Sometimes you got to pay to play!
If the sign was done on brand new acrylic...then he could add this to his portfolio....When someone says..show me some signs you created........he could be proud and say Did you see the sign at Chile Verde Mexican restaurant?
I made that sign.
If he sends someone to look at that sign with bad acrylic He will lose the job.
I would enjoy Mexican food for 3 times the cost of the acrylic. hehehehe
You have that also..... a little backwards.
If he was to use new acrylic as you suggested, he still would've had that same layout going on it and it still wouldn't be useable in a portfolio.
I've had many people come to us for signs and I told them about many signs I wasn't proud of, and told them not to consider the layout if the customer had provided it..... or someone cheaped out and used old crap over.
I've even sent customers to look at competition's signs to compare ours to theirs..... or if we didn't have one in their vicinity to look at.
I don't think I'd ever donate a few hundred dollars to a cheap customer to get some free meals. That's just silly business. Again, that kinda sh!t don't pay the taxes you just entered in the books, it doesn't put food on the table and it doesn't put gasoline in your tank. Why waste
YOUR money and pre-pay for so many meals, no matter how much you like beans and rice ??
Today is today and you get paid today. You could be dead in a week and would never collect your meals........