New wrap for shop truck

[laserman70]

I don't know how to break it to some of you pinheads, but I have been in this "business" since January of 1980. My work and some of my environmental graphic design work has won awards.

I was featured in Signs of the Times all the way back in 1981 before some of you were even born. I was an integral part of the Chicago Letterhead movement and the 1985 national meet there at the ripe age of 24.

Lumping me in with the uneducated, newbie buyers of insty sign shops is both inaccurate and just mean for the sake of stepping on someone else's neck to feel more powerful yourself.

Saying "have at it" did not mean sharpen the knives. From what I've seen of much of this website, being respectful, collegial and offering "constructive" criticism is a talent many still need to learn.

All that being said, I've learned my lesson on what to expect.

Do us all a favor... show us your amazing work......
I am sure you have articles and awards...

People here are tough... You need a thick skin..
One thing for sure they know their stuff and they are correct in what they are telling you.
Take it for what it is and learn from it.
If you think you were that amazing you wouldnt be asking

 

[phototec]

I guess the "PINHEAD" thinks his new AWESOME truck wrap will be featured on the cover of Signs of the Times magazine...:ROFLMAO:

 

[Marco]

U scary cat

Where's he at? I have yet to show him how's done.

 

[JMPrinting]

Here is my 2 cents...

1) Looks like you really do lay tile, the back needs something to it, even changing color would help.

2) Is that your current business logo? Is it crooked like that? If not then don't make it look crooked. It is not necessary for that design when there is so much free space.

3) Your logo looks like it is also from 1980, I was born in 1987. If you designed it then, I would clean it up. If you designed it recently, then brush up on logo design that is current.

4) Not meant to be rude, just my personal opinion.

Here is my logo, uses primary print colors. Clean, easy to read, works well with embroidery, signs, ect. I change the black text to silver, chrome, or white depending on the surface/material it is on. The LLC flows better with the way I designed it rather that leaving it off. Some may hate it, some like it. I think it works will with all my marketing items, printing...ect. For things that are one color like pens and such I either use screens or take the colors out.

 

[artbot]

why do i click on these threads!? i clinch my teeth, hope for something that just needs tweaking and instead a little part of me dies every time.

how can this keep happening? i just don't get it! i live for design/art/fabrication. it's a disease. and now we, the designers, have to "critique" something like this. and how are
we supposed to be POLITE? is there a way to be polite when you see your passion being pooped on with something that is so void of inspiration and creativity? i don't know, i just
don't know!

some part of me for an instance thinks...."wait a minute. this is a joke, right? ....please tell me this is a joke". then when it's not, my whole universe starts to fracture and split. all that i
know and love and destroy my life for seems to melt into a sea of confusion, disappointment, and depression.

i'm going to go have a beer outside and walk this design out of my head. if i see that truck wrap design in my mind's eye an hour from now, i just don't know what i'm going to do! that damned diagonal with the
gray tint overlay with hexagons and beveled tiles. just thinking about it makes me want to punch a hole through my monitor.

 

[player]

Computer + Windows Paint = Sign Designer/Sign Shop

 

[JMPrinting]

Computer + Windows Paint = Sign Designer/Sign Shop

What is your problem with paint? I am a graphic designer and I made this for a friend who is an artist. I even used different colors for the paint.

 

[TimToad]

FWIW, I find it pretty amazing that some of the most strident comments on these pages generally come from members without a single photo in the Member Galleries.

Its real easy to take pot shots at others and profess some expertise about what one is condemning when you don't have anything out there for others to judge.

Throw something out there for all to see, dip a toe in the deep end of the pool, put your critiquing money where your mouth is. Either that, or learn what constructive critiquing of colleague's art actually is.

Just piling on without full info or knowledge of another poster's full body of work, is the work of anonymous cyber bullies without much else going on in their lives.

I thought website was for professional signmakers at least pretending to be collegial with each other.

 

[artbot]

i think most of us are too busy keeping up with orders to keep up with portfolios or photography for that matter.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/alldredge/sets/72157627000489887/

 

[TimToad]

Here is my 2 cents...

1) Looks like you really do lay tile, the back needs something to it, even changing color would help.

2) Is that your current business logo? Is it crooked like that? If not then don't make it look crooked. It is not necessary for that design when there is so much free space.

3) Your logo looks like it is also from 1980, I was born in 1987. If you designed it then, I would clean it up. If you designed it recently, then brush up on logo design that is current.

4) Not meant to be rude, just my personal opinion.

Here is my logo, uses primary print colors. Clean, easy to read, works well with embroidery, signs, ect. I change the black text to silver, chrome, or white depending on the surface/material it is on. The LLC flows better with the way I designed it rather that leaving it off. Some may hate it, some like it. I think it works will with all my marketing items, printing...ect. For things that are one color like pens and such I either use screens or take the colors out.

As I stated in my original post, I inherited the logo when I bought the business and was trying to see if it would even work for me as I transition the company more to my vision. Here are a few iterations I came up with since and have even more on the drawing table. Its funny, when I posted those, nearly everybody said "Nobody uses the ink color icons or symbols anymore" and "Nobody but industry insiders know what the CMYK symbols mean. One poster even asked why I put a "crosshairs" in my logo? I guess they've never been to a printer or seen proofs come off a printer before.

I guess you designed yours without asking "permission" or before getting heh.. heh...heh..... "constructive" criticism from the xperts around here.



Thanks for the feedback

 

[mpn]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/alldredge/sets/72157627000489887/[/QUOTE]

Amazing!

 

[TimToad]

i think most of us are too busy keeping up with orders to keep up with portfolios or photography for that matter.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/alldredge/sets/72157627000489887/

Right, you must hire all that menial stuff out to others. I wouldn't be in the shop on a Sunday if I wasn't getting some work done.

Nice stuff, is all your work done for the two industries price gouging average Americans the most? At least you picked two recession proof industries to target.

I'm thrilled you've been able to incorporate your art background into your commercial venture as thoroughly as you have.

 

[JMPrinting]

The top two designs are ok, I would scratch the others. Still need some font work at least and would get rid of the box outlining it.

I just dont don't like the tile on the truck, maybe come up with something else, don't box in the logo or rotate it. Keep it clean, even the words on the tailgate, need to stand out that black doesn't help.

 

[artbot]

sorry but i etch and polish and print and cut and laminate and spray and stain and drill and pack cast and machine and hang every one of my pieces much to the dismay of my bank account.

 

[TimToad]

I'd sympathize with you, but I'm on the paying end of plenty of taxes, insurance, overhead, worker's comp for two employee's, benefits, paid vacations, etc. etc.

Your work is amazing, I'm hoping we can get to some point of civility.

You appear to have plenty of deep pocketed clients, hopefully they are paying adequately for such high minded work done with such cutting edge applications.

 

[TimToad]

The top two designs are ok, I would scratch the others. Still need some font work at least and would get rid of the box outlining it.

I just dont don't like the tile on the truck, maybe come up with something else, don't box in the logo or rotate it. Keep it clean, even the words on the tailgate, need to stand out that black doesn't help.

Forget everything about the truck. Its all been dumped. I must have had the world cup on my mind when I came up with the hex pattern. Laying those lines behind help either.

Here are three of the latest and I'm getting happier the simpler I go. The square one is actually starting to grow on me.

 

[TimToad]

Check out this old friend's work. I think you two are working in a similar vein.

http://www.lawrencemorrell.com/

 

[artbot]

the cube is good. (always like the cube with lots of negative space). sorry for the rant, it was a bit on the high satire side anyway.

i'm getting out of the "bespoke" market for a while, deep pockets usually means big egos and lots of BS. it's taken me ten years in the custom only business to start wishing i was back in the mass production business. didn't know how well i had it.

 

[TimToad]

No problem, I had it coming for putting that piece of crap idea out there to begin with and then getting all indignant about being called out on it.

I'm new here after being out of the business for a while, so it'll take me a some time to get back in the saddle on my work. I'll post some of my better stuff when I get a chance.

Well, my printer has stopped running the rush job i have to have ready for tomorrow and I'm spent on working on the logo ideas. I'll leave you guys with this last one to chew on. Its weird and a little out of the norm, but I keep thinking that with such a plain jane name, I've got to create some interest somehow.

 

[player]

What is your problem with paint? I am a graphic designer and I made this for a friend who is an artist. I even used different colors for the paint.

Now you're getting somewhere.