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New To Signs 101- Need Help! flexsign User

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cinnamongirl56

New Member
Hi, I have just joined and am glad I found you............i have been in sign business for 15 years but until this past year was doing mostly vinyl lettering on trucks, boats etc but am now getting more calls for business signs.......... My question is this.......... I designed and made a sign for a new business using alumalite and they have just emailed me with a question regarding using the art in other advertising................What is normal for something like this and also I have been reading your forums so i have learned quite a bit but I am not sure how to go about transfering the sign image in Flexisign to a disc for the customer to use............thanks for the help
 
Replicator

Replicator

New Member
Welcome to 101,

You can export the file as an EPS and provide them with that file,

as well as possibly converting to a PDF and providing that . . .

You can also just export as a JPG .
 
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ahollow

New Member
First, was the cost of the design in the original order? In other words, do you own the design, or do they?

Second, instead of giving them the file, see what forms of advertising they are looking for. If they want printed menus, T's etc. let them know you can do that, and outsource it. No sence losing business. Once you give them the artwork, they can go anywhere they like, and you may never see them again, but you may see your design all over the city and internet. Try to work with them on this.
 
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cinnamongirl56

New Member
wow great help thanks .............have never been asked by a customer to use a design so i wasn't sure how to answer...............yes I designed it myself so it is my design but I did not charge a set up or art charge as I was making the sign for them ........they want to use design for business cards and ads......................i live in a very small rural area but we do have a couple of sign shops here...............thanks
 
high impact

high impact

New Member
You should develop a system for charging for your design work. The design shouldn't be just given to them but you didn't set precedent first so you may be in a quandary this time.

Is it a layout or a logo?

Just an idea...we do biz cards all the time so you can do the biz cards yourself - just sub the printing out - search the forums for many companies that can do this wholesale for you. Send the layout to the newspaper or whomever it is that is doing the ad directly and explain to the original company that they need to pay for a release of high quality vector images. Good luck!
 
imaSIGNr

imaSIGNr

New Member
Export as an AI, EPS, PDF, and a high res JPEG ( on disk ) and you should have all bases covered....Make sure you are getting paid for it and that you are not infringing on any copyright issues.....
 
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ahollow

New Member
You should add business cards, just do the design and outsource. Plenty of great sites. I use 4over.com, silkcards.com, and overnightprints.com, depending on what I need printed.

4over has a nice sample booklet they can send you, and silkcards has the greatest free dealers kit I've ever seen. I'm having some foil cards done by them right now.
 
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cinnamongirl56

New Member
thanks for the welcome mat................i have a lot to learn it seems...............I don't normally charge a set-up/art fee if I am doing the sign but I am guessing I need to change that now that I am going to be doing more signs............How do you figure a fee? is it too late to charge one on this particular sign? Again I appreciate all of the responses...............
 
gabagoo

gabagoo

New Member
just curious...at what point do they own the design?

I guess what I really want to know is how does the conversation go, if in fact you think you own it? I am being hypothetical here as I am sure there are many situations where you really don't want to give up the file, but that would probably only end up causing bad blood and you may never hear from them again. Lets take the example of a vectored logo that you may have redrawn to do 3 or 4 of their vehicles and other assorted work. Somewhere in the cost of those vehicles they have payed you to put the logo into your computer, so if they need a copy of the logo for printing or web or whatever, how can you say "no" or charge them and then expect them to ever come to you again. I sometimes get suspicious as to what they need it for and ask so that I send it in the appropriate manner. I generally have a very good releationship with my customers and I will email them what they need and just hope they are not going elsewhere. I can probably guarantee that if I asked for money to give them their logo I will never hear from them again. Now if the guy is a PITA customer or a bad payer I may delay the sending until the account is cleared and even then take my sweet time.
 
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outacontrol41

New Member
If it's a new customer, I usually ask them to bring their own memory key and download a low res image of their logo (much harder for the competition to trace those jagged edges!), and never, ever give them a .eps file ready to cut without getting paid up front first. Some 'unworthy' customers look for the best designer in town, 'borrow the logo' to take home and show the wife, and it somehow ends on their sign a couple weeks later with maybe a slight modification or two. Don't let this happen to you! You can imagine how I know all this......:banghead:.......
 
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