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Those letterforms can be drawn in Illustrator in about 10 minutes. It is a form of Futura - I would start there and adjust as needed using the original as a background layer. My go-to for font ID is "What the font". ( www.myfonts.com/WhatTheFont/ ). They have a really good identification...

If the "tried and true" pricing methods do not a yield a competitive price, then one of two things is happening: 1. You are taking advantage of the client's ignorance. Not a good recipe for maintaining healthy client relations. 2. You will lose sales because the guy down the street will be...

Unclebun: I always mark up my prices. I would not be in business if I did not. In the example you cited, my complete, shipped purchase cost with use tax (around $585.00) was marked up, and I added a $70.00 charge for the time spent talking to the client and placing the order. My pricing...

Temperature fluctuations, humidity, and airborne contaminates will all contribute negatively to your vinyl production workflow. Solvent printers also need specialized ventilation. A dedicated room with environmental controls is necessary for an efficient work flow. My rule of thumb is that if...

The spray bottles are constantly being re-purposed. I've picked up bottles labeled "application fluid" which turned out to be window cleaner or adhesive remover. I make up the "homemade" application fluid in one gallon containers, and I can tell by the smell what it is. I have given up trying...

Most bubbles smaller than about 1/16" are the result of improper surface preparation. That can range from basic cleaning (especially vehicles, wax removal is essential, modern hydro-phobic coatings need to be softened with the proper preparation solvent) to the freshness of the paint and...

You are probably doing 3 or more sets of channel letters/day to be able to make them cheaper than they are available from a wholesaler. By now you should know everything there is to know about making these. I don't understand the post.

I apologize for being offensive. I did not mean to be. There are many ways to install a vinyl sign over mullions. Some of the suggestions on this thread are good. It really depends on the application. It is my tendency to apply design principles to these problems. I am not a disciple of...

Roshmosh: I agree. It's materials x markup + hours of labor x labor rate. Always. If you don't do that, you will go out of business. My main point is that you need to look at all of your material and labor options. It is often less expensive for me to order printing and fabrication than to...

I use a Bosch GLM 50C laser measuring device that can fairly accurately calculate indirect measurement (you will need a stable reference point for this, I use a tripod. the device can be set up to read from the tripod contact reference point). The device has bluetooth technology to transmit...

I would consider a design that does not cover the mullions. No matter how you do it, any text or recognizable image will distort when viewing the installation from any angle other than "straight on". If you can limit your text and images to spaces within the window, you can cover the mullions...

Get both AI and PS. You can try Corel Draw down the road, but most professional workflows use Adobe products. Corel may be more intuitive, and the learning curve is less steep than AI, but AI is more versatile and, once mastered, more useful. I have both. I also use Corel Painter for certain...

I also need a new web page! All of my work is through established clients and referrals, so my marketing needs are minimal. It would be nice to post some newer work. I built this site using iWeb 12 years ago. iWeb is long gone, so I can no longer access the site (I guess I will be 50...

Thanks for all the flattering compliments! I was born in 1957. I wasn't one of the cool kids, and I sucked at sports, so I learned that I could draw to get attention. All the sudden I was popular. Everybody wanted me to do their team logo or banner. I traded drawings of dragsters and naked...

I always mark up my wholesale costs. I also charge for my time. I make plenty of money, and rarely leave any on the table. My clients receive professional advice, and I help them find the best deal I can for their production expenses. I am open and honest, and let my clients know about good...

Commodity products have substantial fungibility, which means that the prices are determined by the market, and for the most part it doesn't matter who produces them. I have to compare what it costs for me buy a commodity product vs. fabricating it in-house. Too reach the economies of scale...

I get mine for $40.00 for a 4' x 8' sheet ($25.00 if 10x or more sheets). UV flat bed, 4mm, one side. Mark up and add your time.

I dunno. I think I would use acrylic or aluminum. Sounds like this job is just crying out for gold anodized aluminum letters. Maybe 20% more total cost, but less handling time and much more stable. The letters I buy have a lifetime warranty to the customer. Also much sturdier and easier to...

In many cases it is better to use a non-local printer. Wholesale prices are generally better, 1 – 2 day turnaround, and it is cheaper for me to have it delivered to my door than to drive across town to pick it up. Non-local wholesale vendors are also not your competition.

It is fine to use legacy operating systems if they efficiently run your production equipment. I do it. I keep those computers off the WAN, and in some cases don't even use a LAN ("sneaker"net with flash drives for my plotter computer). But for general computing, and CAD I find the WAN...