Issue link: https://nbm.uberflip.com/i/1451379
6 8 G R A P H I C S P R O A U G U S T 2 0 2 2 G R A P H I C S - P R O. C O M 6 8 G R A P H I C S P R O A U G U S T 2 0 2 2 G R A P H I C S - P R O. C O M S I G N A G E & P R I N T I N G S I G N D E S I G N STEP 3: COLLECTING CLIENT ARTWORK ey won't have a clue about what you need ... your cli- ents, that's who. ey won't know about fonts, colors, graph- ics, icons, logos, and the like, and just like the artwork you gather now, you will need to gather these little gems of low-res rasterization from the customer for use in a drawing that will illustrate how the channel letters will look on the building. STEP 4: YOU NEED AN EXPERIENCED SIGN DESIGNER e designer you choose is critical. Absolutely critical. Why? Because they are the bridge that is connecting the sales rela- tionship to fabrication. Make sure your designer has references and can provide you examples of similar completed projects, as well as references from the fabricators who actually used their shop files to build electric signs, primarily channel letters. STEP 5: SIGN CODE CONFORMANCE is involves your customer, the landlord, and the city's sign code. is is one step that takes a bit of finesse to find out what is possible, and what is not. e customer's wishes, the land- lord's requirements, and the city sign code must all be on the same page. City code is the end-all law of the land. STEP 6: THE DESIGN PROCESS One of the little-known secrets about human nature, emo- tions, logic and buying choices is that visually stimulating "eye candy" type night views can tip a buyer your direction, even if your price is higher. Find a designer who has experience working with multiple sign companies, and who has examples of shop files that have become actual signs. Speaking with the shops who built their sign designs will provide you a wealth of infor- mation on how the designer handles details, notes, spelling, and dimensions. Small details that can make or break your project. STEP 7: ESTIMATING, COST MANAGEMENT, PROPOSAL WRITING All part of the sales process, and your working relationship with your fabricator will come in handy at this point. ey can most likely help you with the agreement, deposit and how to fill out the paperwork for applying for the permit. STEP 8: APPROVALS, AUTHORIZATIONS, PERMITTING Has your client signed the drawing? Has the landlord signed the drawing? Has the permit been issued or is it at the city, waiting to be picked up? Lessons learned at this stage belong to those who assume too much and end up eating a set of channel Your designer will know ways to help channel letters do more than just light up. There are techniques where part, or all, of the channel letter face is "blocked out" with special vinyl that prevents light from passing through. These specialty techniques are only available from designers who have been around the block a few times. Interview several!