the angled lettering on my truck. I was hesitant to go that big with it, but he projected it on the truck and showed me how cool it'd look! Tip to tip, the word "samazon" is 6'2.5" long...wonder how I came up with that?!
