I've been making signs since 1972. Started out as an apprentice in a real estate sign making company. Learned how to hand letter from a 70 year old timer. Grateful for such a robust business. I've worked alone all this time and plan to keep making signs until my memory won't let me....
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Grateful Sign Maker
- Thread starter Harper
- Start date
Gino
Premium Subscriber
Good for you......... I feel pretty much the same way, except we have some people working for us, besides me.
Ya know, once you got your computer and cutting device, that takes the place of about 6 or 7 people hand lettering. Just think about it...... years ago, a local swimming pool comes to you for the pool rules and wants 3 of them. Took at least an hour or two to lay them out and many many hours to letter all that stuff. Probably 2 days to letter three little boards, but with a computer, you can have all three done in about 2 or 3 hours. Better today, than yesteryear, huh ??
Ya know, once you got your computer and cutting device, that takes the place of about 6 or 7 people hand lettering. Just think about it...... years ago, a local swimming pool comes to you for the pool rules and wants 3 of them. Took at least an hour or two to lay them out and many many hours to letter all that stuff. Probably 2 days to letter three little boards, but with a computer, you can have all three done in about 2 or 3 hours. Better today, than yesteryear, huh ??
I fought off the computers as long as I could. You're right. I finally had competition in my small mountain town and couldn't keep up. My competition is now my friend and we rely on each other for supplies and help. I'm still kicking and screaming every time this industry changes. I outsource all my digital printing. I purchased a digital printer in 96' but I couldn't make it profitable. My shop burned down in a wild fire in 2007 and it melted. 
My father hand lettered. I remember standing in front of the projector making patterns so I could hand cut with a exacto knife and roll with paint.i think back how this was the way we started doing people's vehicles and now I think it would scare me to death when then I didn't think twice about it.
We were the first shop to have a computer cutting machine...gerber 4b and I remember oh my gosh I could have so and so many 4x8s done in a day and not worry about waiting for paint to dry
im grateful for starting in this business when I did because if the ol computer went down I still knew and know how to get the job done without it.(minus digital prints of course) but wouldn't want to go back to the old ways
We were the first shop to have a computer cutting machine...gerber 4b and I remember oh my gosh I could have so and so many 4x8s done in a day and not worry about waiting for paint to dry
im grateful for starting in this business when I did because if the ol computer went down I still knew and know how to get the job done without it.(minus digital prints of course) but wouldn't want to go back to the old ways
GoodPeopleFlags
New Member
At first, I thought your post would be about being a Grateful Dead fan and signmaker and I was all like, "Me, too!" but then I saw your grateful for your opportunities and life in general and that's really cool, too.
d fleming
Premium Subscriber
Started screen printing in a uniform factory on work release vocational program in school. 37 years ago. Hand drawn and hand cut films for each job. chokes, spreads, etc all by hand. Then printing with no flash cure. Everything wet on wet. This after being taught the entry skills to being a sign painter/ fashion illustrator in high school. The first time I saw a computer cut rubylith for t-shirt printing I knew the world had changed, lol. Dang I'm old.
Sounds like we were both hand cutting film at the same time. I was cutting the green film for screen printed real estate signs and riders. Sooooooo boring! Glad I hung in there. I sucked at hand lettering for so long and when I finally was "good enough" the Gerber came on the scene cutting one line of copy at a time. The thing about getting old isn't so bad when you're fortunate enough to be in this business. Lots of old sign folks.
I remember sketching out copy on the work table to figure out letter sizes to cut on the gerber lol. Then next was the gerber sprint with its monitor! Every line had it y minuses and X overs lol. Thanks to those plotters we snagged some great accounts that lasted for 20 years! ( updated equipment but they got us into the game!)
T_K
New Member
As part of the new generation in the industry, I grew up with computers. My first family computer was a DOS-only hand-me-down from my uncle. And I've seen all the stages since then (except I purposely skipped the Vista stage). I love the advances in technology and the productivity it enables. While I appreciate hand-crafted products, from the consumer side, they're typically too expensive for short-term items. But I do think we'll lose something if no one maintains any of the handcraft skills.
What I don't like about being a product of the computer age is that for all the advances in productivity, we're more overworked than ever. In the early 1900s, people were predicting that technological advancements would make us so productive (and therefore wealthy) that a 4-day work week would become standard. Instead, we don't have time for anyone anymore.
I had an opportunity to spend 2 years in Croatia (just east of Italy). They're in a post-communist economy, so it's nowhere near as robust as the US. But one thing I miss about it is people made time for other people. They'd take a 1-2 hour coffee break, leave their place of work, and go meet with friends or possibly have a business meeting out on the town. Spending time with people was more important than productivity. I've been missing that since I got back to the US.
What I don't like about being a product of the computer age is that for all the advances in productivity, we're more overworked than ever. In the early 1900s, people were predicting that technological advancements would make us so productive (and therefore wealthy) that a 4-day work week would become standard. Instead, we don't have time for anyone anymore.
I had an opportunity to spend 2 years in Croatia (just east of Italy). They're in a post-communist economy, so it's nowhere near as robust as the US. But one thing I miss about it is people made time for other people. They'd take a 1-2 hour coffee break, leave their place of work, and go meet with friends or possibly have a business meeting out on the town. Spending time with people was more important than productivity. I've been missing that since I got back to the US.
skyhigh
New Member
LOL...... not sure if I was surfing on the iphone and my stubby fingers hit the wrong button, or....... you just have to be smarter than the devices you work with. (oops)
Either way..... Welcome to the Forum.
ps. Here is your chance to "dislike" my post back.
(you too Gene)
OldPaint
New Member
REALLY????? that was NOT the problems in the 1900's))) check your history of PITTSBURGH. 1900's was a tumultuous time to be alive AND WORKING. wages were almost non existent, people were treated like slaves, they were house, feed, employed by big companies, worked 10-12 hours a day, no one cared about their safety, and most were an expendable commodity, because of the amount of people coming to the U.S.A. from war torn europe........russia. my grandparents were among them. my dad worked in the coal mines at 9 years old, 10 hours a day, 6 days a week, no pay, but was given credit at the "company store"NO MONEY!!!
this was the real 1900's........................
this was the real 1900's........................
The Big Squeegee
Long Time Member
Welcome from OK
:Welcome: 2 :signs101:
:Welcome: 2 :signs101:
SignBurst PCs
New Member
Welcome to the forum from SignBurst Graphic Design Computers and congrats on your robust business!