This is topic Tips & Tricks . . . Truck Lettering in forum Tips & Tricks at The Letterville BullBoard.


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Posted by Pete Kouchis (Member # 343) on :
 
If you've got a digital camera and you're not using it for a layout tool, you're missing the boat!

1. Start with a picture if your customer's vehicle.

2. Import, scale to actual size and design right on the picture.
Print it on photo gloss paper and present it to the customer.


3. Try not to look as excited as they do when they see how professional your presentation looks compared to the other guy's line drawing or thumbnail AND YOU GET THE JOB (even at a higher price!)


Note: this also works well when selling building or site signs. Just superimpose the layout onto the picture and show the customer (and the village for permit apps) EXACTLY what the sign will look like and where it will go. A picture REALLY IS "worth a thousand words".

------------------
Pete Kouchis
Say it with SIGNS, Inc.
Orland Park, IL, USA
Phone: (708)460-3001
Fax: (708)460-3006

Excellence is doing a common thing in an uncommon way
Booker T. Washington

[This message has been edited by Pete Kouchis (edited January 25, 2000).]
 

Posted by Mark Fair Signs (Member # 289) on :
 
great step by step pete!
the digital camera is a valuable sign shop tool.

mark

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Mark Fair

Mark Fair Signs
http://www.markfair.com


I Don't Work... I dis-PLAY

2162 Mt. Meigs Road
Montgomery, Alabama 36107
334-262-4449

mark@markfair.com

"Mark Fair is a Proud Contributor to The Letterhead Site!"


 

Posted by Matthew Broadus (Member # 306) on :
 
Peter, A digital camera is a must,I also save the image after I've made the sign, just like a paper pattern.The sign file and pictures are saved, next year when they order those 10 more vans, all I have to do is find the job disk, load and everything about the job is right there; colors, size, price, and any other notes I made as the job progressed and was completed. Most importantly did I make good money and did he pay promply. Your design is awesome, what did you get for it?

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Matthew Broadus
Matthew Broadus Advertising Jacksonville, Fl.

 

Posted by Bill Dirkes (Member # 1000) on :
 
Good step-by-step,and a nice job on the truck.
For the fiscally challenged a scanner and a One Step camera will do the same! Ya may lose some picture quality, but it still puts you "in" with the client.

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Bill Dirkes
Bethel Hill Signs
Butler, Ky.
Goodnight Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are.



 

Posted by Matthew Broadus (Member # 306) on :
 
Peter, A digital camera is a must,I also save the image after I've made the sign, just like a paper pattern.The sign file and pictures are saved, next year when they order those 10 more vans, all I have to do is find the job disk, load and everything about the job is right there; colors, size, price, and any other notes I made as the job progressed and was completed. Most importantly did I make good money and did he pay promply. Your design is awesome, what did you get for it?

------------------
Matthew Broadus
Matthew Broadus Advertising Jacksonville, Fl.

 

Posted by Rick Sacks (Member # 379) on :
 
The other day I handed a printout of a proposed sign to a customer. He looked at it and said he'll get back to me. As I left, I pulled out the camera, shot his building and ran back to the shop and did as you described. Went back and handed him the photo of his building with the new sign on it and got the job immediatly!

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The SignShop
Mendocino, California
"Where the Redwoods meet the Surf"



 

Posted by Si Allen (Member # 420) on :
 
Hey! I've been doing that , even before digital cameras!
A plain ol' Polaroid and a scanner will have you in business... true, the quality isn't quite as good! But the look on the custmer's face when they see exactly what it will look like, lets you know that you've cinched a sale!

------------------
Si Allen #562
La Mirada, CA. USA
(714) 521-4810
ICQ # 330407
"SignPainters do It with Longer Strokes!"

Brushasaurus on Chat


[This message has been edited by Si Allen (edited January 25, 2000).]
 

Posted by Dave Draper (Member # 102) on :
 
Hi Heads,

We do the same picture presentation also, but I use my Cannon EOS Rebel 35mm. and
after I take the picture of the van or truck from every angle, then we use our local 1 hour
film developer (that would be WAL-mart) and get the supersize prints ( that would be the 5" x 7" size.

I would love a digital camera, but the photo quality of the Cannon EOS is so much superior to the present digital cameras, we have decided to wait until the quality of the digital photos comes way up and the camera price comes way down!
We also use the Cannon EOS for photo realistic prints on our Gerber Edge....and a superior photo scanned at high resolution will produce some very sharp Edge prints.

The photo presentation sells a job every time and the customer can't come back on you for getting a job he didn't want or expect was going to look different!

We also include copyright info in the picture presentation and make the customer sign off on the project. He is made aware that he pays up front for the layout presentation if he need to get bids from other shops.

We also show the potential customer other jobs with the picture presentation to finished production and walk them down the whole process before we begin.

------------------
Go Get 'Em..... :)
AKA Raptorman on #Letterheads mIRC Chat
Draper The Signmaker
Bloomington Illinois USA

Proud 2-yr. $upporter of this Web Site (May 1999-May 2001)


 

Posted by Wizsigns (Member # 778) on :
 
Just got a Digital camera and will be using it for all the reasons mentioned so far and also to record the signs I have made already. I can put these pictures on the web site and potential customers can see what I have done.

To combine it with a Notebook computer - some design could be done on site and overlayed on the picture taken just 5 mins ago.

Anything that will remove the doubt and inertia from a possible sale occaision, and give you a one up situation over a rival in business has got to be good.
Also usefull when you have to drive for 2 hours to get to the customer - If you can get the sale there and then without making a second trip - brilliant.

The retail biz works on the basis of "Well displayed is half sold" - Get a digital camera today - do not delay.......

------------------
David Allen
Wizard Signs - It's a kind of magic!
ICQ 3467358
Email wizsigns@esatclear.ie
ICQ Pager 3467358@pager.icq.com
www.esatclear.ie/~davidallen/wizard.htm
Resident of Letterville


 

Posted by Brad Ferguson (Member # 33) on :
 
I've been thinking of having my film developer put pictures on CD.
Would this be better than scanning, or not worth the trouble?
I don't have a digital camera yet.

Brad

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Brad Ferguson
4782 West Highway 22
Paris AR 72855
501-963-2642
signbrad@cswnet.com


 

Posted by Dave Grundy (Member # 103) on :
 
I recently got a digital camera and I LOVE it!! for all of the above mentioned reasons. I, like Si used to use my 35 mm and the scanner. And like Dave, I used to take the film to the one hour photo finisher. It worked great!!!

The digital is faster, cheaper in the long run, and as mentioned, combined with a laptop is a powerhouse combo.

BUT..I also take my 35 mm along with me everywhere for taking photos of the finished job. There is nothing like a nice glossy 4"x6" to put in your portfolio!!!!!!!!!

------------------
Dave Grundy shop#340
AKA "applicator" on mIRC
"stickin' sticky stuff to valuable vessels and vehicles!"
in Granton, Ontario, Canada
1-519-225-2634
dave.grundy@odyssey.on.ca
www.odyssey.on.ca/~dave.grundy
"A PROUD $ supporter of the website"



 

Posted by Jerry Morrissey (Member # 203) on :
 
Great post! Now tell us what brand of digital camera you have.

Thanks

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Jerry Morrissey
Rapid Graphics & Signs
Omaha NE
402-597-3606
jcm@novia.net
 

Posted by Dan Antonelli (Member # 86) on :
 
Terrific Post! And sweeet layout, too.

I've been using the digital camera for about 2 years, and frankly, can't imagine comping without. Clients love it, and it saves so much time measuring. We throw a magnetic ruler on the "blank" truck before the picture so its easy to scale it.

Also, we email comps to our clients too, thereby saving a second client meeting.

Nice work!

Dan

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Dan Antonelli
Graphic D-Signs, Inc.
Union, NJ
www.graphicd-signs.com
dan@graphicd-signs.com

"You won't get wise with the sleep still in your eyes, no matter what your dream may be" - Rush
 

Posted by Pete Kouchis (Member # 343) on :
 
Thanks for all the compliments. After almost a year, the customer still giggles with joy when he looks at his truck (wish they were all like that)! Regarding the camera, I bought the Sony Mavica ($999) because of the 14x zoom and the convenience of floppy disks.

------------------
Pete Kouchis
Say it with SIGNS, Inc.
Orland Park, IL, USA
Phone: (708)460-3001
Fax: (708)460-3006

Excellence is doing a common thing in an uncommon way
Booker T. Washington


 

Posted by Ron Percell (Member # 399) on :
 
EXCELLENT JOB PETE!

------------------
Ron Percell
Percell Signs
707-769-0639
Petaluma, California

Home of the MicroMeet!

percell@percellsigns.com

Percell Signs Web Site


 

Posted by Lee Hulick (Member # 1112) on :
 
Brad,

Developing directly to disc was an option I looked into and here's what I found:
1. Cost was about $15 for a 24 exposure roll
2. Delivery could take up to 2 weeks
As far as I can see, a good 35mm photo from Wally World and a good scanner is the best bet for a quality image.

Lee

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Lee 'Vance' Hulick
New Carlisle, OH (near Dayton)
lhulick@netzero.com
http://vance.cjb.net
 

Posted by Louis A Lazarus (Member # 763) on :
 
Pete,
You summed up the process very well. We've been doing this for some time now and as a sales tool, it's awesome.

------------------
fontking1a@aol.com
 

Posted by Dave Grundy (Member # 103) on :
 
Nice job Pete!!!....BUT what I REALLY hate is when a guy takes pictures in his shop and the shop is clean and tidy!!!!!! hehehehehehe

------------------
Dave Grundy shop#340
AKA "applicator" on mIRC
"stickin' sticky stuff to valuable vessels and vehicles!"
in Granton, Ontario, Canada
1-519-225-2634
dave.grundy@odyssey.on.ca
www.odyssey.on.ca/~dave.grundy
"A PROUD $ supporter of the website"



 

Posted by Cindy Bennett (Member # 71) on :
 
What program are you using to do this? Photoshop or Coreldraw?
Thanks!

------------------
Cindy Bennett
Verde Valley Signcrafters
Camp Verde, Arizona
520-567-3585

Just found out that I have something called Attention Deficiency Syn..Hey! Nice shirt!



 

Posted by Pete Kouchis (Member # 343) on :
 
Using CasMate & Inspire, but corel would certainly work if that's what you use. Just import the image, size it up to scale and overlay the graphics.

------------------
Pete Kouchis
Say it with SIGNS, Inc.
Orland Park, IL, USA
Phone: (708)460-3001
Fax: (708)460-3006

Excellence is doing a common thing in an uncommon way
Booker T. Washington


 



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