Do you have a graphics Degree?

[PGSigns]

How is this for a background for the sign business. Drafting and art in high school, 2 years of drafting and design in collage, and then a 4 years apprenticeship at NASA as an Aerospace Engineering Technician. 17 years in wind tunnels and the last bunch of years doing structures and matetials research. Learned to hand letter in the late 70's while working in a marina and never used it after that except when painting racecars. Looked like congress was going to down size me a couple of years ago so I picked something I enjoyed and decided to take up signs. Now I have 2 jobs.
Jimmy

 

[Great Scott]

Just remember, this is the sign biz...it ain't rocket science.

 

[THATgirl]

Went to a community college for various art classes after high school.
Learned how to sign paint after I was hired as a signpainter for a drug store for banners, sho cards and end displays
started my own business in 1976
still at it....still learning.

 

[Great Scott]

At two of the three shops I mentioned I worked with guys who learned actual sign painting, in apprenticeship programs. I wouldn't trade my college experience for anything, but those guys had knowledge and skills that no college could instill. Any college taught art guy should seek out and learn from the old schoolers. If nothing else, you might get great stories about going "snapping".

 

[JJ]

Not exactly a graphics degree but...

BSEE. Classes in AutoCAD and Solidworks is as close as I got to graphics education.

 

[Richard Flint]

I was lucky enough to have been taught by a 65yr.old Master Signwriter back in the early 1970's. Taught me everything from gold leafing to screen printing. He seemed to know everything about anything. He use to kid me about being too fussy when I was hand lettering. I remember him saying "you paint signs for signpainters". I worked on and off with him for the next 15 yrs. till he died at the ripe 'ol age of 80.

Nothing like on the job training!

-Rich

 

[gtjet]

Degree in Agronomy, nothing related to art, design.
Self Taught. No apprenticing, that would have been nice.
Self taught on computers by necessity after college.

My son is a natural at art but he is going in to mechanical engineering

Pearl is a High School Science teacher but she can really put thing together design wise, I just can not get her out here enough.

 

[Great Scott]

Hey gtjet, where exactly is WyoBraska? I'm just curious because I was born and raised in Wyoming (Casper to be specific). It's always good to see other survivors of the wind worn prairie.

 

[The dude]

Talk about no training

I went to college for Hotel & Rest. Mang. went out and worked for a food broker in N.Y. Left there and went into the service got out in 3 years a 1st Lieutenant then opened my 1st resturant in up state N.Y. then bought a Hotel in up state N.Y. sold it and of course went to Fl. then managed a Hotel in Fl. went into another business sold it and bought a convenience store in Ar. (that state is terrible). Then moved to N.M. a great place to live..After Ar. my brain was dead so I tried to find something to do and my wife brought:signs101: home a sign for my birthday, I loved it and then went into the business not hoping to get rich and do just what I want, if I don't want to do a job I just tell them I don't want to do it. This is one of the best business I have ever done.

 

[OldPaint]

gino 3.75 here.....sorry! hehehehehe as the asst to the art prof, when he wasnt there for class, i taught, also we did con ed classes in the evening in the surround community.
we taught the people who started this pottery place.
http://www.newgeneva.com/heritage.htm
also iam a computer builder and iam the guy you call when youres dont work.(self taught)was introduced to computer in 1972, U.S.A.F.........IBM 1050-2, one of those card reader/card punch/2000 sq ft computer room. input was thru IBM daisey wheel typewriters.....

 

[iSign]

self taught

 

[geedub]

got my degree from google.com and f1 state.

Took some webmastering classes back in high school, they taught fireworks and flash. Then went to community college and took some more web classes, and a photoshop class. Started reproducing certain documents to see if it was possible. Found I was very good at this. Moved back to my home town 3 years ago and started working as an all around employee for a small sign shop (6 employees at the time). I was weeding/transfering/laying vinyl, then they hired someone and I was to teach myself how to layout and design all signs. I did that for a year and a half or so, till we moved to a larger shop. I'm the Digital Manager now and our shop has expanded in my direction 100 fold. When I started we weren't doing a whole lot of digital printing (even though we have an HP designjet 5500uv) because no one really know how to run it and design for it. I was forced to teach myself everything I could learn about digital printing and design, so that's what I did and that's what I do to this day, learn more every day. Now 75% of everything that comes through our shop is digitally printed. And we have 30 employees and bring in ~8mil a year.

 

[ovrcafnatd]

hehe I sleep with a signman!

Self taught - and it's one major learning curve when you have to know a little
bit about everything (metal fab., carpentry, design/layout etc.)
My husband on the other hand has been making signs for about 18 years now I guess. He's a fabricator by trade.

I went to Rutgers for Psychology...got my degree, and then did a bit of grad work. Started working for a photographer (yeah,,,that degree really got some use in NY to make some money to pay for that friggin degree and just stuck with it for about 6 -7 years.

Have done production/styling/assisting...we traveled around shooting portfolios for Hotels (www.loewshotels.com is one comp) with a group from a design firm...so basically an entire crew. It was FUN, but too much for me as I got older. OOOh getting long here....long story short, John (husband) always wanted to start his own side biz (already had a plotter)
Then one day the photographer and I got in a fight (think bros/sis relationship) - and now we have that biz for about 6 years, and John doesn't even know our customers anymore LOL
He will fabricate/install/pinstripe and I do the rest.
Sign message boards and every magazine and book I could get my hands on helped me out tremendously in the beginning, for John got pretty sick of me calling his cell all day asking him stupid questions LOL
uhmmmm what is 'contour' or 'trim'

 

[vid]

Started with working on a BS in Marketing at Northern Iowa, then a blizzard and three days at a truck stop made me retink my life's choices. Moved to a warmer climate and finished college with a BFA/Drawing from Ariizona State...

First job as a graphic designer was as an undergrad working for the Chemistry Department at ASU drawing pictures of molecules. I was hired in '87 to work on a book celebrating the department's acheivements for the school's cenntenial in '86... LOL ....and I flunked Chemistry in High School.


Self taught on computers though.... still don't know anything about them.

 

[Jackpine]

B.S. in Art Education, M.S. in Art. 4 Years as Art Director Public non-profit art center...the second best job I've had. 4 years public school teaching. Self taught sign painter/screen printer started in 1972 after the army. Painted signs (best job ever) while I went to college and worked fulltime. Self taught computers and software.

 

[Gene@mpls]

Started in tech school for electronics- loved computers- took a year of programming (think fortran / bitran- ancient 1966 languages)- started a sign
shop with my daughter with no experiance at all in 1997- and never looked back. I love this business and it has been very good to us. Gene

FRED- I FOR ONE AM LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR BACKGROUND??

 

[jenrood]

Self taught

Talk about no training, my husband bought a cutter plotter to advertise his pressure washing company. He worked in a sign company for a short time. We out grew the cutter very quickly, we ordered a roland pc-60 I hope it serves us well until we can afford something better. We still have alot to learn but we are making money and having fun wlile we learn. What more can you want.

 

[2NinerNiner2]

Self-taught. My first 'real' sign job was when I was about 12 or 13 years old. It was to correct a spelling error that the local sign painter had made on one of my late father's buildings ... see the other current thread on this topic

 

[gerald]

Combination of self taught and working as apprentice. The guy I started learning from quit about 2 months after I came to the company. After that I was on my own. I had worked with programs like Photoshop, Fireworks, A.I., and an few others. This was my intro to Flexi-Sign, ArtCam and AutoCad.

 

[Pro Image]

Self made Signillare..........I made my 1st MILLION in just 60 days and now I cant teach you how too, Just send me 1000.00 and you'll get my book and video...........ACT NOW don't let this get away................order now and receive a GOLD SQUEEGEE worth it's weight in REAL GOLD as a bonus just for ordering...............


:Big Laugh :Big Laugh :Big Laugh


Associate in Drafting and Design(techincal design) .......Worked and worked to become the best that I can mostly on my own with a little(well alot) from a OLD BRUSH DOG......................Been after them MILLIONS for over 10 years now.....................