I could really use your expert advice on a job I am currently working on.
A local trucking company has about 10 semi trucks and they need one striped and doors lettered. They would like to come up with a consistant package they can use on all their trucks in the future, as the guy that was striping them before used a different stripe on each truck. (They do have 3 different truck models) The trucks are all painted a medium blue metallic, and have been striped in a light silver blue and autumn gold metallics. The customers logo is red and royal blue and they have been sticking some really ugly large white decals with their name and address on the doors. They know these are ugly, but they say they have tried different things, and nothing seems to show up from a distance except these decals.
Part of the trouble is that the striper was putting a large stripe right through the center of the door, and there was no room to make the company name large enough to be legible from a distance.
The main problem though, is that the trucks are such a mid-value color, that nothing seems to have a real great contrast on the doors. The light blue and gold looks really nice on the trucks, but dark blue lettering doesn't show up, but neither does any other color, including black or even white. I am going to try incorporating their logo into the stripe in gold metallic and see what it looks like, but I wondered if any of you have any terrific brain storms for me.
Thanks,
Suelynn from Saskatchewan
------------------ "It is never too late to be what you might have been." -George Eliot
Suelynn Sedor Sedor Signs Carnduff, Sk Canada
Posts: 2863 | From: Carnduff, SK Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
Hi Suelynn. I'd try incorporating a dark blue panel over the gold stripe that's giving you difficulty. You could then put the primary copy in as white or a very pale blue. The gold, not to be ignored, can be used as a very thin accent line around the dark blue panel. You might even want to inset this accent line just a bit. Secondary copy might also look good in the gold. Hope this helps.
------------------ Ken Henry Henry & Henry Signs London, Ontario Canada (519) 439-1881 e-mail kjmlhenry@home.
posted
Any chanco of seeing a pic of what you are faced with? The reason they are stuck with the white background is they have a bunch of colors that just aren't going to work with one another. Even if the stripes stopped at the door, red and royal blue is going to be hard to pull off. Sounds like you are going to need some heavy outlines or panels like Ken suggested to separate the conflicting colors. Will the logo allow a lot of tweaking?
------------------ George Perkins Millington,TN. goatwell@ixlmemphis.com
"I started out with nothing and still have most of it left"
I will email you a pic of the truck, and of their existing logo (I haven't mastered the art of posting photos here).
Their logo consists of a maple leaf and the letters "GCCL" with a variation of a drop shadow. They have always used red and blue, and it looks sharp on their white pick-up trucks, but not on the blue semis. The boss said they never really picked red and blue, and have pretty much given me free rain on colors, etc.
I was thinking about a gold maple leaf that sort of faded into a striped line that would continue to the door and fade back to a leaf and then the lettering. Maybe a dark blue stripe would give me more options to letter onto.
The pic I am sending is the smallest of the trucks.
Thanks to both of you, I really appreciate it.
Sue
------------------ "It is never too late to be what you might have been." -George Eliot
Suelynn Sedor Sedor Signs Carnduff, Sk Canada
Posts: 2863 | From: Carnduff, SK Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
The problem of lettering on a medium value background.. ESPECIALLY metallic type blue, is that nothing shows up... unless.. you HELP it... Try a very light, intense letter w/a strong dark outline/shade, e.g. light vermillion with blue outline. Or the reverse...dark letter with a strong light outline (no shade, light shades usually don't work) use the gold for a light inline on the main letters. The compliment to blue is orange... vermillion is a WONDERFUL color on blue. Generally, red and blue are both darker value colors and don't read well together... CONTRAST is the key to showing up! Pinstriping looks great if it's not really flashy so I see no problems with the gold and silver pinstriping, altho I personally would NEVER use those colors...(personal preference). Remember.. warm colors come forward, cool colors recede, so make your main lettering warm and your shades, shadows, outlines, cooler. You can warm up blues and cool down reds by tinting them to their neighboring colors on that color wheel... the good old color wheel. LE
------------------ LazyEdna in RL known as Sara Straw from southern Utah Red Rock Heaven
Posts: 776 | From: Aurora, Utah, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
Bernice, I had the same problem the other day trying to post a pic. I think it's got something to do with tripod. I've never had problems before. If you right click the box then click view image it will load.
------------------ George Perkins Millington,TN. goatwell@ixlmemphis.com
"I started out with nothing and still have most of it left"
posted
Sometimes it's best to let the customer choose. If you can get a picture of his truck on your monitor (scan a picture or digital camera) then simply create a stripe...or whatever and give it some color and let him decide. He'll really get excited over doing that and from then on, you will be his favorite sign person. It works every time....guaranteed!
posted
Thanks, George, but for some reason when I want to right click and view, it wants to shut down my program so I can't see it. It's good if others can see it.
Sending another file for Suelyn of the graphics...didn't have time the other day...here 'tis...
posted
we run into stuff like this your trying to work with what you got. We try to put lettering in an oval or cram the letering a little tight and wrap a thick border around it
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Posts: 2033 | From: Montgomery, AL, usa | Registered: Jan 2000
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