Questions About Design
We love to design. Actually the whole reason our family is in the sign business. Still, over the decades, the same questions keep coming up. So we decided to put the answers here for easy reference.
Have a design question? You’ll find the answer here:
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UPDATED
CamoWraps is discontinued. Over the decades we have only offered the best of the best.- Technology moves forward
- Tastes change
- Custom made wraps are more economical and easy to make ‘one off’ just for you
Very common question. While CamoWraps does offer kits for some ATVs die cut to fit, this is not a popular option. Why? Well, what happens if you mess-up just one little piece? A big problem… because of the time and expense of getting that one fitted piece to you.A much better option is to order either a kit with the same square footage you need or order by the sheet. This will allow some leeway for mistakes.So what to do? Take some time and measure the square footage needed to cover your ________ and, first see if another general CamoWraps kit has close to the same material. If not, order the number of 4’x5′ sheets needed to cover your project.Have another question about decals, signs, lettering,
or stripes? -
Yes.. but.Sure, no problem to change your order to vertical lettering. Order as usual and add a note to add vertical lettering. A preview and, if needed, a price adjustment will be emailed back. Still there are challenges with vertical lettering.
First, why is vertical lettering not pre-viewed online? Mostly because any standard preview is ugly. Vertical lettering is tricky to layout even for an honest to goodness real human graphic designer. Next to impossible for an AI. True some simple fonts work out ok, sometimes. But problematic fonts with some letters and numbers and it is unreadable.
What to do? A hand made preview is needed.
Second challenge is: It still might not look good. Italic fonts or overly thick or thin fonts and still will not get the desired results. In our mind it seems like a good idea, but when actually drawn out… not so much. There is good reasons we don’t see vertical lettering in advertising all that often.
Third challenge: Will it fit? Vertical lettering runs two or three times longer in size for the same size letters. For instance, a 5″ word that runs 24″ will now run 48″ to 72″ in overall height. Will there be room for this?
Forth challenge: Because of the increased size, the material cost is 2 or 3 times more. This can hurt the budget.
To review. Yes, we can do vertical lettering. But a preview is needed (cause it could be ugly). Sizing and cost could go up dramatically.
Order as usual and add a note to change to vertical lettering. A preview and, if needed, a price adjustment will be emailed back.
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Sadly, these are pre-made and we simply distribute the product for someone else. But this is a great idea. We’ve asked….. and asked
. But the makers of these products just will not give out the high dpi files for us to work with. Which does make sense for them. Why would we buy and distribute their product if we had their artwork. We would simply bypass them.Sometimes the next question is: Can you make these graphics up ‘from scratch’ for a one time run for me? Yes – but the cost will be high for just a one run graphic (by comparison). This is the reason others mass produce and then get others to sell their production.
That being said, if you have artwork or a design in mind, let us know – we love doing first class custom work. But the price just will not be as cheap as the pre-made graphics.
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or stripes? -
Image Quest, Fas Graphics, and Auto Trim Express graphics can not be rendered well.
We simply distribute. The manufacturers will not give us the computer graphics for renderings. They are afraid we would use the files as a template to make the graphics custom. Which would be a good idea.
This limits what renderings we can do. 🙁 Only the graphics that are custom made found in this section can be rendered.
But that is still over 1,200 side stripes. Many to choose from.
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or stripes? -
Sadly, a camo pattern for a pin-stripe – while it sounds like a good idea – in application just does not look good.
The problem is in recognizing the pattern as camo. If the pattern is left at it usual size, there is not enough detail on a skinny stripe to recognize the pattern… It looks all splotchy. If the pattern is reduced to get the details (leaves, twigs, etc..), you have to get so close (within just a couple of inches) to see the details.
We’ve tried this idea, and are looking for someone to figure out how to make a good looking camo pin stripe. But, as of yet, nobody has one.
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or stripes? -
Yes, and well No. And also: It Depends.Color matching is on a case by case basis. 95% of the colors can be matched with no problem.
What we can not match exactly? Some vehicle colors. We print colors and vehicles are painted. That is the first strike against an exact match. Added to this there are different lusters and depths (candied, perls, metallics). Body shops even have problems, even with the exact paint can from the manufacturer. Many times they can not just paint one fender and it matches another panel. Even with the exact paint. Even at times from the same can of paint the car was originally painted from. Why? Even a few months later, after the original has been exposed to UV rays the color changes slightly. Not enough anyone would notice, until a new section is painted. Also in the can, paint can degrade over time and no longer match the original. Even with color matching equipment (which we have), paint MOST of the time does not match exactly other paint. It has to be feathered from one area to the next so the eye doesn’t notice the difference. Those are normal issues with matching paint to paint. Matching Ink to paint is even harder.
Can it be done? Yes. Well sort of. Just like the paint needs to be feathered to trick the eye, similar needs done when matching ink to paint. If there is a separation of the two areas by just an inch or so (say a border or trim), the eye will not notice the difference between the ink and paint colors. Right on top of each other, the difference will be noticeable.
There is nothing worse than seeing two colors that are ALMOST the same, but obviously are not. Never want it to look like you tried to match and failed. Again the trick is to create some separation between the ink and paint.
To review, just like matching paint on paint is difficult to impossible in the paint industry… A similar issue is found in the printing industry. The trick is to create some separation and nobody will be the wiser that one surface is printed ink and the other is painted.
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UPDATED
CamoWraps is discontinued. Over the decades we have only offered the best of the best.- Technology moves forward
- Tastes change
- Custom made wraps are more economical and easy to make ‘one off’ just for you
It depends on the kit. Some kits do come pre fitted (gun kits – which still need some trimming and some ATVs can be ordered ‘die cut’). While CamoWrap may not like us saying this, with regard to the ATV die cut kits: ‘why bother’. Order one of the regular unfitted kits, and if you have a mess up – your not stuck a piece short. Since the unfitted kits always have extra – enough for at least one mistake. Not that anybody would ever mess up 🙂 –The vehicle kits do not come pre-fitted. And again, this really is an advantage. Besides the extra material, there are no ‘registration’ worries. If, say a fender where precut there would be worries about starting to lay on one end and having the other end short – because you started a little off or at an angle. It is much better to apply one big oversized sheet and then after applied – trim the edges. Much better.Sheets come in 4’x5′ panels and do not need the pattern matched exactly from one section or panel to another. But if you do have to cover a large section and need to but together two pieces (ie roof or hood) – it looks better to register the two pieces – alot like you would do wallpaper – so that the pattern matches. But between say a door and fender, no need to match patterns exactly. However, keep in mind there is an ‘up’ to each pattern. You should start with the patterns shadow on the bottom on each piece. But lets say you star with the patterns shadow on the left. At least make sure each following piece has that same shadow direction. This is easy to tell. Look for the patterns logo stamp – and keep each sheets logo angled the same way. If you do this, even if get ‘up’ pointing ‘down’, no one will notice.If you have any other questions – even during the installation, let us know. We’ll be glad to help.
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or stripes? -
Well the latest and greatest iPhone will not help.
It would seem simple enough to just take a picture and print that color. The human eye and brain though are way better, and also, at the same time, get tricked way easier than most expect.
We’ve all seen the dress that some people see as one color, and others see as another color. Our eyes and brain interpret and filter what we see. For instance, take a picture of a red car. Import that picture into a photo editing app. Color sample various areas of the red car. Each and every sample will be a different color code. Our eyes see ONE color, the computer sees hundreds. On the other hand, we can print out a dozen different similar red sample color codes. When our eyes look at the samples it will see a dozen different reds. BUT take a picture of the samples and then look at the picture. They will all look alike. Even the latest and greatest iPhone can not match the human eye.
So, the only way to really match a color exactly is to use all the tools available. Yes, color matching tools save a lot of time. But they are only the start. The best tool we have: trained human eye… can fine tune the print and get the perfect match.
Mail us your sample and we will match it:
SignSpecialist.com
105 Ruth Ann Lane
Broadway NC 27505 -
UPDATED
CamoWraps is discontinued. Over the decades we have only offered the best of the best.- Technology moves forward
- Tastes change
- Custom made wraps are more economical and easy to make ‘one off’ just for you
In comparison to other vinyl – very easy. But, it can be very time consuming.Why is it ‘easy’?First, CamoWrap uses 3M Control Tac vinyl. What this means is, if you get a wrinkle, crease, or bubble you can lift the vinyl back up and re-squeegee. You can do this over and over again – until it sits in the sun and ‘cures’ for a couple of hours (then its not going anywhere!) Very nice.Second, it’s camouflage. 🙂 If you do get a bubble, you can’t see it. This is good – because you could let any small bubbles ‘go’. No one will ever see. (but bad in that it takes awhile of ‘feeling around’ to find them all and pop with a pin knife). Also, because it’s camouflage, splices are very very hard to see. The pattern hides splices very well. This is good, because usually some are needed. It’s good to think of a vehicle or ATV as a gift that needs to be wrapped. Some splices or folds are needed. While it’s always good to put them in a hidden place, it’s good to know, even if the splices are ‘right in the open’, they probably will not be seen.Can you install CamoWrap? Tougher question. It’s not really an issue of skill but mind set. If you were one of those kids that liked building model cars or other detailed work – this will be you cup of tea. It does take patience and a lot of time (most vehicle wraps about 40 man hours). That being said, because of the above advantages of CamoWrap, a beginner really is as good (and fast) as an experienced installer.Where does all the time go (in the installation)?
Mostly in prep and clean up work. For the best looking install on a vehicle or ATV it is good to remove as many accessories as possible (brake lights, grills, etc..). Then, take your time prepping the surface (fancy way to say cleaning the truck). On a vehicle pay particular attention to the fender wells and areas like this. If there ever is a problem with peeling, it will be in one of these greasy dirty areas that didn’t get cleaned. If you clean the ‘edges’ well and take your time doing it, you will get many many years from the CamoWrap.Have another question about decals, signs, lettering,
or stripes? -
Well, sometimes it can be easy. So easy even an AI can do it! Sometimes though it can take hours of work by a real graphic designer. Much depends on the quality of the image and also the nature of the image.Quality of the image:
If the image is already a bit pixelated or has semi transparent pixels close to edge, these have to be manually cleaned up. No AI tricks here. Maybe one day, but not yet.Nature of the image:
If the image has sections that fade or feather, creating a nice edge for a die cut image is a challenge and has to be drawn manually. No AI tricks here either.So, yes, $15 to remove the background is a deal. But, truthfully, at times, if the above is not an issue with your image, than the free online AI background removal services will work. Save the $15 and run your image through their filters and see how it looks. Pay attention to the edges. Make sure all remnants are removed and you are satisfied with the result.
When you’re ready, use this new image on our “Turn your image into a Decal” tool.
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Recently a customer send us this image:
He wanted to take this image (the above size being 1.5 “x1.5″) and turn it into a small decal (10″x10”).
Normally, the cost of a decal like this well under $20… if we have the artwork in a decal ready format. However, this above decal is not even close. The above image is less than 3 square inches. To get to 100 square inches, the above decal would have to be 33 times larger. So lets do that. The following image is a crop of the original. It is ONLY enlarged half that amount. Can you tell which part of the original it is? Imagine if it was enlarged to the size need. The details just are not there. Added to this, the original image is only ‘drawn’ at 72dpi. Minimum quality needed is 150dpi.
Enough of these technical issues. What does this mean for the customer who just wanted a nice decal made from the original image? Much added cost. A redraw by hand is needed. Then the redraw will be scanned into the computer for more clean up and conversion to a final decal file format. Even before a decal can be made, several hours of redraw time is needed… cost $75 (not including the decal cost). Wow!
Why go over all this? At first glance the cost of converting an image to a decal seems like we’re some kind of bandits… to some customers. But the reality is, even at the prices we do charge, our conversion prices do not cover our conversion costs. Why do we do it anyway? It’s fun (although not profitable). It’s fun to get paid to draw. To get away from a computer and keyboard and sit down with paper and pencil and draw…. now that is some quality personal time. And to get paid for it besides, it makes it all worth while.
So by no reason, feel we don’t want to do decal conversions. Send us what you have and we’ll get back with you a quote and ordering link (but steady yourself before you look at the price).
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or stripes? -
The simple answer is yes. But first, some background information.
Have you seen those shows like CSI or James Bond movies where some tech guy takes a fuzzy photo and within a few minutes ‘blows up’ a license plate number so it can be read?
Sometimes this is possible… but not as seen on TV. I’ve been in this business over a decade and I’m sure even the government doesn’t have software that can do the ‘clean ups’ or enlargements that we’ve all seen so easily and matter of factly accomplished on TV.
So, what is possible? Well with some fancy software and cutting edge algorithms, a computer might guess what license plate numbers are possible from a fuzzy picture. But even then, an artist would have to sit down for some time consuming computer drawing to turn the photo into anything realistic. Have you ever taken a picture that’s on your computer and zoomed in real close and seen all the little pixels. That’s all the CSI tech is working with. That is all that is there… nothing more. If it is not there to ‘clean up’ it has to be redrawn. This redraw, besides requiring a good working knowledge of computers (a geek), requires an artistic flare (an artist). These are two mindsets hard to come by in one person.
How does this relate to the above question? You may have already guessed. Yes, taking a little picture that you have and turning it into a decal is possible. But the better the quality to start with (that is, the higher the dpi and size) the better (and cheaper) the end product. A poor quality or small image can get expensive to replicate as a decal.
HOWEVER, we can take even the smallest of images and turn it into billboard if needed. How do we do it? We simply print out the image and give it to our resident artist to draw / duplicate by hand. Then this new image is scanned into the computer to be converted into a decal file format. As you might guess, this can get a bit expensive for some.
On the other hand, if we are given a good quality image to start with (again, size and dpi are what matter), we can run it through our fancy software and cutting edge algorithms and within a few clicks, in true CSI style, we’re done! The cost? Free.
What determines whether the tech does the job for free or the artist redraws (which can get expensive)? It all matters, again, on the quality of the artwork we are given. So give us the best that you have and we’ll get together a quote.
(here is an example of this in application)
Have another question about decals, signs, lettering,
or stripes? -
Common design problem. Let’s put some figures on this problem so it makes more sense.
A customer may want 5″ letters and want it to spell out Mississippi and only wants it 15″ long. On most fonts this will want to work out to more than twice as long as desired.
So the dilemma. The customer wants 5″ lettering and no more than 15″ length.
Experience says: ‘don’t try’.
Trying to force a design in a desired space will end up ugly. Trying to work with both dimensions as absolutes is equal to ‘design by committee’.. ugly. While they may be more visible at a tall height,… stretching / squeezing letters makes them less readable (ugly).
There are very few times we insist on as a design issue. Pink with burgundy is one – and forcing sizes that do not want to work is another. It will end up frustrating everyone.
Have another question about decals, signs, lettering,
or stripes? -
We can ‘handle’ just about any graphic file format. But, please, no .doc or .pub files. Word and Publisher documents are highly dependent on outside files and are version sensitive.
To at least make sure we are all on the ‘same page’, try sending as a .jpg , .gif , .bmp , .tif and we will be able to view the graphics. If unfamiliar with these formats, here’s a trick that may work: open the file in word, press ‘print scrn’ on your keyboard. Open the ‘paint’ program and edit paste then save as a .bmp. This is not the best way, but it will work fine to get us started.
However, these graphic files are only for viewing. They are in raster formats (bunch of dots) and can not be ‘scaled’. So a hand redraw would be needed 🙁
The best file formats are .ai, .eps, .dxf. These can be saved to include vector graphics (compared to raster or dot graphics). If your artwork can be remade in a vector format, it will save MUCH money on a redraw.
Please don’t just open a raster file and re save as in a vector format. We wish it was that easy 🙂 You would just have a raster file saved in a vector format 🙁
If you want to do the redraw yourself, there are several free ‘trace’ programs out there. ‘Trace’ programs convert from raster to vector. After the conversion, depending on the original quality, much ‘cleanup’ or redrawing could be needed. Hope not. It’s best to start with the highest quality image.
If you have any questions let us know.
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Detailed Customer Question
I would like a sun visor with a cut out of a Ford logo in the center. I sent a picture to give you an idea. Can you help me?
ANSWER
It is possible to have a decal design found in the online store added to, or ‘cut out’ the visor strip – but tricky for the customer to get right.
The cost is no extra over the visor cost mentioned online. After you order email us the size for the design and the positioning on the banner – This is where it get tricky.
It can be difficult to get the right measurement for the design placement on the visor. We can center easy enough, but how far down from the top or bottom can be tricky to guess. As you can tell in the picture the ends of the visor get ‘thicker’, since a straight line (the visor) and a curved surface (the windshield) curves to match, the calculation can be tricky. So, take your time and let us know what you come up with.
Next, the installation. No doubt you have reviewed the online installation video. The easiest way to install a visor is wet. However, a portion of the visor will need to be pre-masked (see decal installation instructions online) so that the ford logo will hold in it proper place. This makes it tricky to install. Not hard – just tricky. A gentle touch removing the premask is needed and much time/patience to work out the invariable bubbles caused when removing the premask.
So, if you think your up to it, just order as usual, after you order email me your order number along with the ‘correction’ (cut out ford logo the size of _____ positioned …) and I’ll make the change to your order before production begins.
Ford is very strict about the use of its logos and trademarks. No one can use their logo unless authorized.
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or stripes? -
Please keep a couple of points in mind about custom design work requests:
We have on average a thousand people a day visit our site. Many of those are just looking…. not quite ready to buy. Some of these folks ask for quotes… and that’s great. Some want us to spend time designing when they are, at the moment, just looking. We try to accommodate pre-order work as best we can, with the hope some of these become customers.
On the other hand we have many paying customers, that rightly so, want their designs today. We value our customers. With a small design crew, we have to focus on satisfying customers first and for most. Therefore, at times, we can not do pre-order design work.
If that is the case now, please, “Request A Quote”. We will provide an ordering link so you can order.
We will assign your order and design top priority!
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or stripes? -
This is a very common question. We really wish there was some kind of an algorithm that could be entered in for the answer.
When it comes right down to it, nothing can replace the opinion of the customer. We can give some input, but could never answer, what really is a very personal question.
My father has an illustration that applies to this concern. He use to say ‘this is like trying to pick out a girlfriend for someone else’. And it is true, ‘which design’ is a very personal decision and taste vary a whole lot.
For instance, and back to our illustration, I like a petite girl with brown hair, brown eyes. But, of course, my taste will not work for most. So, with regard to design, the question is not ‘what will I like’ but ‘what will the customer like’ I can make suggestions based on what is currently popular and what others similar to you have liked, but, as you can see, this is just guess work. Yes, indeed, like picking out someone’s girlfriend. We can tell you who is pretty, but that’s about it.
So, all this being said, we’ll be glad to give suggestions. Tell us what you like and don’t like and we’ll point you in the direction of the ‘pretty girl’
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or stripes? -
Thank you for the question.
First, of course, this does not mean we work for free. But we do indeed design for free.
So on many thousands of products offered you can customize and we’ll design to your specifications at no additional charge.
To illustrate first with our decals. When ordering you can tell us any additional design specifications. For instance, you can add text (and tell us which letterstyle, and how to position the lettering -ie-‘arched’), or have the decal mirrored from what is online, and etc… All at no additional charge. From our point of view, you are simply paying for the material – what is designed in the material does not alter the price. So then things that would raise the price are 1. a larger size and 2. more colors. But the design is free.
Next, to illustrate with our signs banners and graphics. In our custom signs and banners and graphics (excluding the Wildstripes Vault) and truck lettering departments we take the design specifications and create proofs for review by the customer (not available for decals). Now if the customer does not want to work with us on the design and does not want a proof – the price is still the same. But others like to work with us on getting just what they want. Even if it takes many proofs – the price is still the same. We design for free.
It is true, some like to leave it all up to us. If that’s the case, we will still put the same energy and thought into the creative process. On the other hand, we do like it when the customer wants a proof or wants ‘a hand in the design process’. This way, the customer knows and we know what is created will be liked. This eases our minds also. Nothing is more disheartening than creating something that is not liked. We look forward to the design process with our customers and do not try to rush this process at all.
Have another question about decals, signs, lettering,
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UPDATED
CamoWraps is discontinued. Over the decades we have only offered the best of the best.- Technology moves forward
- Tastes change
- Custom made wraps are more economical and easy to make ‘one off’ just for you
Yes, this is confusing at first glance.The Permanent is cheaper. And since it is “Permanent” is it must be better right?No. We wish there was a better description other than “Permanent” and “Removable” for these two CamoClad products. “Permanent” means it WILL NOT come off no matter what -even if you want it off!. It will take a grinder to it off. This is a negative if the CamoClad will need to come off later. This is why it is not recommended for vehicles (and is cheaper). “Removable” means it will not come off till you want it off. Even then, it will take some work (heat gun, solvents, elbow grease). “Removable” CamoClad will not in any way damage the paint it is applied to when working at removing the product even many years later. Extra engineering goes into the glue for the “Removable” CamoClad, therefore the extra cost.We no longer offer CamoClad products. This question is now mute since CamoWraps only offers the ‘good stuff’ (3M control tac vinyl) to start with. This means: (1) No damage caused by the paint even if removed years later. (2) No ‘accidental’ removal until desired.Yes, CamoWraps, in our opinion is the superior product.Have another question about decals, signs, lettering,
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First, if it’s really important or urgent, give us a call. We do like to talk on the phone… maybe a bit to much.
But, yes, corresponding by email is much better for this type of work. There are a lot of ‘p’s and ‘q’s to get just right (sizes, colors, fonts, layouts, and etc….). You just can’t beat email for this. A phone conversation can get ‘old’ in the mind with both parties. But if we have an email for reference… any memory lapses can be brought back up to speed very easily.
But there is another important reason. When abstract ideas are ‘forced’ into the written word, rambling disappears. Many times I’ve started a typing a sentence and stopped and backed upped and tried again… because it became obvious the idea would not work. Sometimes, not till the 3rd or 4th time does the ‘good’ idea take shape. Ideas can also be organized, reviewed, and even visualized and explained much better with the ‘written’ word. It does take more work, especially if you don’t type well. But in the end, email correspondence creates a much better product with much less chance of errors.
Now, let’s tie these two points together. If a customer calls to ‘talk it out’ (or to talk to someone to try to decide what to order) it can cause problems later. It can be difficult for both side to remember exactly what was ‘talked out’ or decided upon.
And again, the spoken word can not compete with the exactness of a picture sent by email. Yes, it may ‘sound’ good when described over the phone… but will it LOOK good. Only an email can answer this easily.
So, give careful thought, type up a draft of your ideas and concerns, review it — and email it to us. We will email you right back.
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or stripes? -
‘Volume Volume Volume’In business it used to be ‘location location location’ as the three most important things needed for success. But not online.
To illustrate. With a store front it takes about 30 minutes to work with a customer and design and make a custom printed graphic. When the customer designs themselves online, well, it takes us 30 minutes to do TEN printed graphics. So we produce and make 10 times as much with the customer designing. So, our prices reflect this reality. We don’t like to say ‘CHEAP’, but well, they are. They really are. The prices that is. Not the quality.
So, yes, a bit of sticker shock when we have to raise the price for custom work. It won’t by 10 times higher. Still at even 3 or 4 times higher the pricing is not sustainable for the business. The truth is: Custom work is subsidized by our regular work. Just doing custom work and we would go bankrupt. Why do it at all?
Well, we are graphic designers. It’s what we enjoy. So, steady yourself. The price for custom work will be higher, but really, never high enough.
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When uploading an image to be sized and made into a decal, how the image is cropped really matters. If the image is cropped disproportionately then:
- We are left guessing on the sizes needed
- Your order could be delayed
- Pricing could be inaccurate
- What you order might not be what you had in mind
For example, if you have an image like this:
But if the actual outside proportions do not match the image inside, like this:
Then the size you enter and the width that is calculated might not be what you had in mind.As an example, say you want a 10″ tall decal. But if the unwanted background is not cropped out, the size calculations will be off:
So crop the image correctly and sizing will be accurate.
Of course this is an extreme example but hopefully it shows the issue. To review, if the image appears to be cropped disproportionately then:- We are left guessing on the sizes needed
- Your order could be delayed
- Pricing could be inaccurate
- What you order might not be what you had in mind
So, crop the image to the desired proportions and all these concerns go away and you’ll get the decal exactly like you have in mind.
Ready? Upload your cropped image and make it into a decal here
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Yes, this our company policy: No Haggling
Two Reasons: Practical and Moral
It is Practical to not haggle. Haggling takes time. Time is money. The more time we spend haggling the more we have to charge. Haggling will only make the price go up.The weeds: Any business should know what it needs to produce / make / sell — monthly, daily, and if they are really efficient, hourly. If a prospective job is eating away at that time making us less efficient, we have only two choices. Decline the job or increase the price. Besides this concern, pricing is very straightforward and is based on material costs. This leaves our pricing consistent and competitive. This keeps everyone happy. Our designers like to design, not negotiate and haggle. If they are presented with a need to haggle, besides keeping in mind company policy, their own nature prevents it.
It is Moral not to haggle. How much should we charge? Well the nature of our commercial world is that on most transactions there is a winner or a loser. We like our customers. We don’t want to ‘beat them’ out of their money. And, well, we also like ourselves, and we need to make money. That moral tug can eat away good motive. So, we don’t haggle.The weeds: To Illustrate: Some customers don’t care how much we charge them. It’s rare, but really some customers never even think about price. It must be nice. So, do we charge them more? It would be tempting. It could be reasoned that we have wiggle room on pricing on jobs where the customer is not fretting over every penny. But wouldn’t that still be taking advantage of the first customer? A very slippery slope. We like to make a living and have fun designing,… and feel good about it. So, we don’t haggle.
So, if the price is too high, let us know. We will re-run the numbers and make sure there was no mistake. But if pricing concerns eats up a lot of time, keep in mind pricing will just go up. And, if pricing concerns could eat at ‘moral integrity’, keep in mind… We don’t haggle.
