how can i make this bigger and not look like crap?

[petepaz]

i have this customer that i do their fleet and as i redo and letter new trucks the owner keeps asking for bigger lettering which i try to accommodate as best i can but what he doesn't understand is some trucks just don't allow what he wants. case in point see attached pic. i originally did this about 5-6 years ago and now i am doing an overhaul of some of the trucks and this is one they want me to re-letter but...BUT they want a bigger logo (MARJAM).
the two main problems i see are the vent (do you put lettering on the vent? don't think that will hold up or look good) and the wheel well/fender (if i extend the lettering over the fender it will curve out and i don't think it will look good or even be seen)
the dotted line shows the area they would want me to cover. anyone have any ideas?

 

[signguy 55]

No offense but if that's the actual lettering on the truck already, that's pretty bad. I don't know why you are even worrying about going bigger. Just say "In my professional opinion that's not going to work" and leave it at that. Never have i seen lettering that big on a set of doors. Yikes! (Looks like the classic customer designed layout ...... I want these letters 8" x 30" on this line and at least 5" for the DOT numbers etc). Also I'd try to upsell them a new logo while you're at it. Wow!

 

[SightLine]

It is not possible to have it both bigger AND not looking like crap....

However once in a while what we think looks like complete crap and what the customer thinks will be awesome are just going to collide. If its a good profitable customer, sometimes I'll just bite the bullet and give them what they want. I'd not try putting anything on that hood vent though. We have a couple of customers that absolutely insist on having everything on their vans as absolutely edge to edge as huge as possible. I mean text/logo etc just to the literal back corner almost going around to the back and reaching all the way to 1/4 of an inch of the front door windows. Looks ungodly stupid in my (and most any other reasonable person) opinion but they spend a ton and we make very good money so whatever. This same customer had use make a set of door magnets for his personal pickup, a quad cab silverado, they are 5 feet long x 20" tall done as 2 pieces to nearly go across the entire cab. I just don't put their jobs in our portfolio to show off.... Sometimes less is more is just something some will never understand.

 

[Gino]

I kinda like it. I think you're on your way to talking them into a wrap job.

In no way can that be made to look pleasing to anyone's eye. Sounds like these people are all about the visual, so show them something like this and ask them point blank..... Is this what you want ??

If so, we need to take a different approach. This cab will have to be wrapped. Have a generalized cost ready and see if they take the bait.

​

 

[petepaz]

i agree with everything you all said and unfortunately the customer's response is usually "you know i am the owner right?" so i just do what he askes, it looks like crap and then i send out an invoice and then he sends a check so it's all good. i have no problem giving him what he wants. they had some brand new trucks last year i lettered them and he came back 6 months later said it wasn't big enough and i had to redo them. i removed the old lettering installed the new (and i was only able to make it about 8in longer and 2in higher so not much difference) he paid for the whole thing so no skin off my back. they give me a lot of work and they pay their bills so i don't really care. like you said just won't end up in your portfolio. the thing is sometimes i run in to stuff like this vent and draw a blank. he actually tried to get me to letter the front grill and the guy i deal with at the truck yard just told him NO you can't put anything on the front grill, it will screw up the air flow and possibly damage the truck.

 

[signguy 55]

But I thought all these articles in SignCraft that Dan Antonelli writes says you have to have scruples. If the customer doesn't want to do it your way, you WALK AWAY! Of course that sounds nice in theory but you gotta eat right? (Cant help but think of changing his business name to "ToeJam"!!!) John Lennon "Toe Jam football!! If that's a dump truck just attach a piece of polymetal over the entire side and be done with it.

 

[SightLine]

If he does insist on going gigantic, at minimum remove that vent and paint it white first. That would at least help a tiny bit....

 

[Stormyj]

If he does insist on going gigantic, at minimum remove that vent and paint it white first. That would at least help a tiny bit....

That's what I had in mind. Remove vent, paint it white, because odds are its that plastic that nothing stick to anyway, sand it prime it, paint it, then put lettering on it. Drive the price up and then offer a wrap for a bit more. Upsell upsell upsell

 

[Stormyj]

Upon closer inspection, they really need a logo revamp. Hey, they got a great name. Keep driving. Oh a supply company, uh what type of supplies, keep driving.

 

[truckgraphics]

Mess Around With It

Don't see why you can't play with the kerning and tracking to bring it across the hood. If you interfere with the vent, just print the letter in that place on wrap material and cut out the vent area. It will still be readable. (Ok, my attachment is a bit ugly, but it shows my idea.) The customer wants his name big. Give him his name big. Customer happy. Collect money.

 

[petepaz]

Don't see why you can't play with the kerning and tracking to bring it across the hood. If you interfere with the vent, just print the letter in that place on wrap material and cut out the vent area. It will still be readable. (Ok, my attachment is a bit ugly, but it shows my idea.) The customer wants his name big. Give him his name big. Customer happy. Collect money.

thanks that seems the way to go.

 

[Marlene]

it all ready it too large for the area and that makes it harder to read. what is the whole rest of the truck look like? why not attach some big signs to that? when someone says "you know I am the owener" just what does that really mean? it sure doesn't mean they know anything about signs.

 

[petepaz]

it all ready it too large for the area and that makes it harder to read. what is the whole rest of the truck look like? why not attach some big signs to that? when someone says "you know I am the owener" just what does that really mean? it sure doesn't mean they know anything about signs.

you got that right..haha.
the rest of the truck is covered with the same logo. it's insane. on the hood, on the sides of the cab, on the bulk head, on the front above the grill on the wind sheild visor, on the boom two sides and the bottom.

 

[MikePro]

he needs either a bigger truck :ROFLMAO:
...or a simplified logo for situations like these, such as:

(rushed, but I'd proly shift the lettering a bit as to not split the centers of the top A)

 

[Gino]

he needs either a bigger truck :ROFLMAO:
...or a simplified logo for situations like these, such as:

(rushed, but I'd proly shift the lettering a bit as to not split the centers of the top A)

I like that, but in this case, I'd be thinking someone was planning a music festival for March.......

 

[SignManiac]

I like the idea of telling him his trucks are too small. Big truck envy is a problem with a lot of males.

 

[bob]

Construct some sort of bizarre wallpaper using the logo, print a couple of acres of it, and wrap the truck with it. Perhaps something like this quickie with a step and repeat in all directions.

 

[Marlene]

you got that right..haha.
the rest of the truck is covered with the same logo. it's insane. on the hood, on the sides of the cab, on the bulk head, on the front above the grill on the wind sheild visor, on the boom two sides and the bottom.

ugh, that sounds horrible! too much is just as bad as too little. it looks cheap and disparate. just do it, collect Mr. I am the owner's cash and laugh all the way to the bank

 

[petepaz]

that's pretty much the routine make big letters, cram them all over the truck, invoice and get paid. and i don't see the advantage to wrapping the trucks like some had mentioned (unless i am missing something, which is possible) because all he wants on there is MARJAM so why wrap?

 

[Jwalk]

Why dont you prime and paint the vent as said, but also paint the red that falls on the vent too.