"Strecth the type to make it look better"

[myront]

None of them. While your lettering is horrid in all three examples, you've broken just about every other element in layout.

We're talking simple, cheap, and faster than the other guy. Space is limited and they pay a 20% quick turn around fee on top of the cost. A two day event! These are easy money. Just pointing out that the customer will undoubtedly pick the worst of em (top one). I've had customer call me up after seeing my version and insist that I use the crappy version they sent in MS Word with word art and Algerian font!

p.s. My choice would be the bottom but change font to bebas

 

[shoresigns]

I would be curious to see if this documentary covers the acrimonious split between Jonathan Hoefler and Tobias Frere-Jones. Hoefler basically ripped off a fortune from Frere-Jones, who thought he was a partner when H&FJ was founded. Frere-Jones created many of the best typefaces Hoefler & Co still sells, such as the Gotham and Tungsten families. Frere-Jones created a bunch of great families for Font Bureau prior to that.

I'm well aware of the lawsuit and had mixed feelings about even watching the documentary, but it was pretty interesting. As expected, they only briefly mentioned Tobias and I don't think the lawsuit or the breakup were mentioned at all.

 

[Bobby H]

It looks like they're trying to give Jonathan Hoefler credit for designing the Gotham typeface when it was 100% Frere-Jones' work.

 

[kcollinsdesign]

We're talking simple, cheap, and faster than the other guy. Space is limited and they pay a 20% quick turn around fee on top of the cost. A two day event! These are easy money. Just pointing out that the customer will undoubtedly pick the worst of em (top one). I've had customer call me up after seeing my version and insist that I use the crappy version they sent in MS Word with word art and Algerian font!

p.s. My choice would be the bottom but change font to bebas

The bottom example is an ok starting point, but none of the three samples has enough margin to be effective in a real world application. Viewing a sign with no margins against a white background is can be misleading; the effectiveness of a sign must be determined within its local context.

 

[Bobby H]

I don't like any of the 3 options. The graphics in all 3 examples are crowded way too close to the edge. White/negative space is a useful thing in graphic design. The arrows are crude and ugly in all 3 examples. The "EXIT" lettering in the top example is the only one that hasn't been significantly distorted out of its normal proportions.

Customers? They don't know. But many like to be control freaks just to be involved in the creative process. Yet basic things such as concepts in geometry don't measure in to their requests or demands.

 

[Johnny Best]

Its going to be my dumb luck to have a Bobby H in front of the crowd rushing to get out of a burning building and stopping to tell everyone his geometry theory on the layout of exit signs. That's when Action Reaction will take place.

 

[Gino]

That's why I'm glad I carry. Either get outta the way or roll over.

 

[Bobby H]

Its going to be my dumb luck to have a Bobby H in front of the crowd rushing to get out of a burning building and stopping to tell everyone his geometry theory on the layout of exit signs. That's when Action Reaction will take place.

Pretty lame and absurd strawman there. What other things will you have it do in my name?

This discussion is taking place between sign industry people in a forum specific to the sign industry, not a burning building. As for your veiled "Action Reaction" threat, you can go pound sand if you don't like what I say here.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

Is this Toad 2.0?

 

[Gino]

Pretty lame and absurd strawman there. What other things will you have it do in my name?

This discussion is taking place between sign industry people in a forum specific to the sign industry, not a burning building. As for your veiled "Action Reaction" threat, you can go pound sand if you don't like what I say here.

No, this is a discussion which is absurd from the git-go. The silliness of what's taking place in this thread is like any other one. People talking about breaking rules to no end, to people talking about who knows who or heard of who. The mention of the burning building is exactly what this thread needs thint i care about who made a font ??. The humor and hijacking of this thread is all over the place. I thought that was funny, but then, it was geared towards you..... and not me. Nope, I'd d still think it was funny, even if he said it about me. Cripes, look at all the ridiculous things said by some of the other members....... it doesn't bother me, does it you ??

 

[brycesteiner]

Which would you choose and which would the customer choose?
View attachment 143056

I think they are all just fine. Why? because I want to get on to the next job.

Oh, I know, someone doesn't like that here. Oh well.

If you all can honestly say you've never put out a job that you weren't happy with, then you should be the forum queen.

We've all put out something we weren't happy with, and I'll be the first to admit it. The reason I can do it is I didn't make it for me or you, I made it for the customer and they went home very happy. I'm not going to put in my promotional brochure, but I don't care. I still made someone happy, and probably at a price they could afford. If I have to stretch the font a little bit so there is balance, I will, I won't argue with the customer, and I won't lose any sleep over it.

Make the customer happy, try not to violate the law, and go home at night and sleep.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

 

[iPrintStuff]

This reminds me of every Christmas when we do a deal on canvases. I can’t tell you how many customers have sent in an oblong shaped photo and asked for a square canvas. Peoples heads right at the edges of the photos and everything. “Can’t you just make it square?”

Sounds an awful lot like this guys sales person has been ordering canvases from me..

 

[Bobby H]

No, this is a discussion which is absurd from the git-go. The silliness of what's taking place in this thread is like any other one. People talking about breaking rules to no end, to people talking about who knows who or heard of who. The mention of the burning building is exactly what this thread needs thint i care about who made a font ??. The humor and hijacking of this thread is all over the place. I thought that was funny, but then, it was geared towards you..... and not me. Nope, I'd d still think it was funny, even if he said it about me. Cripes, look at all the ridiculous things said by some of the other members....... it doesn't bother me, does it you ??

How many beers or shots of liquor did you drink before writing that disjointed gibberish?

But, to humor your comment, the OP was complaining about a co-worker (a managing sales droid no less) who insists on type being warped out of its native proportions because somehow the fun house mirror look is a more cool thing to customerz.

I'm 100% on nikdoobs side in saying that "stretched type looks like ****." It absolutely does. There is no excuse for doing that nonsense in 2019. The common practice is UNPROFESSIONAL HACK GARBAGE. And I am not the slightest bit afraid to call out rancid @$$ quality graphic "design" in $#!+ quality signs when I see it. I don't care in the slightest if I hurt anyone's feelings here. I call my own co-workers out in person when I see it there in my own workplace. So I'm surely not afraid to ruffle any feathers in an online forum.

If anyone gets butt-hurt from what I am saying they should do something constructive and improve their craft rather than trying to argue. Anyone is who already competent at sign design wouldn't be doing all the type squeezing and stretching in the first place. There's no reason for them to take offense at my comments.

I think they are all just fine. Why? because I want to get on to the next job.

Unless those 3 "EXIT" signs were customer provided art to be produced as-is, with zero revisions for the lowest price, it's just as easy to do the freaking job properly. Compose the exit signs with at least some modicum of white space around the legend. If a sign designer can't even manage to do the bare minimum then there's no justification for having a sign designer job at all. Let the customers do all the design work and some guy on parole working for minumum wage can hit the buttons on the printer to complete the customer's self-signage job. Let the customer even install the vinyl himself. At some point there has to be at least some level of professionalism that separates the so-called "sign designer" from the lay-person customers who could do all the design work themselves.

 

[GAC05]

The problem with equal access to technology:
Anyone can stretch their junk to make it bigger than any other guy's junk without end.

 

[Andy D]

Which would you choose and which would the customer choose?
View attachment 143056

If there was a fire and the building's exit sign was anything except the bottom one, I would rather burn to
death than use that exit!

 

[Andy D]

An interesting show I watched was the helvetica documentary on netflix.
it's unbelievable how much went into building one font.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

An interesting show I watched was the helvetica documentary on netflix.
it's unbelievable how much went into building one font.

I saw that too... the story about NYC metro or something?

 

[Gino]

How many beers or shots of liquor did you drink before writing that disjointed gibberish?

But, to humor your comment, the OP was complaining about a co-worker (a managing sales droid no less) who insists on type being warped out of its native proportions because somehow the fun house mirror look is a more cool thing to customerz.

I'm 100% on nikdoobs side in saying that "stretched type looks like ****." It absolutely does. There is no excuse for doing that nonsense in 2019. The common practice is UNPROFESSIONAL HACK GARBAGE. And I am not the slightest bit afraid to call out rancid @$$ quality graphic "design" in $#!+ quality signs when I see it. I don't care in the slightest if I hurt anyone's feelings here. I call my own co-workers out in person when I see it there in my own workplace. So I'm surely not afraid to ruffle any feathers in an online forum.

If anyone gets butt-hurt from what I am saying they should do something constructive and improve their craft rather than trying to argue. Anyone is who already competent at sign design wouldn't be doing all the type squeezing and stretching in the first place. There's no reason for them to take offense at my comments.



Unless those 3 "EXIT" signs were customer provided art to be produced as-is, with zero revisions for the lowest price, it's just as easy to do the freaking job properly. Compose the exit signs with at least some modicum of white space around the legend. If a sign designer can't even manage to do the bare minimum then there's no justification for having a sign designer job at all. Let the customers do all the design work and some guy on parole working for minumum wage can hit the buttons on the printer to complete the customer's self-signage job. Let the customer even install the vinyl himself. At some point there has to be at least some level of professionalism that separates the so-called "sign designer" from the lay-person customers who could do all the design work themselves.

Uhh.... None.

The rest of your stuff, I had already said, long before you entered the thread. Possibly, try reading up on things before you just go around blurting out your nonsense. I think it's sad when someone just goes around tooting their horn and not knowing why............. butt-hurt......... What planet are you from ?? Like YOU said, this is just a forum with basically nothing other than these kindsa rants and questions.

 

[Johnny Best]

Albrecht Durer in 1471-1528 had engravings with applied geometry on how to form letters.
You can get a free ebook of it if you google the title "Of the just shaping of letters". It was a must read when I was young. But then again I don't care if people stretch letters. And I am sure if you told that parole guy who pushes buttons some grief you would be butt hurt for sure.
All I am asking is to move fast and safely towards the E X I T.