Looking for some sign design help.

[Greencarvings]

Hello Everyone,
Been sitting here reading the forum for months. Now that it made it over to vbulletin, I thought I would actually register.

Anyhow, I have been using the machine with Aspire to make a bunch of coat racks and some trim for new windows I am putting in.

Made a couple of the cedar signs for my father's raccoon hunting club and well, things have started to become busy.

Cedar signs are simple, but I would like something a little more professional for the shop.

I do have some 3/4" extira otherwise I can do a glue up of cedar.

I am also working on the website.

I would have to find the thread again, but you helped one guy turn his idea from a simple sign to something amazing.



Anyhow, this is a starting point:

[dvmike]

The options are limitless .
What did you have in mind? I'd love to give ya a hand (I'm a newbie too)
I did this quickie in a couple of minutes.

[Greencarvings]

This thread is my inspiration: http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6375

You can see a night and day difference between what we have done and how nice his sign looks on page 4.

I am looking for a similar transformation just not like his sign.

Anyone have any ideas?

[joewino]

You're probably not going to like my answer...

If you are entering the sign business, your sign needs to reflect your design and construction abilities. I would suggest that you observe as many different designs as possible and then create your own.

By using someone else's design you are representing what they do - not what you can do. What happens when someone else designs your sign and then a client comes in and wants something similar? You are stuck because you didn't design the orginal and don't know what the various elements were used.

Get a pencil and piece and paper and start doodling. It doesn't have to look professional - just get some ideas down on paper. Observe the signs in your area that you especially like and then try to decide what it is about those designs that set them apart from all the other.

Most of the really good sign designers started this way. It's not pretty at first but with practice improvement will come. Having someone else do the design may get you a sign but it will not make you a signman.

[Greencarvings]

The only signs I will ever be doing are the rustic cedar cabin signs with a bit of v-carving. I am more into doing RC airplane foam kits cement stepping stones and fishing pole racks and small gaming tables. Think cabin by the lake. So nope, no real sign business.

[joewino]

Then my suggestion would be that you do your sign like you do the ones for your clients and then it would represent the type of work that you produce.

Or you could hire a professional sign person to do the design for you if you wanted something a little more upscale.