Graphics Question

[GhostPrinting]

I keep having customers who want larger banners with some graphics they pull from facebook or social media. How can I convert these graphics to a svg color format so they aren't blocky when scaled. Attached is 1 image i am working on now. TIA.

I am using AI but the image trace has left me with poor results. This is a newbie question as I am still learning the business so keep that in mind when replying. Thanks

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

You're not going to be able to clean that up either create it from scratch or tell the customer to give you better artwork

 

[Johnny Best]

Put the candy and art in Photoshop and clean up what does not belong. Save as a .psd.
Open Illy and place candy and saved artwork. Find that font style and download fonts and use those for type.

 

[Precision]

When a client does not have a vector .pdf, or .ai file, I first ask them for it, and explain the files they provided are not usable in the large format environment. If you do not have one of those two file types I will be happy to redraw the file for a fee. Usually $47.50, unless super detailed and my vector guy says it will cost more. I realize there are other usable file types but this breaks it down quick and easy for a client that knows little about design and art setup.

When I was just starting out we would spend a lot of time wasted working on small dollar items and fixing artwork. I found an online service that vectors logo art for cheap. Saves time, make a little change and you work with clean art.

Some other tools we use are .gigapixel .ai and photo zoom 8. I wish I was better at those, still figuring them out.

Hope this helps.

 

[DL Signs]

OK, so I did this (upper) in just a few minutes, so it's rough. Just draw one candy cane, keep duplicating it, and fit the pattern & how they're stacked. When you have all the candy canes laid, group them and apply an outer glow in red to the group. Add the text, and yer' golden. The canes are all the same, if you take your time and just draw one decent (unlike the quickie I did), that's the only actual drawing you need to do, and it'll be all vector.

 

[John Miller]

When a client does not have a vector .pdf, or .ai file, I first ask them for it, and explain the files they provided are not usable in the large format environment. If you do not have one of those two file types I will be happy to redraw the file for a fee. Usually $47.50, unless super detailed and my vector guy says it will cost more. I realize there are other usable file types but this breaks it down quick and easy for a client that knows little about design and art setup.

When I was just starting out we would spend a lot of time wasted working on small dollar items and fixing artwork. I found an online service that vectors logo art for cheap. Saves time, make a little change and you work with clean art.

Some other tools we use are .gigapixel .ai and photo zoom 8. I wish I was better at those, still figuring them out.

Hope this helps.

I don't know your market, but creating that would be $150 and up at our shop, depending on the detail. I don't care what your vector guy charges you. That service is worth $150 or more. Tell them that along with the job they will have a nice clean piece of art. That concept works well for cleaned up logos.

 

[AndersHerp]

I don't know your market, but creating that would be $150 and up at our shop, depending on the detail. I don't care what your vector guy charges you. That service is worth $150 or more. Tell them that along with the job they will have a nice clean piece of art. That concept works well for cleaned up logos.

Agreed, my owner set the base fee for new artwork at $200, and that's just the starting point.

 

[Goatshaver]

Gigapixel might be worth an investment if you continually have this sort of thing. I get similar issues with people pulling graphics or their "logo designer" only supplying a PNG or JPEG for artwork instead of vector or something saved as for web purposes. Ran that image you had linked through the basic setting and looks much better in a few seconds.

 

[bob]

If you're running a sign shop and someone want's a banner, you make them a banner. For a standard price for a banner of those particular specifications. If you have to recreate the client's art work than that's what you do. You don't charge extra for it, you just do it. If your pricing model is sufficient then on some jobs you make more or less than on other jobs. But you never lose on anything.

 

[White Haus]

If you have to recreate the client's art work than that's what you do. You don't charge extra for it, you just do it. If your pricing model is sufficient then on some jobs you make more or less than on other jobs. But you never lose on anything.

Not sure I agree with this approach, but to each their own I guess. I understand the concept of law of averages but most of the time customers have no idea how to provide usable print files, which means that most customer supplied "art" needs to be set up or redrawn. Not charging for this time seems like a losing proposition.

 

[damonCA21]

Gigapixel might be worth an investment if you continually have this sort of thing. I get similar issues with people pulling graphics or their "logo designer" only supplying a PNG or JPEG for artwork instead of vector or something saved as for web purposes. Ran that image you had linked through the basic setting and looks much better in a few seconds.

That still looks awful though. It is only 5" wide, when blown up to banner size it will still look pixelated, the text in particular is very low res and would need completely replacing

 

[Johnny Best]

Since you are just stsrting out you can learn how to do things with your customer paying for your education.

 

[DL Signs]

Asking for artwork before even giving a quote is the best approach, something we always push for. That way you know what you have to work with, determine if they even have artwork that's usable, or not, quote accordingly for any design time, and give an accurate price. Requesting it right up front is better than either going back to them (or back and forth) for more money, which to them can seem like you're just gouging them, or eating the cost and losing money. If you have a little more design time into something than you quote, you can always eat the little extra, make good on your quoted price, and have a happier customer without taking a loss.

 

[damonCA21]

I keep having customers who want larger banners with some graphics they pull from facebook or social media. How can I convert these graphics to a svg color format so they aren't blocky when scaled. Attached is 1 image i am working on now. TIA.

I am using AI but the image trace has left me with poor results. This is a newbie question as I am still learning the business so keep that in mind when replying. Thanks

To give us an idea, what size do they want the candy cane banner, and what price are you charging them for the job? It will help a lot in working out what your options are, and if it is even viable to do it with their artwork.

 

[mkmie]

I keep having customers who want larger banners with some graphics they pull from facebook or social media. How can I convert these graphics to a svg color format so they aren't blocky when scaled. Attached is 1 image i am working on now. TIA.

I am using AI but the image trace has left me with poor results. This is a newbie question as I am still learning the business so keep that in mind when replying. Thanks

That's a book mark from Amazon. I like to tell my customers I can not "blow up" a postage stamp to a banner.

 

[The Vector Doctor]

instead of spending a bunch of time trying to recreate a photo, just buy it...

Candy Cane Border

Mini candy canes making a border on a white background, Christmas Candy cane

depositphotos.com

 

[Goatshaver]

That still looks awful though. It is only 5" wide, when blown up to banner size it will still look pixelated, the text in particular is very low res and would need completely replacing

I didn't intend to make it banner size for him. Just example to how it can clean up some images. Also I wouldn't use it for any text and would set the text again that way it's crisp.

 

[GhostPrinting]

instead of spending a bunch of time trying to recreate a photo, just buy it...

Candy Cane Border

Mini candy canes making a border on a white background, Christmas Candy cane

depositphotos.com

Thank you! I appreciate this help!

 

[Zendavor Signs]

Asking for artwork before even giving a quote is the best approach, something we always push for. That way you know what you have to work with, determine if they even have artwork that's usable, or not, quote accordingly for any design time, and give an accurate price. Requesting it right up front is better than either going back to them (or back and forth) for more money, which to them can seem like you're just gouging them, or eating the cost and losing money. If you have a little more design time into something than you quote, you can always eat the little extra, make good on your quoted price, and have a happier customer without taking a loss.

I agree it is good to have this conversation, but it can be a balance. I find some customers get frustrated when they are just “shopping around”. Once an order is placed, definitely make sure to work out those issues right away. We build in a certain amount of design / setup cost regardless. Once you get savvy with design, these type of simple layouts can be knocked out pretty quick.

 

[DL Signs]

I agree it is good to have this conversation, but it can be a balance. I find some customers get frustrated when they are just “shopping around”. Once an order is placed, definitely make sure to work out those issues right away. We build in a certain amount of design / setup cost regardless. Once you get savvy with design, these type of simple layouts can be knocked out pretty quick.

You can't always get what you need up front when they're just shopping around, but they usually want some sort of pricing to make sure it's within their budget. On a big project, a little design time is a negligible difference, on smaller projects, having to up-charge because artwork isn't usable can make a big difference in the cost. I can knock out artwork quick, that's not an issue, but it's time that has value. How many mechanics will give a cost without first looking at the vehicle? How many trade contractors will give a price to work on your home or business without inspecting? For that matter, how many sign companies will quote constructing and installing a sign without a site survey? It's the same principal for a guy who wants a banner or poster. To give even a remotely accurate price that you can stand behind, you gotta know what you're dealing with, are we doing the artwork, are you providing it, is it suitable for printing, and most people understand that, even when they're just shopping around.