Damn - only a C or D+ lol. Back to school for me!
Soon enough I think the backlash from poor wrap design will benefit those doing good design work. We're definitely seeing that, and honestly, it's become a bit easier to sell with the more poorly designed work that gets put out there. People are seeing poor ROI on those designs, and getting a better understanding of what they should have done instead.
I've said before, it almost reminds me of how the industry went when the Gerber IVBs came out. Wildly popular at first, then a big anti-vinyl lettering backlash after every sign started looking the same.
Don't worry about the low grade, I always marked hard and saved a curve scale for the end of the semester.
I'm not sure your comparison is quite on. I know this isn't the right thread, but it's as good a place as any to begin.
Back when we were doing lots more trucks, you're correct, not as many hacks were around and there were only maybe 8 or 10 shops in the whole county you could go to for your work. No internet, no computers, you had a practically built in clientele list....
if you were good. Remember, I came from an era when we customized vans and did lotsa murals and very little lettering. We did commercial work and lettering of signs, but that van craze did wonders for our pocketbooks.
Today, regardless of computers or not, most people in our area can't afford the market prices no matter how good of a design you have. Sure, there are some, but they'll take their designs to a guy who will do the whole thing for like $1,500 to $2,000.
Remember, you have clients seeking your designs and expertise out for wraps and mostly wraps only... along with websites and other marketing needs. We only have people wanting to letter their trucks and can get it lettered by Bobby the Iraqi sign guy who doesn't speak English, but will letter your two doors for $50.
It's not an easy task to get a good price for an ordinary lettering job, let alone a partial or full wrap. I did presentations like your for years and although the customer always liked it and wowed over it.... it still came down to the mighty buck and what mindset this area has.
Here's one..... a guy came in yesterday to pick up his truck. He was looking at some signs which just came out of the printer [
flatbed]. He said, that is really cool. How do you get those letters to be raised up so high off the board and almost look flat when you look sideways at the boards. I slid my hand over it and said it really was 2D and he didn't believe me until he ran his hand over it. He looked at me and said..... how do you do
THAT ??
Anyway, I explained things to him and told him it's all done in the software and he said he wanted to come back and get some signs like these. He asked how much and when I told him, he says... well, guess I'm gonna stick with the ones I already have.
Right now we're in the middle of printing quite a few signs for a local trade show and we're doing 8 or 9 companies. We're still getting artwork today and the show starts Friday morning. Another company wants an 8' x 32' sign done for tomorrow to install Saturday.
The reason I mention this is.... we're getting a good buck for all of this stuff and actually making a killing on it, but the trucks for some stoopid reason..... no one wants to part with that kinda money.
That's why a while back, I posted up some ideas for our own trucks. Got feedback I didn't agree with, but still wanted to consider and I'm not sure I agree with the many posters, yet, but we want to do it up right, so we can sell more wraps in the area. Our old truck was a partial wrap, but now we have two nice canvases and we wanna do it up right.
Anyway, I trust you realize I was just bustin' your balls on the grade. That was fine arts and this place is all about making a living while you're alive, not after you're dead..... like fine artists.
