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I thought I saw 18 up there, my bad! For 3, your $56.00 price is spot on. Like I said, they can get them for around $34.00 from a bunch of online retailers, but if they want you to do the file prep and order them, you need to charge for that.

A common dilemma is code enforcement authorities needing shop drawings before they can issue a permit. In these cases, it pays to be familiar with the local code. When I sell a sign, I am 99% positive it will pass code. Supplying shop drawings will be part of the permit application. On...

Your fabricator will be able to supply those. If you are making them yourself, well...

Anybody with half a brain and an internet connection can get these printed and shipped for around Qty. 18/ $20.00 each. My price will have a 40% margin, so I'll be around Qty. 18/ $33.00 each. I tell the client that he/she will be able to find a better price on the internet, but if they want...

Typically a 40% margin for buyouts. On certain projects I may go as low as 20%, but they usually include up-front payment arrangements, warranty agreements, and service contracts (for example, LED displays). I maintain a 40% margin on materials too, but I am careful to add value for inventory...

I figure my cost (materials + labor x markup). Then I type it up using Quickbooks. I know of several big sign companies who use relational databases and inventory control software to automate the estimating process. The amount of work that goes into the front end development and maintenance...

For most applications, there is no clear tape choice worth considering. Use Oracal's own high tack paper, or R-Tape or Transfer-Rite. Some beginners like clear because it gives them more confidence lining up graphics. Experienced techs prefer paper for its easier handling. 651 is my favorite...

https://www.nashvillescene.com/music/article/13044126/jack-daniels-sends-nicest-ever-ceaseanddesist-letter-to-author-whose-book-looks-like-a-bottle God bless Jack Daniels!

Move It Signs: I concur with your reading recommendations. Gerber addresses issues around what is it to be a business, and why you want to do it. Building an asset rather than producing income. He talks about scalability and developing turn-key systems, and emphasizes vision as an essential...

I sketch at client meetings all the time. Clients love it, and I'm just wired to work this way. All my life I've been an incessant doodler. In grade school I scribbled on my desk. My college notebooks were filled with doodles. By the end of a year, my Yellow Pages margins were filled with...

I guess I'll hafta start calling myself a "Sign Artist". Don't want to be pretentious (what the poster probably meant) or pompous!

Your clients can see samples of work from your web page. They don't want to look at your laptop or iPad. Most of us use a smart phone that can take pictures and call up files if necessary. I carry around a stack of brochures, and make sure the client has a handful of them when I deliver the...

this:

Central Illinois gets cold and hot, rainy and dry. I have signs that were painted with One-Shot bulletin and lettering enamels that still look fine after 10 years. There's a few older ones out there that look fine but you can see where the paint is nearing it's useful life-span. As always...

I'd stick to your One-Shot and Ronan. These paints have been formulated for many years specifically for the commercial sign industry. You will not find better manufactured paint for hand lettering and painting graphics. A traditionally-trained sign painter will paint directly on a surface to...

The Moo cards are innovative. For good commercial quality at a fair price, try America's Printer. Yes, your customer can order them for the same price you pay. I just take a 20% margin over my cost (if they cost me with shipping, taxes, etc. $80.00, I sell them for $100.00). I always add my...

brycesteiner: It is impossible to recommend the correct processor and RAM configuration without knowing the workflow requirements. My point is that the processing technology has been somewhat stable for the last ten years or so. An older computer with decent specs (maybe 4 cores with at least...

Before you buy a copy of "Unix for Dummies" and start downloading tarballs, just remember that most of what we do (sign graphics) requires relatively little processing power. We're not trying to run Crysis in SSAA. A standard issue computer will do fine.

I agree with many of the previous comments about being careful about taking this on. Many clients will scream bloody murder if you damage the finish on their vehicle. I would very hesitant, for example, to try to remove reflective graphics from a fire truck. Most firemen are obsessed with the...

FutureSigns: yes, of course a Gerber Edge Font. All the fire engine manufacturing companies had an Edge (probably still do). I knew I has seen something like that before (course halftone, almost comic book look, peculiar hump in horizon line). It's been years since I had an Edge, but as I...