Hello...I am not a graphic artist

[Deaton Design]

this is why you hire a graphic artist based on their portfolio, not their resume.

Absolutely...

 

[TimToad]

IVe had so many startup a sign business in my town, after buying a cutter, printer, and whatever else they could get, but they didnt know the first thing about the fundamentals of layout.
They then set about destroying the perception of the sign business here, driving the pricing down, and basically giving work away and most customers went along with them. All the tools available
to signmakers are great, all the way from the brush and paint, to the cutters and printers, but without that knowledge of design, they are like giving a motorcycle to a snake. I scaled back my signwork here
due to low sales and a horrible economy. Most of those that started up are now gone. Myself, I had many decent years doing signs, and Im proud of the work I did. Im glad that I studied Mike Stevens, Signcraft
and other great signmakers to learn what I could and apply it to the work that I did. More people need to focus on design before focusing on buying equipment.

One of the greatest things I've enjoyed during a long and fruitful sign career has been that unlike other skilled trades, our finished product is out there for all to see, including myself. Much of what an electrician does is buried behind sheetrock or insulation. A plumber's work is mostly concealed also, etc.

Its that direct contact and visual impact I help create for my area that keeps the juices going for me at least. Few other skilled trades can have such a profound effect on the overall image of a town or area like having one or more quality sign producers take up residence.

To have to face your work on a daily basis and keep striving to make it better with each passing year may be one of the most gratifying aspects of why I've stuck with this craft as long as I have. As the industry has changed and the ease of getting into it has devolved into essentially who has the creditworthiness to purchase all the needed equipment, I've had many a colleague, loved one, etc. question why I stick with it. The answer is the same as its been for over 30 years. I'm the tiny, unnamed insurance agent for part of my customer's degree of success or failure. If what I produce gets a customer's business noticed and they have their at together at all, odds are they will survive and possibly thrive. Nothing will prevent a bad business plan from eventually failing, but we all hold the power to at least give our customer's a fighting chance against the competition in the meantime.